Question for Jatoo

Jatoo:

I keep hearing you say you got Avastin for free.

I am still trying to decide what to do.  In that decision, I need to know all my opotions.  

Can you explain how you got this drug offered to you.



thanks

plady

[Jatoo]

Dear Plady,

1. In principle our onc won't give it to us since it is not FDA approved. She can get sued and lose. A simple case of liability. We enrolled in a clinical trial for Avastin just to get approved and kicked out at the last minute. So we were back to square one. But since we also get a regular consultation with a GynOnc from the same hospital who happens to be the Chief GynOnc and who earlier wrote a note to our Onc that he was recommending Avastin/Topotecan so we pursued this route went back to our GynOnc and end up with Gemzar/Avastin since my wife didn't respond to Topotecan earlier and she has never seen Gemzar. The Chief has to write a note on the system (hospital computer) so everybody could see including our Onc, that studies made on Topo/Avastin or Gemzar/Avastin has benefited patients in my wife's situation by citing GOG (Gyneclogy Oncology Group) studies.

2. Dear Plady, what I am trying to say is that you can get to use Avastin for free, off label and have insurance cover it if there is a GynOnc who will support you and present studies (clinical trial results) that Avastin is the right drug for you. Easier said than done since it is almost a Catch 22 situation but it can be done and has been done. That is the reason why I recommended that you go to MD Anderson since they probably are the most experienced and number one user of Avastin and can easily convince Insurance carriers to cover Avastin for you.

Jatoo

[plady]

Thank you Jatoo:

My husband has decided to drive to Houston in the morning and be at MD Anderson to talk to someone.  I know this is a little bold, but he is very stubborn and doesn't like all this waiting on return phone calls, etc.  LIke he says, all we they can do is tell us to come back.  I think this is what we are going to do.  We are going to start at the Clinical trial office that my nurse has told me to call.  This is all new to us, but we are going by our gut feeling as what to do.  

I thank God that I have had the connection to people like you on this website, because I would be a loss without it.  Right now I am very confused and very upset as what to do.  I really feel quilty feeling so depressed and upset because I feel so good and I am not sick.  I guess though I am sick with worry.

Thanks again and best wishes to your wife.


plady