ctwong81

*Lainy

Hi everyone! Just wanted to post an update from my Mom. She just completed her 2 year clinical trial on Keytruda at UCSF. She is doing great and there is NO sign of cancer!! We are beyond ecstatic and wanted to share the news with our cc family. We hope that this provides hope to everyone fighting this horrible disease. Thinking of all of you….

Note from Mom:
I hope all of you are well. Here is quick update of what is going on in my life.
My last treatment with the immunotherapy drug, prembrolizumab, was on June 1, 2016. The protocol for this clinical study allows a participant to be on the drug for two years and is then taken off the drug. If the cancer reoccurs within a year, one can resume the drug. As some of you may know, this drug has been FDA approved for melanoma by the brand name Keytruda and for non-small cell lung cancer by the brand name Opdivo. You’ve probably seen the commercials on TV. More immunotherapy clinical trials are being conducted with the hope it will be effective in treating other types of cancer. I truly feel it is the wave of the future for better cancer survival.
The good news is I currently do not show any evidence of disease. This drug has proven to work for me and remarkably without any side effects. I was actually able to go about my normal daily activities -without anyone knowing I was battling cancer. I feel absolutely fine.
I am so grateful for my good fortune. My focus on life now is to spend time with my family . . . to enjoy and watch my grandchildren grow . . . to renew old friendships . . . and most of all, to be thankful for what I have. Life is unpredictable – we never know what the future has in store for us.
I’ve said it before and I will say it again. I would not have made it through this journey if it weren’t for the love and support all of you have given me. I wish each of you good health and happiness.

Thanks so much!
Love,
Rose

Hi Marion and Melinda,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful words. We are so thrilled. It really is a medical miracle. Hoping and praying that her body continues to keep fitting off the cancer, even after the trial is over. Keep you all posted. Thank you again for everything.

Love,
Colleen

Hi! Hope everyone had a good NY. I wanted to give you an update on my mom. She’s STILL doing GREAT and we are sooooooo incredibly thankfull! Please see below for an update from her. Sending lots of love and hugs to all of you. Stay strong and never give up hope. Take care.

Note from Momma Wong:

It’s hard to believe 2016 is already here.
As I reflect on the events of the past year with its ups and downs, I can honestly say there were
more ups than downs.
The birth of the twins was certainly the most joyous occasion. And more good news is a recent
PET scan taken in November does not show any cancer. My oncologist says the word
“remission” is not used in my type of cancer (cholangiocarcinoma), nevertheless, it is wonderful
to know that at this time the scan does not detect any cancer. When my clinical trial ends in
June, the hope is this immunotherapy will continue to fight any new cancer that may manifest
itself. The amazing thing about this drug is the immune system continues fighting cancer cells –
even when I am no longer on the drug. I am very fortunate that I continue to do extremely well
and live a completely normal life.

I am grateful for everything that I have and pray I have the strength to deal with any new
challenges life throws my way. What makes me happiest is family and friends. It is the support,
love, and kindness you have shown me that has carried me this far. I just want to say thank you
from the bottom of my heart for always being there for me.

Here’s wishing 2016 will be filled with laughter and good health for you and your loved ones!

Love,
Rose

Hi Everyone,
It’s been awhile, but I wanted to provide an update on my mom’s status. She’s still doing well and there continues to be NO new growths. As you can imagine, we are absolutely ECSTATIC about her progress! She looks great, feels great, and has been busy babysitting my brother’s twins. We are so incredibly thankful for each and every day that we have with her.

Please see below for an email update that she provided to her friends in late August 2015.

“My treatment continues to be going in a positive direction. There is really not much new to report. I am in my second year of the immunotherapy clinical study and have treatments every other Tuesday at UCSF. The UCSF staff has been outstanding. My usual routine is to do blood lab work and, if everything looks good, the pharmacy is instructed to prepare the drug. Then the nurses administer the 30-minute infusion, and I’m done. You won’t believe how many times I’ve been poked, and sometimes my small veins can be hard to find. A PET/CT scan performed earlier this month indicates everything is still good with no significant interval change. The shrinkage of remaining tumors appears to have slowed down a bit and there is no evidence of new nodules – which is great news! My oncologist is still very pleased with my progress. So am I – particularly since I feel absolutely fine and experiencing no side effects whatsoever. I am optimistic for a total remission. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for that miracle to happen someday soon.”

#hope #endcancer #believe

Hi everyone,
Just wanted to provide an update on my mom. She’s still doing very well. Her last PET CT (which was last week) showed NO new growths and the existing tumors are continuing to shrink! As you can imagine, our family is ecstatic and extremely thankful for the clinical trial at UCSF.

At my mom’s last appointment, Dr. Munster (Head of the Clinical Cholangio Dept. at UCSF) spoke to her and my dad about her progress. She was very positive about my mom’s progression and encouraged her to stay in the trial. Dr. Munster mentioned that that mom is the only one of twenty patients (only 4 patients in the UCSF system) that is undergoing phase 1 with Merck (Keytruda) and that she may be the only one being treated for Cholangio with PD1 in the U.S. with better than 30% results. This was all great news for us!

I will keep you all up-to-date on my mom’s health. Please stay strong and never give up hope.

Take care,
Colleen (daughter of Rose)

Great article on http://www.sfgate.com regarding immunotherapy.

Sponsored by: UCSF Medical Center
Titled: Killing cancer through the immune system
http://www.sfgate.com/sponsoredarticles/adv/?prx_t=yZsBA69MBApB8LA

Hi CC community,
Wanted to provide an update on my Mom as of 10/14/14. She’s still doing VERY well and continues to be an inspiration to all of us. Thank you again for all your kind notes and well wishes. Together we will beat this!
#findacure #hope #believe #miracles

Note from Mom:
I am very happy to report we are seeing continued improvement with my clinical study drug, Pembrolizamab. In fact, the FDA recently approved this drug for the treatment of melanoma under the market name “Keytruda”. World-wide clinical studies will resume on various tumor types to determine whether this immunotherapy drug can be effective in treating other kinds of cancer.
My participation in this clinical trial began in June, 2014 after an ineffective three months regime on Gemzar and Cisplatin. I will have my 10th cycle treatment this Thursday. A PET/CT scan was done last week with very promising results. Several larger tumors have disappeared completely and all the other spots are continuing to shrink. The best news is there is still no evidence of any new tumors. The doctors are thrilled, and our hope is that this drug will continue to eradicate all the tumors in my body. Our goal is to be cancer-free. Speaking from personal experience, it is an incredible drug with little or no side effects. I feel fine. It would be an amazing breakthrough if all cancers could be treated with immunotherapy instead of with toxic chemotherapy/radiation which causes so many harmful side effects.
I look forward to my QiGong and Tai Chi classes. These meditative movements are designed to increase flexibility/ balance and to help find inner peace/calm. It’s actually harder than it looks. I can’t do any of the movements without following the instructor step by step. Actually, I’m kind of lousy at it. The important thing is I enjoy it and truly believe it is beneficial in my fight with cancer.
So, the news is still hopeful for a good outcome. I will be forever thanking you for all your prayers and good wishes.
Thanks!
Love,
Rose