iwCLL 2013: Dr. Jeff Sharman Discusses Why We Feels so Lousy with Cancer

In Part 4 of my conversation with Dr. Sharman at iwCLL 2013, we start by discussing the lousy tired feeling that sadly so many of us are all too familiar with. And even more sadly, that too many community oncologists seem not to be familiar with or in total denial about our truth that CLL could be the primary source of our achy tired feelings.

When we understand about the cytokines released by our rogue cancer cells, we begin to understand why decreasing our tumor burden with standard therapy such as FCR, or better yet, blocking those cytokines with idelasilib or ibrutinib and others, can give us back out lives.

Many questions. No cookie cutter answers.

Do the new therapies change the threshold to treat?

Dr. Sharman touches on the dilemna of mono therapy with rituximab?

If you have not seen Parts 1-3, take the few minutes to acquaint yourself with the first segments of this wide ranging interview.

Start here with Part 1 where we discuss among other things, the emerging importance of pharmacogenetics in medicine in general and cancer in particular.

In Part 2, we move on to prognostic and predictive factors and the difference

Part 3, Dr. Sharman managing high risk disease.

And a heads up, Parts 5- 7 are very quickly on their way.

And more from Drs. Byrd and Kipps and Kay and Pagel.

And then on to ASH.

Dr. Sharman was incredibly generous with his time in Germany. I am very grateful and lucky that I get to do this work.

Enjoy listening to a thoughtful expert. I did.

.

Blessings to all my American friends for Thanksgiving. There really is much to be thankful for in the CLL community this year, but until we all have a seat at the table of deep and durable remissions, we have much hard work ahead of us.

And to all my friends from the Regina and surrounds, how bout them Saskatchewan Roughriders winning the 101st Grey Cup in North America's oldest professional sports league.