Derek Wilson (Pass Christian, Miss.)

DSRCT Diagnosed 2/98 at age 31 - Passed Away 05/2005

Timeline

 2/19/98  Diagnosed
 2/98  Chemo #1                 Cytoxin, Vincristine, Adriamycin
 3/98  Chemo #2                 Etoposide (VP-16) & Ifosfamide (Ifex)              Little shrinkage
 4 - 5/98  Chemo #3 & 4          Cytoxin & Topotecan                                          Dr. Kushner - MSKCC (N.Y.)
 5/98  Debulking surgery - Successful and nearly cancer free                    Dr. Michael La Quaglia  -  MSKCC               
 6 - 8/98  Chemo #5 - 7            Cytoxin, Adriamycin & Vincristine
 9/98  Chemo #8                 High dosage: 3 days of Thiotepa, 3 days of Carboplatin            
 9/98  Stem Cell Transplant       -  Isolated in hospital for one month
 12/98  Radiation at MSKCC - Twice daily for 2 weeks.  Many health complications for 3 months
 9/99 - 10/00  Experimental vaccine at MSKCC - (A1G4)  Ten shots spread out regressively beginning with the first 3  every other week, next 3 once a month, remaining 4 every other month.  Very few side effects.  No evidence that it worked because cancer came back.
 11/00  Chemo #9     High dosage: CPT-11 (Camptosar, Irinotecan)             Killed cancer but made me sick.
 12/00-12/01  Worked with a nutritionist - kept cancer under control but no shrinkage
 12/01- 6/02  New protocol of hormone blocker treatment (Nupron) with Dr. Robert Fine of Columbia Med. Center in N.Y.  Did a lot of damage to my health.  Rapid muscle deterioration, hot flashes & night sweats.  
 10/02 - 11/02  Antineoplasm & Herceptin treatment at Burzynski Clinic in Houston, Texas.  Made me very sick and I lost faith in this treatment.
 12/02-1/03  Chemo #10 & 11         Doxil & Ifosfamide              Significant shrinkage after these 2 rounds
 2 - 4/03  Chemo #12 - 14           Doxil & Ifosfamide              Increased dosage - Tumors began to grow
 5/03-2/04  Took oral capsules - Thalidomide                          Tumors grew. Bad side effects
 7 - 9/03  Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT).   35 treatments.  Tumors shrunk about 40%
 1/04 - 6/10/04  Gleevec - discontinued because tumors still grew
 5/12/04  Exploratory surgery revealed 2cm area of DSRCT in and on skull
 5/23-6/23/04  Received 20 IMRT radiation treatments to affected skull area - worked well
 6/04  Cancer found around left temple
 6/11- present  Chemo: 4 rounds of CPT-11 (Camptosar)  - once a week   (per Dr. Burgess - MDACC)  Very few side effects. Some hair loss.  Some weight loss due to appetite.   Giving myself Procrit injections on day after each chemo treatment.
 7/6/04  Dr. Hightower examined left temple/cheek area and concluded that since swelling and pain has ceased, the CPT-11 was working and had taken care of that area.  No need for IMRT radiation to be done on that site.
 7/7/04  Another round of chemo to start soon.  Positive results so far.
 09/30/04  Phase II Cinical Trial at M.D. Anderson (Houston, Tx.) : Decitabine
 CT Scan            Lump on cheek developed      Ended Decitabine trial
 12/13/04  Chemo:  ET-743 (Ecteinascidia turbinata) - Sea Squirts   (New Orleans)
      

 

Derek in Houston with fellow DSRCT patient Patrick Scranton.    Derek's cousin and Dad.

         

 

Complementary Treatments

    Used from time to time:  Essiac tea, Unda herbal liquid drops, vitamins & minerals, Ensure Plus, Theramag pad, acupuncture. 

 

 

 

www.dsrct.com     desmoplastic small round cell tumor