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Tony's Medical Journal
| Copyright 2008. Tony Tocco. All Rights Reserved. |
Update:
Dear Friends,
I wanted to take a moment to Thank you for the overwhelming
out pour of support! The benefit was a huge success. With
that said, I also have good news from Texas. During my most
recent trip, September 7th and 8th, Dr. Yao announced that the
MRI showed no significant changes. The cancer has stopped
spreading! His advice is to stay the course, so for the next
three months I will return to Texas monthly for blood work and
to have my medicine refilled. I will also be given a follow up MRI
during the third visit, around Thanksgiving. I again want to
thank everyone for their support and prayers; I will keep you
posted on any changes in my condition.
Ciao for now,
Tony
Tony is currently fighting a rare
form of pancreatic cancer,
known as a pancreatic endocrine
tumor (PETs). They are also
known as endocrine
pancreatic tumors (EPTs) or
islet cell tumors. Incidence of PETs is estimated at one new case per
100,000 people per year. Surgery is the only therapy that can cure PETs.
However, the typical delay in diagnosis, gave the tumor the opportunity to
metastasize, making Tony ineligible for surgery (non-resectable). The
tumor has metastasized to a local lymph node, as well as, to the liver,
where he has multiple lesions over bilateral lobes.
There is no established standard therapy for the liver metastasis of
pancreatic endocrine tumors. The most common non surgical therapy for
all GEP-NETs is chemotherapy, although chemotherapy is reported to be
largely ineffective and, not particularly durable (long-lasting) for PETs.
Tony has undergone two intense cycles of chemotherapy which were not
only ineffective, but the tumor continued to grow. When chemotherapy
fails, the most common therapy, in the United States, is more
chemotherapy, with a different set of agents. Tony’s physicians
discussed his results and decided that more chemotherapy would only
cause a decrease in his quality of life with little or no effect on the tumor
itself. So ultimately the decision was made not to continue with the
therapy. According to Tony’s physicians, here in St. Louis, without
treatment he will only have 6 to 10 months of life left with any kind of
quality.
Tony is currently being treated at MD Anderson Medical Center in
Houston, TX. His physician, Dr. James Yao, is currently conducting a
clinical trial on an agent know as RAD001. This is what is called a double
blind study, meaning no one knows if he is receiving a placebo (sugar
pill), or the actual drug. (As there are currently no alternative treatments
this was the only option.) The study (which Tony has been accepted into)
requires him to travel to Houston, TX once a month to have blood work,
MRI scans, and doctor’s office visits. During this time, every third month
he will have a MRI scan to show if the tumor has grown, regressed, or not
moved. If they find during a scan that the tumor has grown over 15% he
will no longer be eligible to participate in the study. At which time the
alternative medications that are available would cost approximately
ten thousand dollars a month. They currently estimate that the drug will
give each patient 60 weeks of progression free survival. (This is not the
case for all patients; the success rate is approximately 67% for any length
of progression free survival).
His family continues to research and look for alternatives in the event the
RAD001 is ineffective. Currently they are investigating an option called LU-
177 (a radioisotope). Most tumors that can be treated with LU-177 grow
slowly. These tumors are mostly GEP tumors with metastases in most
patient, like carcinoids, and endocrine tumors of the pancreas. Studies of
this drug have been promising. The 47% of patients given this drug
showed decrease in the size of their tumors, 35% stable disease, and
only 18% had their disease progress despite treatment. The average
duration of the effect of therapy was more than 36 months. As this news
is exciting, like all news, there is a downside. Currently they are only
offering these treatments in Holland and Sweden.
Dear Friends,
I wanted to take a moment to Thank you for the overwhelming
out pour of support! The benefit was a huge success. With
that said, I also have good news from Texas. During my most
recent trip, September 7th and 8th, Dr. Yao announced that the
MRI showed no significant changes. The cancer has stopped
spreading! His advice is to stay the course, so for the next
three months I will return to Texas monthly for blood work and
to have my medicine refilled. I will also be given a follow up MRI
during the third visit, around Thanksgiving. I again want to
thank everyone for their support and prayers; I will keep you
posted on any changes in my condition.
Ciao for now,
Tony
Tony is currently fighting a rare
form of pancreatic cancer,
known as a pancreatic endocrine
tumor (PETs). They are also
known as endocrine
pancreatic tumors (EPTs) or
islet cell tumors. Incidence of PETs is estimated at one new case per
100,000 people per year. Surgery is the only therapy that can cure PETs.
However, the typical delay in diagnosis, gave the tumor the opportunity to
metastasize, making Tony ineligible for surgery (non-resectable). The
tumor has metastasized to a local lymph node, as well as, to the liver,
where he has multiple lesions over bilateral lobes.
There is no established standard therapy for the liver metastasis of
pancreatic endocrine tumors. The most common non surgical therapy for
all GEP-NETs is chemotherapy, although chemotherapy is reported to be
largely ineffective and, not particularly durable (long-lasting) for PETs.
Tony has undergone two intense cycles of chemotherapy which were not
only ineffective, but the tumor continued to grow. When chemotherapy
fails, the most common therapy, in the United States, is more
chemotherapy, with a different set of agents. Tony’s physicians
discussed his results and decided that more chemotherapy would only
cause a decrease in his quality of life with little or no effect on the tumor
itself. So ultimately the decision was made not to continue with the
therapy. According to Tony’s physicians, here in St. Louis, without
treatment he will only have 6 to 10 months of life left with any kind of
quality.
Tony is currently being treated at MD Anderson Medical Center in
Houston, TX. His physician, Dr. James Yao, is currently conducting a
clinical trial on an agent know as RAD001. This is what is called a double
blind study, meaning no one knows if he is receiving a placebo (sugar
pill), or the actual drug. (As there are currently no alternative treatments
this was the only option.) The study (which Tony has been accepted into)
requires him to travel to Houston, TX once a month to have blood work,
MRI scans, and doctor’s office visits. During this time, every third month
he will have a MRI scan to show if the tumor has grown, regressed, or not
moved. If they find during a scan that the tumor has grown over 15% he
will no longer be eligible to participate in the study. At which time the
alternative medications that are available would cost approximately
ten thousand dollars a month. They currently estimate that the drug will
give each patient 60 weeks of progression free survival. (This is not the
case for all patients; the success rate is approximately 67% for any length
of progression free survival).
His family continues to research and look for alternatives in the event the
RAD001 is ineffective. Currently they are investigating an option called LU-
177 (a radioisotope). Most tumors that can be treated with LU-177 grow
slowly. These tumors are mostly GEP tumors with metastases in most
patient, like carcinoids, and endocrine tumors of the pancreas. Studies of
this drug have been promising. The 47% of patients given this drug
showed decrease in the size of their tumors, 35% stable disease, and
only 18% had their disease progress despite treatment. The average
duration of the effect of therapy was more than 36 months. As this news
is exciting, like all news, there is a downside. Currently they are only
offering these treatments in Holland and Sweden.
How YOU Can Help Tony
Join Tony in his fight against
pancreatic cancer. Your donation
will help pay his medical
expenses that are extending his
life.
pancreatic cancer. Your donation
will help pay his medical
expenses that are extending his
life.