Michael.Anderson@stjhmc.fidonet.org (Michael Anderson) (06/26/90)
The following is an informal summary written by Suzanne Phillips, a New York
M.D., presented to the floor of ACT UP New York on June 11/90. It is based on
personal conversations she had with the physician involved, Dr. Kenneth Alonso,
a professor of pathology at Morehouse College of Medicine and
pathologist/oncologist and cancer researcher at Atlanta Hospital. Also quoted
is his patient, Carl Crawford, from his appearance on the Larry King Show
(CNN), and some of the clinical history of hypothermia, based on discussions
with Dr. Joseph Sonnabend. This summary is intended to convey as much
first-hand information as possible, in answer to the many questions (and
rumors) circulating about this story.
Carl Crawford, the PWA treated in Atlanta, states that he was asymptomatic
until Oct. 1989, when he began experiencing bleeding that he attributed to
hemorrhoids, but which developed into "hemorrhaging" that sent him to the
hospital. In the hospital he requested an HIV-antibody test, which was
subsequenty reported to him as positive. Within 2-3 weeks, Crawford developed
extensive KS lesions all over his body, and began treatment with AZT and
interferon-alpha. He continued to decline despite treatment, becoming unable to
eat or "go to the bathroom." His physician, Dr. Edgar Grady, knowing of Dr.
Alonso's reputation as a cancer researcher, and knowing of Dr. William Logan's
expertise in viral-induced cancers, referred Crawford to them in Feb. 1990, in
the hope that they could do something to intervene in his deterioration.
Dr. Alonso states that Crawford has no history of previous opportunistic
infectinons (thus the political debate as to whether KS with a positive HIV
antibody constitutes "AIDS", voiced by Dr. Sheldon Wolff on the King show).
However, Crawford's pre-treatment bloodwork revealed a CD4 count of 5, and a
"strongly positive" p24 antigen level (absorbance level of 2.8). Tests on
Crawford's tumor cells showed them to be the type that would be destroyed by
heat (some tumors can GROW upon heating; that is why Dr. Alonso will test each
individual's tumor cells before treatment). Dr. Alonso and Crawford decided to
attempt to treat the KS by the technique of extra-corporeal (outside the body)
hyperthermia (elevated temperature), that is, heating the blood outside the
body, then putting it back in, inducing a high fever state in the body (42
degrees Celsius/ 108 degrees Fahrenheit) which would hoepfully destroy the
heat-sensitive tumor cells. (Hypothermia is far from new as a cancer treatment
modality..more on that later).
For two hours, Crawford's blood was heated outside his body to 45 C / 113 F
and returned to his body, where his temperature rose to 108 F. His hydration
level and cardiovascular status were caarefully monitored , along with other
physiologic parameters. He tolerated the procedure well, and left the hospital
three days later. His KS was already disappearing (he is now considered to be
in complete remission), and his energy was returning. The cost for the
procedure - approx. $30,000 - was absorbed by the hospital.
Over the next 100 days, Crawford had blood tests every two weeks, and Dr.
Alonso included AIDS-related tests in the battery. What he found was that
Crawford's lymphocyte cultures were "serially negative" for HIV, that his p24
antigen level was now negative at 0.03 (down from 2.8) and more importantly,
that his CD4 count was now 350 (up from 5). Dr. Alonso states that, since this
was a single case, he had planned on trying to duplicate results in several
other patients before publicizing his results. However, in late May, Crawford
chose to tell his story to a local Tv station. The broadcast was monitored and
picked up by CNN, resulting in the Larry King special and the media-generated
announcement of a "possible AIDS cure".
Dr. Alsonso carefully stated that Crawford's KS is in "complete remission",
and that the effect on HIV of this treatment for KS was a by-product worth
investigating further.
Dr. Alonso is currently testing tumor cell cultures from several of his
patients for heat sensitivity, and is planning to treat 4 or 5 people in the
immediate future. He states that his lab has received calls from all over the
country and the world (including one from French President Francois Miterrand),
BUT NOT ONE INQUIRY FROM THE NIH! (caps added).
He is trying to "fend off the media" so that he can get to work...
Far more importantly, Dr. Alonso continues to follow Carl Crawford's
progress, and on June 11/90, he told New York M.D. Suzanne Phillips Crawford's
latest CD4 count: 720.
(more later)
1:250/648)
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Uucp: ...{gatech,ames,rutgers}!ncar!asuvax!stjhmc!Michael.Anderson
Internet: Michael.Anderson@stjhmc.fidonet.orgrichard@grebyn.com (Richard Cohen) (06/27/90)
Just a brief note that a second hyperthermia operation was performed in Atlanta this week. The guy, named Tony, is now recovering from the intense operation. Sorry, that's all I know about it -- will update the board when I find out more.