Understanding CR is not the only criteria of benefit and just so we're referencing the same info:
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106 patients (60%) showed a positive response to DCA. Similar to our previous analyses, we have divided the positive responses into the following five categories based on the degree of clinical benefit. The categories below are not mutually exclusive since patients may have had a combination of positive responses while on DCA. For example a patient who had a reduction in tumour size and symptomatic improvement is counted in both categories 1 and 4. For this reason, the numbers below do not add up to 106. This presents an overall picture of the responses to DCA.
- Category 1: Reduction in tumour size/complete tumour regression. Seen in 21 patients (12%). We are very excited to report that in 2 patients (1%) we have seen complete remission of metastatic cancer. The other 19 patients (11%) had measurable tumour reduction which was demonstrated by imaging studies and/or direct tumour measurement.
- Category 2: Reduction in tumour markers. Seen in 16 patients (9%). These patients had a reduction in markers such as CEA, CA-125, CA19-9, CA15-3 or AFP. These types of blood markers are typically used to monitor certain cancers such as colon, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic, lung, liver, or breast.
- Category 3: Improvement in blood tests. Seen in 12 patients (7%). These included improvements in hemoglobin, liver enzymes, albumin, and other tests indicating reduced tissue damage or reduced cancer activity that could not be explained by other events or medications.
- Category 4: Symptomatic improvement. Reported in 52 patients (29%). This included significant pain reduction, relief of bowel obstruction, weight gain, improved appetite and improved energy level. These improvements were sustained for a period of more than 4 weeks, thus making it unlikely to be a result of placebo effect.
- Category 5: Disease stabilization. Seen in 61 patients (34%). In these patients, there was no evidence of cancer progression while taking DCA, where progression would otherwise have been expected.
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Consider most patients likely exhausted conventional therapies. And the concession to rapid evaluation:
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the 4 week cutoff likely underestimates true DCA response. We have seen patients improve only after 8 weeks of DCA treatment in some cases.
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By the way, if something is only beneficial in combination..if the net benefit is greater..that's still worth pursuing.
And similar to "real chemotherapy", the particular makeup of the cancer cell (dependence on glycolysis) may make a huge difference..as in the gliomas mentioned in
the presser. I suppose Michelakis et al could be complete frauds making up the results to keep their labs funded. But some of this reminds me of how Herceptin nearly got written off.