Warning: Curmudgeon now has plenty o' postwhoring time on his hands!

TCGA bladder cancer study

So this looks pretty interesting on the genomics side of things. Hopefully what you're doing now with the MVAC is working and keeps working. Beyond that is figuring out the specific genomics of your bladder cancer. If there are some known mutations that correlate with some specific drugs... that's perhaps the next step. There isn't a lot of info on the treatment side for a genomic approach - so getting access to test an approach means a clinical trial or a very persistent oncologist. Foundation One does a lot of the genomic profiling/testing (or at least we do a lot with them).

not to distract, but I find some of the most brilliant an unorthodox ideas of our time are in the biochemistry that is being dreamed up to fight cancer.

I remember at one point in the past few years they were using micro-iron coils.

The idea was that they would inject this ferro fluid directly into a cancer site until it spread, then they passed a magnet in close proximity to the injection site, and the little iron coils became magentised.

they were still researching why this happened, but ONLY the cancer cells were drawn toward these coils. As they increased the field strength, the coils would -burn- off the cancerous cells.

not only is that so neat to me, but the idea that someone has to dream up something that wild with currently existing tools....

I've got a friend who's been dealing with bladder cancer this year & just finished treatment...which was to pump his bladder full of tuberculous up through his hootus.

I guess I forgot your cancer started as bladder cancer. I was diagnosed with bladder cancer in Dec 2004 They zapped it a lazer in a 15 minute procedure in the OR through the hootus. The Urologist I used did periodic cystoscopes in his office for a few years, then he disappeared. My new urologist likes to do them in the "surgery center", of which he is a partner. Now cost several hundred$$ VS $40 copay before. This guy likes to dye kidney tubes too, which last time caused excruciating pain several hours later. I thought I was passing a kidney stone. Listening to your situation though, I think I will shut up and take my medicine like a man.

The immunotherapy and genomics stuff is pretty cool, not quite TB through the Hootus, but it's related. Turns out bacteria and viruses are pretty good at targeting tumor cells. Unmodified, they don't attack, just sort of latch on. Tweak them the right way for the right mutation and they also kill the tumor cells.

spitfirebill wrote: I guess I forgot your cancer started as bladder cancer. I was diagnosed with bladder cancer in Dec 2004 They zapped it a lazer in a 15 minute procedure in the OR through the hootus. The Urologist I used did periodic cystoscopes in his office for a few years, then he disappeared. My new urologist likes to do them in the "surgery center", of which he is a partner. Now cost several hundred$$ VS $40 copay before. This guy likes to dye kidney tubes too, which last time caused excruciating pain several hours later. I thought I was passing a kidney stone. Listening to your situation though, I think I will shut up and take my medicine like a man.

Wow, didn't know you had the same thing. They must have caught it pretty early. One of the tumors in my bladder was 'scraped off' (doc's words, sounds horrible when you think about it) but the other had gone through the first layer of bladder tissue into the second. That's the one that metastasized. I'm just glad it didn't make it through to the outer layer, or I'd be dealing with a ostomy right now. Hard to drive a race car with one of those; the buckle system goes right where the bag needs to be stuck on.

oldtin wrote: TCGA bladder cancer study So this looks pretty interesting on the genomics side of things. Hopefully what you're doing now with the MVAC is working and keeps working. Beyond that is figuring out the specific genomics of your bladder cancer. If there are some known mutations that correlate with some specific drugs... that's perhaps the next step. There isn't a lot of info on the treatment side for a genomic approach - so getting access to test an approach means a clinical trial or a very persistent oncologist. Foundation One does a lot of the genomic profiling/testing (or at least we do a lot with them).

Again, thank you very much! I'll make my oncologist aware of this. Actually, Dr. M is pretty sharp, he's probably already aware of it.

Well, went in yesterday for another kyphoplasty. There were 3 vertebra involved; the doc described two as 'old damage'. Betcha that went back to my dirt bike daze... anyway, I went in at 7:30 and got home by about 11. This crap gets done with quick! The difference was amazing; the sharp pain in my back is gone and I can stand up straight again! The downside: there's still pretty constant pain from my ribcage which Dr M and I think are tumors that do show on the PET scan. That's the bad news; the good news is (without going into too gross of details) I believe I passed the bladder tumor about a week ago. Yes, whatever it was came out the only way you can think of. If it really was a tumor, then that means the MVAC is working! Another PET scan is planned for 8/11, will know more after that.

I've been in a hiatus between chemos, I've felt good enough that a LOT got done on the turbo rotary GT6. I'll probably post more pics of that project over the next few days.

I'm glad you're feeling better.

On a side note, have you seen the movie "Forks Over Knives"? It talks about diet and cancers. It's available for streaming on Netflix.

In reply to Curmudgeon:

That's awesome news, man! Keep up the good work.

Excellent news.

Keep fighting mike

That is good news.

Glad to hear you are doing well.

More good news today! had a PET scan, the original tumor in the bladder is gone, as are the others which were sorta scattered around the torso area. The bad: there's still tumors in the rib bones which are quite painful at times and there's an 'active mass' in the upper left thigh. I have an MRI scheduled to find out what the hell THAT thing is.

No, I'm not 'cured' or 'in remission' etc, I still have some more chemo to look forward to. But damn it's looking a lot better than it was December of last year!

Glad to hear things are looking up! Keep up the fight man!!

Good new is good news

Man, I'm glad to hear that.

In reply to Curmudgeon:

Good to hear that. We'll be looking forward to more good news following upcoming meds.

Keep the good news coming!

Awesome news!