You have cancer .. and used a lot of Zantac … Now what?

I am a trial lawyer in Honolulu and I am representing several people whose cancer was caused by Ranitidine (Zantac).

But I am not writing this to sign you up as a client. Lawsuits are about money. That can be important to anyone whose life and family are being interrupted and threatened by cancer. But that is not what I am writing about, and it is not what I just asked of you.

I asked you: “what now” …. “now what?”

The first question for anyone who has a diagnosis of cancer _ any cancer _ is “can I survive?” The answer to that question is always: “maybe.” I can tell you that if you have a cancer diagnosis, you are in a race against time. No time to procrastinate. No dawdling!

Here is a suggested road map for the next 6 months. I’know this road.

Depending on the cancer type (colon, breast, prostate, lung, Non Hodgkin lymphoma, multiple myeloma ….. etc. etc.), the odds of survival differ. But if you got your biopsy results yesterday, what I am going to suggest to you is that you need to start tomorrow.

Go to Foundation Medicine which has a program called FOUNDATIONONE®CDx.

Foundation One will review a patient’s actual cancer biopsy report and note all of the genetic mutations in the cancer cells. Foundation One then matches up those mutations with all available treatments _ including new treatments in Clinical Trial _ identifies specific new drugs or treatments, and advises the patient about which drugs are best suited to that patient’s cancer.

Foundation One is a fantastic new resource that a patient can use to educate themselves about what treatments are available for their particular genetic makeup. The patient gets a detailed and easy to understand report. All treatments are FDA approved. You take that report to the next appointment with the oncologist. If no appointment is scheduled, call and schedule one. Ask questions.

You also get information on where those treatments are available.  It costs nothing, or a small amount of money.

The the family can then speak with the treating doctors here in Honolulu and ask intelligent questions.

A key issue is that in standard medicine, the oncologists always start with old-fashioned “standard” chemotherapy, which has not been working for decades. They start that treatment, which may have a temporary shrinkage of a tumor, or lowering of a cancer blood marker, like CA19-9 or CA-125. Then they tell you to “wait” and see if the cancer starts to grow again. That, they will tell their patients, is the standard practice. What happens is that when the cancer starts to grow again, its over. The cancer has spread everywhere.

New research is showing that new genetic and targeted treatments should be started immediately. For instance, Erleada in prostate cancer may be more effective if started as soon as possible.

As I said earlier, cancer is a race against time. In some cancers, like breast cancer, the new treatment modes are being successful at holding back the cancer.

Start by educating yourself about the new, targeted, genetic treatment options at Foundation Medicine and FOUNDATIONONE®CDx may extend and you may save your life. 

Then, if you want to hold responsible, those corporations that made huge profits from Zantac sales, you don’t need to call a mainland 800-number. I have offices downtown and in Kalihi, and I have lived and worked as a trial lawyer in Hawaii for many years. I represent people here whose cancer was caused by Zantac.