Something you may not have known about tumors (and how to fight them)

[alanpvegas]

Break out your diaries ladies, I am actually going to promote a chemotherapy here :)
I was looking through some of my old research files from 2006 and found information on Xyotax (a taxane) which is now called Opaxio.

Anyways I loved how they explained how this works.  Essentially it's no different from the taxanes you have probablly all have taken (like Taxol, etc).  We all know that tumors are hungry and they create blood vessels everywhere to feed them (well, if you didn't know...you know now lol).  What they found out was that these blood vessels are not as 'healthy' (duh) as normal blood vessels.  So essentially they are 'porous'...pores everywhere.  But what to do with that information?

Well they created a mechanism to infiltrate these pores to deliver the taxanes right into the tumor and leave healthy tissue alone (well, maybe to at least minimize side effects).  This is because normal blood vessels don't have the cancers/tumors types of blood vessels so they won't absorb Opaxio.  They also found out things about estrogen (etc) and used that to enhance the drug to work better.  Neat huh?

They have a neat PDF that explains this (with pictures...I love pictures), but because medhelp won't allow me to post URLs I can't add it here.  Just google opaxio and you should see one for CTI (the company).

This thing has been ongoing since 2005, so it's nowhere near completion (remember, FDA trials take like 10 years if all goes well).  There is a clinical trial on, but of course it's restrictive.  They have info on their website.

Keep fighting everyone!

[Sunes]

Thank you so much for your input.
I guess it is the same finding about Vit C molecule and Glucose molecule and how they both look the same and why cancer cells "think" it's the right fuel for them where in fact it's Vitamin C molecule absorb. I have a little text in my journal about Vit C and Glucose.
Take a look if you like.
Take care, Hugs, Sunes.

[Jan214]

Oh Alan, with all you have been through and you still think of us.  You are just a living doll.  Thank you so much.  I will definitely look into this and I am going to ask my onc about it tomorrow.  I asked him if I should look into clinicals and he says I am already in a database.  Apparently, I signed off on that when i first went. He is very gungho about clinicals and is linked to some database that has all of his patients info in it and when they are conducting clinical trials they can look at our particulars and see who might qualify.  I wish all the oncs would do that.  I will look at this info tomorrow when hopefully I won't be so brain dead.  I do hope you are getting on well.
You have spent so much time taking care of others, I hope you are taking care of you.
Jan

[alanpvegas]

Great question!  I'm just going to speculate here because I only (re)found this info last night and I haven't looked too much into it....however....

it looks like the pores are smaller than the size of a normal size of blood cells/platelets, etc.  I'm only assuming this because I'm looking at the size of the chemo agent itself and when they compare it to a cancer cell, it's tiny...but that's only my opinion.  I'll review the data (whatever they have later) and let you all know...

[Sunes]

Hi Alan.
I have read this theory and it is so promissing. But also I have a question : "If the blood vessels in tumor have openings due to retarded structure  would blood itself not go through these holes and cause hemorrhaging? and how the medication know to get through and not everything else? I don't know if I understood it right.
I copied this from the website with pictures but pictures did not show here.

{{{Unlike vessels in healthy tissue , those in tumor tissue  have openings that make them porous. Due to the larger size of XYOTAX compared to standard paclitaxel, the XYOTAX leaks through the pores in tumor blood vessels and is preferentially trapped and distributed to the tumor tissue}}}.

Please advise.Sunes.

[Tybear]

Thanks for the info Alan! I'll definately look this up...and ditto to what Donna said - it's nice of you to be thinking of all of us...
Take care,
Becky

[msjazz]

Thanks Alan, You are so kind to keep remembering and helping us. Will look this up. Donna