Dr. Rai's Christmas present

Sorry, it’s not a cure. But it is a short and interesting interview in today’s Oncology Times.

Dr. Kanti Rai, for those who don’t know, is one of the leading lights in CLL, father of the Rai staging system no less. In the interview he touches on some of the quandaries that doctors and patients face: How do you know when it is time to start treatment? What role do prognostic tests play and do they trump, or take a back seat to, clinical symptoms? What is the best treatment? How do you balance potential benefit against potential toxicity? What is the goal of therapy -- a MRD-negative remission or perhaps a lesser response as determined by traditional methods?

Here’s a line from the article that we can all relate to:

“During the past few years, the treatment options for CLL patients have become so numerous that both physicians and patients may be confused, Dr. Rai noted.”

If you want to get an expert’s feel for the lay of the land, as it were, this piece is worth your time. From what I have gleaned in my CLL travels, Dr. Rai offers some pretty sound advice.

You can download the PDF file here.

Now I have to get back to the eggnog.