I am celebrating another birthday and another year of life after CML diagnosis! I was told in December 1998 that without a transplant I would not survive much longer than 12 months- Fortunately I survived long enough after that diagnosis to travel to the US and enrol in the phase ll trials of imatinib in august 1999. That proved to be a decision that saved my life (neither dasatinib nor nilotinib were then available).
Even though 3 years later I lost my molecular response to IM and had to call upon my younger brothers donated stem cells, again imatinib was there post RIC-transplant (October 2003) to keep me in molecular remission for 12 months until I could safely begin the third stage of my therapy with DLI.
Those of you who are familiar with my story will know that DLI eventually 'cured' my disease and in March 2006 my doctor was finally able to tell me that my PCR was undetectable.
So I am celebrating another birthday and remain ever grateful (an understatement) to my doctors here in the UK, who had the foresight (and the nerve) to 'let' me do what some people thought was a crazy thing, and go to the US and take part in Dr. Druker's phase ll trial for accelerated stage CML.
I remain committed to helping others diagnosed with CML, not only in the UK but in all regions of the world and with the support of my partner David, will continue to support others through this website.
Best wishes to all of you on this lovely sunny April day,
Sandy
“Imatinib tells us we are on the right track but we can't be complacent, we can't be patient. We must seize this momentum to reach the finish line of curing cancer." Brian Druker, MD
