Ding, ding, ding! Welcome to Round 7 of the Super Heavyweight throwdown between Neuroblastoma (in the black trunks) and Eli ‘The Champ’ Horn (in the purple trunks).
The Neuroblastoma in Eli’s bone marrow has sure been taking a beating over the past 6 rounds. In fact, nobody is sure how it is still standing. Eli must have had quite the pep talk in the corner because he has come out swinging with chemo moves we haven’t seen yet! Irinotecan jabs, Carboplatin hooks, and uppercuts full of Temozolomide! We knew Irinotecan was effective in Neuroblastoma relapse, but hitting Neuroblastoma with it this early in the game is something we’ve only seen done recently. It has had great results in the past, so watch out Neuroblastoma! We have Max down at ringside talking to Eli’s trainer, Dr. Kushner. Max?
Thanks, Teddy. Dr. Kushner, what can we expect from Eli in Round 7?
Well Max, we’re going to be throwing out some things Neuroblastoma hasn’t seen before. The last 2 Rounds we stuck with high dose cytoxin, which has been really effective, but we’re worried that throwing more of it out this round could result in worsening the blood in the urine situation, so we’re going with something new.
How did you feel about how the last 2 Rounds went?
The last 2 Rounds went well. As you may know, Eli’s bone marrow aspirates (the liquid) came back negative for Neuroblastoma for the first time ever. We also just got back the results of the bone marrow biopsy and for the first time ever, the front sites tested negative for Neuroblastoma and the back sites only showed a few clusters, so Neuroblastoma is definitely taking a beating and we are hoping to knock it out this Round.
What are the downfalls of using this approach?
Well, we can expect a lot of diarrhea and some nausea. Also, Eli’s counts will definitely crash to zero again, but that’s no different than the last several rounds, so we’re prepared for it.
Is it true that one of these chemo drugs is in pill form?
That’s right, Max. However, Eli has done a fantastic job of taking the oral chemo because we crush it up first and mix it with Apple juice. It still tastes nasty, but he’s a real champ.
He sure is. Thanks, Dr. Kushner. Back to you, Teddy.
A champ he is indeed! This Round is expected to last 5 days, so Eli will be heading back to his corner to recover after Monday. As the Doctor said, he will probably have lots of cuts, so a stay in the inpatient unit is probably inevitable. Stay tuned, this is bound to be an exciting Round and we know Eli’s corner is praying for a knockout!
Remember, the next scheduled matchup for Eli after this bout with Neuroblastoma in the bone marrow is going to be with the Neuroblastoma on the bones (knees, shoulders, hips, etc.) Eli is expected to put on the radiation gloves for that fight. Keeping the Neuroblastoma down will take many rounds of 3F8 antibody treatments, so there is still a lot of fight left, but the Champ has a lot of fight left in him!
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