Charles Moore on thu 6 may 04
Clayart Friends, good news at last on Jared's health. I will excerpt parts
of Steven Branfman's email that I received yesterday.
> "Here is today's update. The news is wonderful. I am going to try and call
you
> later but I may not be able to.
>
> "Though Jared has experienced small gains and seen some progress since his
> cancer was diagnosed, for the first time we have some real positive news.
On
> Monday Jared had a full series of tests....The big test was the MRI. Today
we met with the doctors to get the
> results and their impressions. When they came into the room there were
smiles but no
> words. It was because they were speechless. The tumors have shrunk by over
> 75%! Jared's primary oncologist gave us the news and said that before
reading
> the MRI she was quite anxious. Jared has a very serious cancer and while
they
> have seen good response to treatment in the past with other patients, this
> particular cancer is so rare that results are uncertain and she did not
know what
> to expect. What Jared has experienced is beyond their greatest hopes and
> expectations. There still is tumor, but in some areas it looks like it is
totally
> gone while in his brain and in his mid spine, the two primary sites, the
tumors
> have shrunk to become very small masses. The cancer cells had invaded his
> entire spinal fluid and now the MRI shows only faint images in only some
areas. We
> are besides ourselves!! Jared still has a long way to go in both getting
rid
> of the tumor completely and in continuing to recover neurologically but
this
> is the first clinical indication that the cancer is being killed."
>
Steven went on to discuss the next chemotherapy treatments, which start next
week:
"The chemotherapy that he will be getting
> now will be slightly different and much more intense. The drugs will be
given
> as an inpatient over a 3 day period once a month for 6 months. Side
effects
> will likely be uncomfortable but this too is an unknown. So far Jared has
> tolerated the chemo very well and has suffered only minor side effects.
MRI's will
> be done after every 2 cycles of treatment to monitor progress and assess
the
> effectiveness of the treatment."
This is truly good news for all of Jared's friends on Clayart.
Charles
Sacramento
>
> Love,
> Steven
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