Here we go again...

ShellBell77
ShellBell77 Member Posts: 7
edited May 2011 in Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin) #1
Hello there, my name is Michelle and I just joined this site in search of support from people who are going through what I am going through.

So, on September 9th 2010 I was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma stage 3. I started chemo in October and had six months of it. I had had a PET scan just before my last chemo and it said that only a tiny piece of the cancer was left. Then I ended chemo on March 7th 2011. After that a month later I had another PET scan to see if that tiny spot was gone and to all of our surprise not only had my cancer returned but it had grown larger than before, spread farther and was growing aggressively.

I recently had my 3rd biopsy on May 9th because my oncologist wanted to see if maybe it had changed to Non-Hodgkin. So after they cut me from belly button up I was in the hospital til the 13th. Now I have gotten the results back from Pathology and it says its still the same. Still Hodgkin. Thank goodness. Although my oncologist says it could have switched to stage 4 instead of three but she doesn't know yet.

Now I have to go to the University of Michigan to see a special Lymphoma doctor to see what the next step should be to be able to cure this.

They are talking about whether or not to put me on a two year Rituxin drug but I don't know much about it yet.

Comments

  • michelleb1064
    michelleb1064 Member Posts: 53
    #2
    Sorry
    sorry to hear about your returned cancer. I dont know any thing about Rituxin but There has been a lot of talk about a new drug for Hodgkins. Its still in the trial phase but I have heard a lot of really good things about it so far. Its called SGN 35. Look it up. It may be worth asking your oncologist about. Wish you well and take care.
  • miss maggie
    miss maggie Member Posts: 929
    #3
    Rituxan
    Hello,

    Rituxan is a monoclonal antibody. Rituxan only targets a marker called
    CD20 on the B Cells in which most NHL starts.

    I see you have Hodgkins only, not NHL. Not sure in your case the doctors
    are using Rituxan as a trial. Or if they ever used Rituxan berfore for Hodgkins
    only.

    Maggie
  • ShellBell77
    ShellBell77 Member Posts: 7
    #4
    miss maggie said:

    Rituxan
    Hello,

    Rituxan is a monoclonal antibody. Rituxan only targets a marker called
    CD20 on the B Cells in which most NHL starts.

    I see you have Hodgkins only, not NHL. Not sure in your case the doctors
    are using Rituxan as a trial. Or if they ever used Rituxan berfore for Hodgkins
    only.

    Maggie

    TY
    Thank you, yeah I hear its a trial to see if it works for Hodgkins as well.
  • ShellBell77
    ShellBell77 Member Posts: 7
    #5
    michelleb1064 said:

    Sorry
    sorry to hear about your returned cancer. I dont know any thing about Rituxin but There has been a lot of talk about a new drug for Hodgkins. Its still in the trial phase but I have heard a lot of really good things about it so far. Its called SGN 35. Look it up. It may be worth asking your oncologist about. Wish you well and take care.

    Thanks
    I will do some research on this drug and also on Rituxin because I am curious about them. Hopefully they get me into the UofM quickly so I know what they want to do.
  • nickydog
    nickydog Member Posts: 76
    #6
    Hodgkin's
    Did you have any indication/feeling that your mass was increasing? Also, where was your mass? My daughter is finished her chemo, her mass has shrunk and she is having a PET scan tomorrow. Hearing those kind of things are really scary!!
    Keeping you in our prayers.

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