iwCLL 2013: Dr. John Byrd Discusses the Role of Novel Therapies Versus Standard Chemo-Immunotherapy

In the first part of my interview from iwCLL 2013 in Cologne, Germany, my doctor for my ibrutinib trial out of Ohio State (OSU) gives us his take on two of the pressing questions facing us patients.
First, what is the going forward role of chemo-immunotherapy?
Remember that FRC offers those with specific favorable markers a 60% chance of a greater than a nine years MRD negative survival. That is beginning to smell like a cure, but at what price?
Based on his experience with over 400 ibruitinb patients, listen to Dr. Byrd's take. He calls upon the experience with imatinib (Gleevec) in CML to illustrate his point. Not every agrees with Dr. Byrd, but I do.
Next I ask about the vexing issue of residual disease with these new agents. Dr. Byrd is not worried. Hear his reasoning.

On a personal note, I am off to a very frantic ASH meeting tomorrow. Expect on the fly updates.
Still sick and miserable, but I am not I will recover.  Coughing less with a normal chest and sinus x-rays More of a head cold now. I also have been hampered by a cracked computer screen and broken eyeglasses, but the show must go on.