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About Andrew: Andrew is 30 years old and lives in Renton, Washington with his fiance, Rylie, and their three dogs. Andrew is an oceanographer, a marathon runner, and an avid video/board gamer.
Diagnosis: Andrew was diagnosed with B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on August 22, 2019. The diagnosis came less than two months after Andrew and his fiance moved across the country from Slidell, LA to Seattle, WA and only two months before their wedding.
There are only about 6,000 cases of this specific type of leukemia in the US every year, and most times it is found in either children or adults over the age of 50. Because of this, there has been very limited research into treatment paths for young adults.
Despite this tough diagnosis, Andrew considers himself to be very lucky to be treated at the University of Washington Medical Center by one of the most highly respected Leukemia care teams in the world.
Treatment: The treatment plan for Andrew's cancer is a chemotherapy regimen known as CALGB 10403 plus Rituxen. This treatment plan was developed for children and is typically too harsh for adults to tolerate. Luckily, Andrew tested negative for a gene known as the "Philadelphia Gene", meaning his body is more likely to be able to handle the harsh pediatric treatment, which is generally more effective than the alternative adult treatment. Also, he's just kind of a bad ass in general.
The chemotherapy schedule begins with about 7 months of intensive "remission induction" chemotherapy, followed by about 2.5 years of "maintenance" chemotherapy. Thankfully, this is considered a curative therapy.
Andrew has a long journey ahead, but if all goes well he will be CURED in time for Christmas 2022.
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