An idea

[klwilliams]

It occurred to me that since the MS cure is actually a well understood chemotherapy used for leukemia patients, oncologists who treat leukemia would understand the risks vis-a-vis something like the JC virus/PML. Do oncologists check for that? Do their patients develop PML?

So I've asked my neurologist and our doctor friend Helen these questions, and I'll see what answer I get back. Since I've never heard of leukemia patients dying of incurable brain infections (not that I necessarily would), I'm feeling better about that.

Comments

[acanthusleaf.livejournal.com]

A very good idea indeed. I don't know that Leukemia is any more common than MS, but they do seem to have treatments for it, fundraising societies, etc.

Onward!

[rachelmanija.livejournal.com]

Oh, good thought. There's several therapies that involve deliberately destroying or severely inhibiting the immune system, and they've been around for a while. This has got to be a fairly well-known issue.

[rustmon.livejournal.com]

Good. <3

[madrobins]

Now that I know about this, I noticed that one of the ads for a drug (I think for the treatment of plaque psoriasis) warns that PML is a rare side effect. Read at the speed of TV ad drug warnings, it has the effect of implying "but no one thinks you're going to get it, we just have to mention it in passing."

Talking to some oncologists sounds like the best way to get some solid information. If 10% of leukemia patients succumb to PML (I think this would be more broadly known if it were true) that's one thing. If .02% do, that's a very different thing. My brother-in-law--who had a cancer other than leukemia that was treated with this immune-system reboot--is alive and thriving. Anecdotal evidence proves nothing, but I'm curious to know whether PML was even a factor in his discussions with his doctors.

Let us know what you learn.