Residual effects of radioimmunotherapy (RIT)
A blog reader has posed an interesting and important question concerning potential long-term effects of RIT.
I am responding as a patient, for I am not an oncologist.
Does RIT harm natural immunity? Personally, I have never heard of such an effect of RIT.
Can RIT harm the bone marrow? Certainly, RIT does affect the normal blood elements in the bone marrow when there are malignant lymphoma cells also present in the marrow. As the RIT kills the lymphoma cells, the low-dose radiation does have an effect on the normal marrow blood elements amidst the cancer cells.
Thus, right after my RIT dose, my hemoglobin, white blood count and platelet count all dropped. However, these blood factors all returned to normal without the need for any transfusion or medicinal treatment.
Further, there have been, to my knowledge, rare reports of permanent damage to the bone marrow and, even leukemia related to RIT. The complicating factor, of course, is that these patients have also had other lymphoma treatment, including chemotherapy.
In sum, the blog reader does pose an important question. I beleve that the potential life-saving value of RIT far outweighs the potential, but real, risk. We must be knowledgeable that every therapy in the treatment of human illness has risk. The benefit-risk ratio is a key element in every physician's treatment recommendation.
Mort
Comments
Greetings! I was diagnosed with stage 3 NHL in June06 and was admitted to a clinical trial evaluating CHOP+Rituxan vs.RIT ; I was selected for the CHOP+RIT arm of the trial and had my last Rituxan treatment on 11-15-06. I presently feel like I've never been sick. My doctor is sending me for a PET scan next month to see if anything "lights up". I apparently responded very well to treatments but of course we don't know for sure if I'm in remission. I've discussed the next step with my doctor and she's ready to go with RIT if I still have a problem. I had no bone marrow involvement, which surpised her and the research nurse handling the clinical trial. Your comments regarding RIT are very encouraging and gives me some reassurance that I have at least one very good option waiting in the wings.
Paul
Posted by: Paul Fraley, Jr. | February 28, 2007 9:18 PM