Every year, more than 10,000 Americans are diagnosed with a specific type of cancer, called chronic lymphocytic leukemia. This leukemia is tough to get rid of and when patients become resistant to the treatments offered, there’s not much left doctors can do. A new treatment is changing everything.
Seven years ago, Norman Zobel was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
“It was very traumatic,” said Zobel. “The first thing I asked him is, ‘How long have I got? How long will I live?”
The answer is changing right before Norman’s eyes. Doctor Asher Chanan-khan enrolled Norman in a study on a new drug called lenalidomide.
“This particular drug is an oral drug. It’s not chemotherapy. It’s not associated with any nausea, vomiting, loss of hair,” said Dr. Chanan-khan.
Lenalidomide has mild side effects and is a powerful player against leukemia that has grown resistant to other therapies.
“With the first dose, patients started to respond,” said Dr. Chanan-khan.
The drug changes the environment around cancer cells, making it tough for the cells to survive. It was effective in nearly half of people who had run out of treatment options.
“We have several patients now, in whom we cannot detect cancer anymore,” said Dr. Chanan-khan.
Norman is one of them.
“When the doctor comes up to you and says, ‘Yeah, you are in complete remission and you are safe from the problem you’ve had,’ it’s hard to put into words,” said Norman.
Now, Norman is finally looking forward to his future.
Lenalidomide is already F.D.A.. approved for the treatment of another cancer called multiple myeloma.
It is currently in trials for chronic lymphocytic leukemia as well as non-hodgkin’s lymphoma.
