New Developments in Lymphoma Treatments

[JDrake99]

What is your opnion on the new agents, such as the proteasome inhibitors like bortezomib, histone deacetylase inhibitors like vorinostat, novel BCL2-targeted drugs, new T-cell-active agents like pralatrexate, new-generation thalidomide analogues like lenalidomide, and novel monoclonal antibodies and vaccines as discussed in a recent webcast from Columbia/ Cornell? http://www.or-live.com/nyp/1773

[Mollikins]

Our sone has Hodgkins Lymphoma, diagnosed a year ago.  He has had three different types of chemo, all in the hopes of getting him to stem cell transplant, however, the cancer has been resistent to treatment.  He has tried Lenalidimide in a trial, however, after a month of feeling absolutely horrible, worse than when he was on chemo, and after spending a week in hospital with pneumonia, he has opted for radiation, which indeed he really has no choice given where the tumour in his chest is and the fact that it is pushing on a bronchial tube.

We are on the hunt for alternative therapy, and in particular, have been researching high dose Vitamin C therapy, Latrile, etc.  Do you have any advice on this situation...perhaps someone you know who has had the same challenges?  Our son is 19, so he has his youth going for him, but this is being really stubborn and we refuse to give up.

Thanks so much for any help,
Best
Mollikins

[riley180]

The best piece of news is that there is interest along multiple lines of therapy which hopefully will translate to more options for patients. However, as to how this will affect future treatment is a question for history to answer. Treatment decisions would have to be based on robust evidence, for it would be tragic to replace current effective (but perhaps more toxic) therapies for merely promising (but unproven and generally less toxic) ones.