Dr. just left a bit ago, here's what he had to say:
We'll get the final diagnosis tonight or tomorrow morning, but he's thinking ALL, not AML. The chemo treatments are very different, but he was 99% sure that chemo will start tomorrow.
Dad needs to go into remission before he leaves, but most patients (90%) go into "remission" before they leave. They consider remission to be a lowering of the cancer cells, not a total removal. A total removal off all cancer is considered cured, and with ALL there is a 90% chance of being cured, and with AML there is a 75-80% chance.
If it is ALL, he will need 7-8 more months of treatment after leaving here, and with AML he will need 6 months more treatment. Follow up treatments will be here at UCSF and he will be admitted each time. Details of follow up visits will be determined tomorrow.
They will also be doing a chromosome test that comes back in 2 weeks, and I can't remember why they're doing this, or the echo cardiogram of his heart, but I'm assuming it's really just for more information for chemo.
He will be here at UCSF for the next month, and depending on the type of leukemia he has, it will either be a lot up front and then recovery for the rest of the time (AML), or ALL which spreads it out during the month.
The Dr. should be back tomorrow afternoon with all the rest of the answers.
If you have any questions you want me to ask the nice Dr. - now would be the time! We don't get to see this head guy very often, so I'd like to get as many answers now as we can.
Oh, and there is free WiFi here in the hospital, so feel free to send me emails. Becky will hopefully be bringing a laptop for dad to use too, and maybe we can grab his Skype camera so we he can talk to those who have it.
Jen
We'll get the final diagnosis tonight or tomorrow morning, but he's thinking ALL, not AML. The chemo treatments are very different, but he was 99% sure that chemo will start tomorrow.
Dad needs to go into remission before he leaves, but most patients (90%) go into "remission" before they leave. They consider remission to be a lowering of the cancer cells, not a total removal. A total removal off all cancer is considered cured, and with ALL there is a 90% chance of being cured, and with AML there is a 75-80% chance.
If it is ALL, he will need 7-8 more months of treatment after leaving here, and with AML he will need 6 months more treatment. Follow up treatments will be here at UCSF and he will be admitted each time. Details of follow up visits will be determined tomorrow.
They will also be doing a chromosome test that comes back in 2 weeks, and I can't remember why they're doing this, or the echo cardiogram of his heart, but I'm assuming it's really just for more information for chemo.
He will be here at UCSF for the next month, and depending on the type of leukemia he has, it will either be a lot up front and then recovery for the rest of the time (AML), or ALL which spreads it out during the month.
The Dr. should be back tomorrow afternoon with all the rest of the answers.
If you have any questions you want me to ask the nice Dr. - now would be the time! We don't get to see this head guy very often, so I'd like to get as many answers now as we can.
Oh, and there is free WiFi here in the hospital, so feel free to send me emails. Becky will hopefully be bringing a laptop for dad to use too, and maybe we can grab his Skype camera so we he can talk to those who have it.
Jen
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