Remission Status Please

Dr. Asch and Erika Te

Dr. Julie Asch came in today to give us news on Erika's marrow results. Erika is in REMISSION! This doesn't mean Erika is finished with chemo therapy. It just means that chemo therapy is working. She has a long ways to go before she is done. This long process is to prevent a relapse from occuring.

Dr. Asch also asked for permission to use Erika's smiling face to be displayed at the end of her presentation, which she will be giving at the largest leukemia conference next week, among many doctors around the world, to share the current results of the clinical trial Erika is a part of.  Remember the MRI of Erika's brain with that spot? Dr. Asch believe it was a brain disease. Fortunately the LDS hospital, as a part of their leukemia treatment program, happens to do an MRI of the brain outside of the Dana Farber clinical trial and outside of standard treatment. According to Dr. Asch, most hospitals do not do an MRI of the brain at all, for doctors do not feel it is necessary. Yet, Dr. Asch believes it is crucial, for it determines how to treat the CNS when that phase approaches for the patient. Many patients have died after going into remission a few years or even months after chemo treatment due to brain related complications. This is one of the key points Dr. Asch will discuss during the conference, the importance of doing a brain MRI which currently is being ignored. When Erika approaches her CNS (Central Nervous System) phase they will treat her with high doses of radiation, not to prevent possible encroachment of leukemia cells, but to treat it as a person who currently has it. This is the benefit of the MRI because it alters the program making each program for each patient individualized. There are many leukemia patients out there who are being treated without knowing whether they have any leukemia cells in the brain or not. Hopefully this presentation will encourage doctors to make brain MRIs a standard procedure to help save many lives in the future.

Thanks Dr. Asch.