[PyrNet-L] HEALTH, CHAT: More Chemo for Clondike

[David P Kintsfather Jr <kintsfat@kutztown.edu>]

Clondike is an 11 1/2 year-old Pyr bitch who was diagnosed with lymphoma
11 months ago.  She has had a rocky 11 months involving first chemotherapy
with traditional drugs which yielded a 16 week remission post-chemo, and
then a short course of chemotherapy with a brand new protocol developed at
Ohio State (DMAC) which gave her a 12 week remission post-chemo.

Unfortunately today her nodes were back up and we began another course of
the DMAC protocol.  DMAC calls for weekly treatments alternating between
two combinations of chemo agents (which are new only in their use for
lymphoma).  Clondike got moderately sick from the 2nd cycle of the first
combination of drugs and more severly nauseous from the 2nd combination.
Our hope is that by pre-treating with sub-Q injections of Centrine we can
prevent, or at least minimize, the vomiting this time around.

While Clondike has been a little lethargic this last week, she is
generally doing well and still seems to be enjoying life, so we hope to
provide her with another remission.  Last time she attained a nearly full
remission within 12 hours of the first DMAC treatment.  Keep your fingers
crossed that she is still responsive to these drugs.  It is somewhat
encouraging that she managed to hold a 2nd remission for 75% of the length
of the 1st remission.  The general rule is that each successive remission
is only half the length of the one before, but our oncologist said
early-on that she was getting better than average remission times and
ratios.  DMAC is so new that there really isn't much of a track record
with it.

I wish the news were better, and I admit I had dared to hope for a longer
remission, but we are trying to take things a day at a time.  Clondike is
better at this than we are.

David, Nancy and Clondike

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