Injecting premature babies with chemotherapy to "prevent blindness"

[rambone]

The New England Journal of Medicine is saying that injecting Chemotherapy drugs into the eyes of premature babies will prevent blindness.

Absurd you say?

Cancer drug could prevent blindness in premature babies


You might want to consider the side-effects of the drug, which are not mentioned in the article, before injecting your defenseless premie with chemotherapy. Side-effects include many severe to life-threatening reactions.

Side effects of Avastin - Avastin (bevacizumab)

 

[loony1]

 

[lovemachine]

UH OH!

 

[Blue Tile Spook]

You might want to consider the side-effects of the drug, which are not mentioned in the article, before injecting your defenseless premie with chemotherapy. Side-effects include many severe to life-threatening reactions.

From some of the reading I have done about this this a.m., it appears that many of the listed side effects do not apply because the med is applied directly to the vitreous in the eye and not circulated through the blood stream. That eliminates the GI issues, stomach perforation and such. In essence, it reduces the chances of side effects but doesn't completely negate them.

From what I read, the most significant side effect would be that, if the blood vessels in the eye are underdeveloped or damaged in any way, the med would inhibit the healing process of those damaged vessels.

If my child was faced with blindness vs. this procedure, I'd have to do a bunch more reading and think a bit on it. On the face of what I read, eye surgeons seem to be fairly comfortable with this procedure.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

My oldest nephew was born very prematurely. The docs did something similar to this at Riley.

He tested better than 20/20 at his 6th grade eye exam, plays football and baseball and is a heck of a shot.

 

[Denny347]

Oh no...not modern medicine. Oh the horror.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

The choice were leeches applied to the boy's eyes or modern, science-based medicine. My brother and his wife went with modern medicine.

 

[public servant]

The choice were leeches applied to the boy's eyes or modern, science-based medicine. My brother and his wife went with modern medicine.

+1 to your brother and his wife for using good judgment. We wish them and their son the best.

-1 to the OP for spreading false medical information.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

When I go to Pittsburgh for the NRA Firearms Law Seminar and annual meeting, I'll post a photo of my nephew, his normal eyes and his 1st centerfire deer rifle.

 

[Fenway]

Sounds great. It's amazing what modern medicine can do!

When I go to Pittsburgh for the NRA Firearms Law Seminar and annual meeting, I'll post a photo of my nephew, his normal eyes and his 1st centerfire deer rifle.

 

[grimor]

unless the side effects were mental retardation or early death, I can't imagine not wanting to do this to my child if it will prevent them from being blind. Blindness has to be one of the worst defects I can think of. I'd rather be a deaf double amputee than blind.

 

[grimor]

The choice were leeches applied to the boy's eyes or modern, science-based medicine. My brother and his wife went with modern medicine.

don't knock the leeches, they are still used in modern medicine and are actually one of the best treatments for some things.

 

[ElsiePeaRN]

This drug has a pretty common off-label use in patients with macular degeneration, a condition that occurs most commonly in older people and causes central vision loss and gradual blindness. I have also heard of it being used in diabetic retinopathy. Regular injections of this can slow the progression of the disease, preserving vision. So it makes sense that they are exploring other eye-related uses for it. As Blue Tile Spook pointed out, the side-effects listed are for intravenous usage , and a much higher dosage.

 

[rambone]

Thanks for the negative rep Public Servant. Exactly what did I say that you consider false information? You think there are no side effects to the procedure? You think that if it works for one baby it will work the for every baby? All I said was you might want to look into the side effects first. Sorry if that is too controversial for sensitive folks.

 

[Benny]

My oldest nephew was born very prematurely. The docs did something similar to this at Riley.

He tested better than 20/20 at his 6th grade eye exam, plays football and baseball and is a heck of a shot.

That's awesome.

+1 for modern medicine. They can do some pretty miraculous things nowadays.

unless the side effects were mental retardation or early death, I can't imagine not wanting to do this to my child if it will prevent them from being blind. Blindness has to be one of the worst defects I can think of. I'd rather be a deaf double amputee than blind.

All of this.

 

[eatsnopaste]

Thanks for the negative rep Public Servant. Exactly what did I say that you consider false information? You think there are no side effects to the procedure? You think that if it works for one baby it will work the for every baby? All I said was you might want to look into the side effects first. Sorry if that is too controversial for sensitive folks.

How come every time you post one of these garbage threads and someone who actually reads it then tells you that what was in it (you know, the part about the side effects being for IV use and not for what they were using it for here) your response is that you just put the "info" out there and let others make the decision. Sounds kind of like FOX News...they have no agenda either.

 

[eatsnopaste]

+1 for whining about deserved neg. rep!

 

[rambone]

How come every time you post one of these garbage threads and someone who actually reads it then tells you that what was in it (you know, the part about the side effects being for IV use and not for what they were using it for here) your response is that you just put the "info" out there and let others make the decision. Sounds kind of like FOX News...they have no agenda either.

...lol...

What part of the article mentioned side-effects at all? Sorry I missed it. You fill me in.

Let me guess, the side-effects are negligible. Until they happen to you. Premies are great at fighting off infections.

 

[Benny]

I may have to scroll back to the top of the page to make sure, but wasn't he talking about the second link you posted titled "Side Effects of Avastin?"

I'm guessing it's that same article(I didn't bother to read it, probably like you) that said those side effects were from IV use over a period of time.

 

[Que]

...lol...

What part of the article mentioned side-effects at all? Sorry I missed it. You fill me in.

Let me guess, the side-effects are negligible. Until they happen to you. Premies are great at fighting off infections.

You are absolutely right. Side effects should definitely be taken into consideration. So, what are the side effects? The article clearly articulates the availability of a drug that could prevent a premature baby from being blind throughout his life. I understand if no other option is available, the result of not using the drug is blindness. So, what would you suggest?