>> seriously, the logic escapes me. <<
Nothing has escaped , because the logic never existed.
One has to know the QoL of the regimen that would replace the Gemzar-containing one on the first leg , as well as the QoL while on the second leg , to make any judgments.
Consider this example :
Patient # 1 : 9 months to progression , 18 months to death ,
9 months of miserable Gemzar-containing chemo followed by 9 months of well-tolerated other chemo.
patient #2 : 6 months to progression , 18 months to death ,
6 months of well-tolerated non-Gemzar chemo followed by 12 months of a different well-tolerated non-Gemzar chemo.
I'd prefer regimen #2 as would most sentient beings.
Why do docs like Gemzar so much ? PFS. A shrinking or stable spot on a scan that makes them feel less impotent about their inability to help their patients live any longer.
Doc : " Good news, Mrs. X ! See that spot ? That's your tumor , and it's gotten smaller since your last scan. My treatment is working ! "
Patient : " " Oh , Doctor ! That's wonderful !! How much longer can I expect to live as a result of this ? "
Doc : " Ahem . Now , uh , let's not get ahead of ourselves. This is still a very serious disease. "
Patient : " Oh. "
It's a form of medical masturbation where , perversely , the patient does all the work and the doc gets the warm , fuzzy feeling.
AI
