Right to Try

Originally posted by mdg2003

They already have this. My dad enrolled in an experimental drug trial for Leukemia. Most cancer centers have a research branch that works with experimental drugs that aren't available on the market yet. How does this differ?

Originally posted by Oysterboy

Ummm, this is called a Phase I clinical trial.

Originally posted by Oysterboy

Phase I's are trials that determine tolerable doses of drugs. Generally given to folks that are very sick and have failed other treatments. The thing to remember is most drugs do not work so the chances of an experimental drug doing you any good, well you have a waaay better chance of hitting the lottery on a day you get struck by lightning.

Originally posted by Oysterboy Phase I's are trials that determine tolerable doses of drugs. Generally given to folks that are very sick and have failed other treatments. The thing to remember is most drugs do not work so the chances of an experimental drug doing you any good, well you have a waaay better chance of hitting the lottery on a day you get struck by lightning.

Originally posted by Oysterboy Really depends on the health care institutions around you. Most clinical trials are done at big academic research hospitals as they have the necessary infrastructure to conduct the trials. Largely, stuff that exists on the coasts. With that said, yes, you must have specific disease characteristics to qualify for the trials and likely your wife's relatives just did not have certain boxes checked. I've been thinking about this and I think I'd pass on a phase I trial. By the time you qualify you have probably been through hell, at least 3 or 4 rounds of chemo with the later rounds being made of some really nasty poisons. Undoubtedly you will have metastatic disease which means whatever they give you, you will be resistant in 2-3 months and you feel like cr@p all the time. Much of this time you will be in and out of hospitals with many, many overnight if not multiple night stays. Me, I'd just accept my mortality, get into hospice, and go into that good night peacefully. Not put myself or my family through pointless treatments. But that is me, I understand cancer and what can and what honestly cannot be done. This is why doctors use the least amount of health care $ in their last 6 months than any other demographic. http://www.zocalopublicsquare.org/2011/11/30/how-doctors-die/ideas/...

Originally posted by Oysterboy

Phase I's are trials that determine tolerable doses of drugs. Generally given to folks that are very sick and have failed other treatments. The thing to remember is most drugs do not work so the chances of an experimental drug doing you any good, well you have a waaay better chance of hitting the lottery on a day you get struck by lightning.

Originally posted by Oysterboy

Yeah, we’ve made some huge advances in heme malignancies with bone marrow transplants, drugs to block key oncogenes (like gleevec for AML) and immunotherapy. Cancer does not have to be the death sentence it was 20 years ago. My point is that if you have advanced disease, there is frankly little that can be done.

Originally posted by Rogillio



Completely agree. Both my grandfather and my dad died of cancer and they both refused treatment when it was diagnosed as terminal. They died at home with nothing but morphine but even still, it was a slow and painful way to die.

I would like my obit to read: "Mike Rogillio died today on his 75th birthday having been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Rogillio was skydiving with two topless blonds and he evidently forgot to pull his rip cord. He lived a full life."

Originally posted by mdg2003



I'd take a cross country flight out west. Topping off the tanks and getting a cooler of Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale in Flagstaff. Drink that circling the Grand Canyon and augering in around Tuweep from 10,000 feet.