AIHA calls for change of treatment

[Guest guest]

My husband is 52 years old, has 13q deletion and, after 4.5

years of W & W, he has had two rounds of FCR. He has been

otherwise healthy as a horse. One month before he began

treatment he developed AIHA. He was treated with high-dose

steroids and over the last three months has had to have 3

transfusions. The latest of those transfusions is going on

right now. His last round of FCR was two weeks ago and with

the exception of his Hbg and RBC, his numbers looked very

good. He had been feeling pretty good all week until

yesterday morning. When we got to the hospital, his Hbg was

4.3 and he developed cardiac ischemia and tachycardia

because his heart was working so hard. After doses of

nitroglycerin, morphine, Lopressor, and infusion of his

first unit of blood, the chest pain/pressure subsided and he

began feeling better. He has now had a total of four units

of blood and his Hgb has only come up to 5.4 - they've

ordered two more units. His heart issue seems to be out of

the picture at this point.

His oncologist's concern (and mine) is whether this latest

episode of anemia is due to the chemo itself or the AIHA not

being controlled w/ steroid therapy. So, he will NOT be

giving my husband fludarabine again. Instead, he will get

pentostatin in replacement of the Fludara. Wish us luck.