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Cancer Free After Radiation and Chemo DART 2.0 Trial

Posted by 4dogsrental @4dogsrental, Jan 20, 2025

I wish to say first that I pray that each of you reading this will one day be able to say, “I am Cancer free!”

I am Cancer free!

After 28 radiation treatments (2 gry each) and 5 chemo treatments (cisplatin), my doctor called me today to inform me that the biomarker used to monitor my HPV-16 Back of Tongue Cancer is at 0! The NavDX test used to measure the biomarker in our blood has been a Godsend to me. Biomarker started at almost 13,000; went down to 365 after four weeks of treatment; and now is at 0!!!!

I have provided on this site a week by week/play by play discussion of my Cancer experience at Mayo Clinic. I terminated my treatments in the DART 2.0 Trial on January 10, 2025; ahead of protocol but based upon a wealth of knowledge shared with me by my Mayo doctors and Staff.
It took until today, to get the news that I had made the right decision to terminate treatment on January 10, 2025; thank you God.

The throat/swallowing pain has been increasing since I terminated treatment, to a level which required that my Gabapentin prescription be supplemented with a Hydrocodone/Tylenol drug. Pain now manageable.

I am so, so thankful to everyone at Mayo Clinic. I will be returning for follow ups in due course to satisfy the trial requirements; and I look forward to providing all that I can to assist in the trial’s success. 28 radiation treatments over 5 1/2 weeks with 56 gry and only 5 chemo treatments to eliminate the Cancer — a case that I hope will assist future patients in my shoes to reduce their treatments and thus reduce the extent of their short and long term side effects — the sole purpose of the trial.
My best wishes and prayers for all of you will continue, now and forever.
My best,
Brian

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Head & Neck Cancer Support Group.

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4dogsrental | @4dogsrental | Mar 31 12:04pm
In reply to @cwanczyk "Thank you very much for getting back to me! I worries I’m sure you are very..." + (show)
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Thank you very much for getting back to me! I worries I’m sure you are very busy and dealing with recovery and just life! I really appreciate the name of your amazing doc holtzman! I will keep this for reference if I need to go back. I had a doc mayo who was there about 6 months. She removed the moderate dysplasia on my tongue. But I still had some issues with pain and still do on gums and tongue since January. She was very dismissive and annoyed by me with further concerns of pain. Her reviews stated similar things. I am thankful for her care but we were not a good fit. I have found a very good doc at md Anderson Baptist in Jacksonville so following up with her for now but if I need to go back to Mayo I will ask to see your amazing doc. The problem is once you have a doctor in a certain specialty at Mayo they don’t let you switch. So I had to go outside Mayo and I didn’t want to.
Sending prayers that you are healing and healthy! Wishing you and your family well!
Christine

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@cwanczyk hi Christine. Just checking in on you. All well I hope and pray?

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connie62 | @connie62 | Mar 31 2:59pm
In reply to @4dogsrental "@connie62 hi CONNIE. I’m sorry it took so long to get back on the site and..." + (show)
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@connie62 hi CONNIE. I’m sorry it took so long to get back on the site and see your post. After my 28 radiation treatments and five chemo treatments I had the NAVEX test on the day of the 28th radiation treatment. The number was I believe 12 from my last NAV dx test and every indication was that I would have a zero on January 10, 2025 when I did my 28th radiation treatment. So I stopped treatment. I too see constant references to the fact that I stopped the trial early. I contested that characterization since I did the 28 radiation and five chemo treatments provided for in the protocol. However, mayo maintains that since the NAV Dx result for the test immediately prior to completion of my 28th radiation treatment still was 12, then my decision to stop at 28 radiation treatments constituted ending the trial early. I still dispute that but thank God it appears to be neither here nor there since every NAV Dx test since January 10, 2025 has remained at zero. I hope you’re doing well and that you are side effect free at this time. My best to you always. Brian.

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@4dogsrental Thank you for your reply. When I saw your earlier post it gave me a lot of hope. My NAV Dx test, that was taken 3 months after ending treatment went down to zero also. Thanks again!

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