Re: Postings from around the world, my basic info-Esther

[Guest guest]

Hi Esther,

I believe that the test numbers you posted, refer to a PCR test. You

will most likely always register a number on a PCR test because they

are very sensitive (usually they can look at 100,000 cells). This

does not mean that you aren't doing well and it also doesn't mean

that you don't belong to the zero club. I'm sure Zavie will be

contacting you to give you your number because with a PCR value like

you've posted, you surely qualify for the zero club.

Although labs vary across the country (and across the world), most

labs would consider a PCR value of 0.001% to be very good. You need

to find out what this particular lab considers to be their base line

value and from that, you will be able to calculate your log

reduction. I would hazard a guess that 0.001% is a 3 log reduction

but only your lab will be able to confirm that.

The majority of us are still positive on a PCR test because they are

just that sensitive. The one's who are negative on the PCR test, are

not cured by any means, it just means that the test they took, didn't

find any leukemic cells but that doesn't mean that there aren't any

leukemic cells there.

It's like if you took a swimming pool and filled it with a trillion

white ping pong balls (which represent your healthy blood cells),

then you added 1000 blue ping pong balls (which represent the

leukemic cells). Then if you mixed them in real good and took a

fishing net and scooped out 100,000 ping pong balls, you may, or may

not catch some of those blue ones. That's sort of how a PCR works.

In one scoop, you might find some blue ping pong balls and in another

scoop you might not. The more ping pong balls you scoop out, the

better your chance is of getting a blue one but since you can't scoop

out every single ping pong ball, you never really know how many blue

ones you have.

In the end, your goal should be to reach a 3 log reduction as

reaching a complete zero is just not realistic. Some of the experts

even caution those who have gotten zero results on a PCR because it

brings into question just how sensitive the test was and how good the

sample of blood was (in terms of its quality). If the blood sits

around for longer than a day or two, the quality downgrades rapidly

and the results aren't going to be as accurate.

All in all, it looks like you're doing very well.

Take care,

Tracey

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi Esther,

>

> I believe that the test numbers you posted, refer to a PCR test.

You

> will most likely always register a number on a PCR test because

they

> are very sensitive (usually they can look at 100,000 cells). This

> does not mean that you aren't doing well and it also doesn't mean

> that you don't belong to the zero club. I'm sure Zavie will be

> contacting you to give you your number because with a PCR value

like

> you've posted, you surely qualify for the zero club.

>

> Although labs vary across the country (and across the world), most

> labs would consider a PCR value of 0.001% to be very good. You

need

> to find out what this particular lab considers to be their base

line

> value and from that, you will be able to calculate your log

> reduction. I would hazard a guess that 0.001% is a 3 log reduction

> but only your lab will be able to confirm that.

>

> The majority of us are still positive on a PCR test because they

are

> just that sensitive. The one's who are negative on the PCR test,

are

> not cured by any means, it just means that the test they took,

didn't

> find any leukemic cells but that doesn't mean that there aren't any

> leukemic cells there.

>

> It's like if you took a swimming pool and filled it with a trillion

> white ping pong balls (which represent your healthy blood cells),

> then you added 1000 blue ping pong balls (which represent the

> leukemic cells). Then if you mixed them in real good and took a

> fishing net and scooped out 100,000 ping pong balls, you may, or

may

> not catch some of those blue ones. That's sort of how a PCR

works.

> In one scoop, you might find some blue ping pong balls and in

another

> scoop you might not. The more ping pong balls you scoop out, the

> better your chance is of getting a blue one but since you can't

scoop

> out every single ping pong ball, you never really know how many

blue

> ones you have.

>

> In the end, your goal should be to reach a 3 log reduction as

> reaching a complete zero is just not realistic. Some of the

experts

> even caution those who have gotten zero results on a PCR because it

> brings into question just how sensitive the test was and how good

the

> sample of blood was (in terms of its quality). If the blood sits

> around for longer than a day or two, the quality downgrades rapidly

> and the results aren't going to be as accurate.

>

> All in all, it looks like you're doing very well.

> Take care,

> Tracey

>

Hi Tracey

thanks for explaining that so well if my onc.would explain

things like that i guess i wouldn't have any questions. He just

keeps telling me that I'm doing well,but with such a low wbc[15.5] at

the time of dx.I would think there were less cancer cells to kill and

they would be gone faster.I asked my onc. have i reached a 3 log

reduction and he said not quite yet. anyway Tracey your a wealth of

knowldge and I thank you very much. Take care,

Esther