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Thalidomide
Hi Deeno,
During May 2010 my HGB was about 8.5 before 2 units of red blood cells once a week. I am very afraid of adverse reactions so I only accepted supportive therapy (txs, Neupogen for low WBCs and iron chelation) until my dysfuctional platelets decreased to 22 and the ferritin level increased to 5600.
Then I decided to try Thalidomide and Prednisone. These drugs (not the txs) have had good effect on the counts. A little more than 30% of MDS patients respond to Thalidomide and if the drug is combined with Prednisone more patients respond.
Today they don't do any studies on Thalidomide as single drug - they now study the newer drugs Revlimid and Pomalidomide (not approved). They don't give neuropathy as often as Thalidomide.
Blast cells are immature white blood cells. Myeloma is cancer of the plasma cells. Plasma cells are white blood cells that produce disease- and infection-fighting antibodies in our bodies.
Thalidomide works in many ways - some of them are probably not yet discovered. The drug inhibits the cytokine Tumour Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and is anti-angiogenic – that means that the growth of small blood vessels is inhibited so tumor cells can’t grow so fast.
Kind regards
Birgitta-A
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