Dear friends.

Center of Hematology in Medical University of Saint Petersburg coordinates efforts to raise the funds to pay for the treatment of Kirill Vazhenin, diagnosed with t-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma.

Another Kirill's photo

In June 2003, my son Kirill started complaining of chest pains. He was having high temperatures (37.1-37.5 C) at night. We went to our local physician, who told us these were "growing pains" and prescribed Flemoxin for stabilizing Kirill's temperature. It helped him for a short while, and then Kirill's temperature started rising again.
On September 1st, after the first day of school, Kirill's temperature rose to 38 C. We called for a doctor. He prescribed us antibiotics again. After taking the course of the medicine, Kirill's temperature normalized, but two weeks later he got sick again. He had fever and had a dry cough. This time, he was diagnosed with bronchitis, and the diagnosis was later changed to pneumonia. The x-ray of Kirill's chest showed a large tumor in mediastinum area. In the beginning of October, our son was hospitalized in the First Children's City hospital for examination, where based on results of computer tomography he was found to have a lymphoma. Due to his diagnosis, Kirill was transferred to the Oncology and Hematology department of City hospital No. 31.
At the hospital, Kirill's was given an accurate diagnosis, t-cell lymphoblastic leukemia, and was prescribed treatment with several blocks of chemotherapy. By the end of 2003, after the therapy, Kirill's tumor shrank in half.
However, even after subsequent chemotherapy, his remaining tumor was unaffected. The treatment continued with radiation therapy of mediastinum area, which was followed by positron-emission tomography. Based on the result of the examination, Kirill had an operation for removal of the remains of his tumor. The removed parts of tumor were histologically examined in the First Children's City hospital (see results of the examination).
Currently, Kirill is receiving polychemotherapy again. He was also scheduled to have a blood analysis that costs 11,000 rubles for typing at Pavlov Medical University.
Kirill needs to have an allogeneic bone marrow transplant from an unrelated donor. The search for the compatible donor at the international registry and delivery of the transplant to Russia cost 17,000 Euro.

Dmitry Vazhenin
Home address:
198215, St. Petersburg,
Dachny pr. d. 24 kv. 12.
Contact phone:
+7 (812) 377-3936
+7 (812) 930-2795

Updated as of February 12, 2005. Kirill will receive further treatment at St. Petersburg State Medical University. On February 8th Kirill had a puncture taken from his hip bone and a blood analysis. He feels well. On February 9th he was visited by a teacher and he studied Russian and math. He got excellent grades in history and literature classes.

Updated as of February 14, 2005. A donation of 17,000 Euro was sent by a German charitable fund on our behalf to Morsch foundation to pay for the search of a donor for Kirill. The search for the donor has begun.

Updated as of February 24, 2005. On February 22nd I was accepted by St. Petersburg State Medical University for further treatment. I had blood tests and EKG. In the beginning of March I am scheduled to have CT scan. I am doing well at school.
Kirlll

Updated as of April 26, 2005. At the end of February, I had cold with high temperature. I was discharged from the hospital and was recovering at home. After a week, I got better.
Then I had computer tomography of mediastinum and an examination of histological sample.
In mid-March, I was again admitted for treatment at the State Medical University in St. Petersburg, where I was tested and had EKG. At the end of March, my stem cells were collected.
I am now at home and I go to school. The bone marrow transplant operation is scheduled for the end of August – September.
Kirill

Update as of January 5, 2005. Kirill had a relapse of his disease. The bone marrow transplant is scheduled for the second half of January.

Update as of January 20, 2006. Kirill is scheduled to receive bone marrow transplant on January 24, 2006.

Update as of February 17, 2006. Kirill feels well, and he may be transferred for remaining treatment and rehabilitation to the hospital No. 31. Unfortunately, federal budget does not pay for many expensive medications, which Kirill will soon need (such as Cyclosporine, Diflucan and other). We really need your help.

Update as of February 26, 2006. Kirill is already at home, and he feels well.

Update as of March 9, 2006. Kirill needs to take a number of expensive medications (such as Diflucan, Zovirax, Gentamicin and other), which cost approximately 20,000 rubles a month.
In addition, because Kirill's living conditions are substandard, our apartment should be exposed to UV light. We were recommended to purchase a special blue light lamp which costs 2,000 rubles.

Update as of September 8, 2006. After a planned examination, Kirill was found to have a relapse. The treatment strategy is being discussed.

Update as of October 10, 2006. Kirill’s myelogram is absolutely normal, although trepanobiopsy results are not yet known. Tomorrow he will have a biopsy of the cells in his kidney that retain contrast agent.

Update as of November 21, 2006. Kirill received the first donated lymphocytes. Overall, he will receive three transfusions, with two-three weeks intervals. The donated lymphocytes are hoped to bring about the GVHD reaction, which will inhibit the cancerous cells.
Kirill is feeling relatively well and is staying at home.

Update as of November 28, 2006. Based on ultrasound test results, Kirill's condition is unchanged. He needs help with purchasing antitumor drug Roncoleukin. The course of treatment is approximately 6,000 rubles.

Update as of December 5, 2006. Kirlll received the second lymphocyte transfusion, and, fortunately, he is finally showing the first signs of GVHD, which is expected to inhibit the cancerous cells. Kirill was referred for a study of his bone marrow with isotopes. He feels well.

Updated as of December 18, 2006. Kirill is being considered for bone marrow autotransplantation to fight the relapse. The grafted bone marrow is working very well and it allows performing the transplant. The operation is currently being scheduled.

Updated as of January 5, 2007. Kirill's tumor responded to Dexametazon therapy. Based on the last examinations, the blasts are gone and lesions in kidneys have shrunk. The therapy with Dexametazon will continue while the tumor is responding, and then Kirill's doctors will discuss the need for successive transplant.

Update as of January 11, 2007. On Monday, Kirill will be admitted to BMT unit for pre-transplant chemotherapy. After high-dosage chemotherapy, he will receive his own stem cells and his mother's stem cells. He is currently feeling well.

Update as of January 25, 2007. Kirill completed the first high-dosage chemotherapy with Cytosar and he was allowed to home for a few days.

Update as of February 19, 2007 . After the first chemotherapy, the tests showed that Kirill's lesions in his kidneys had completely disappeared. By now, he had finished the second chemotherapy block (Cytosar + hormones), and it will be followed by another transplantation of donated lymphocytes and therapy with Roncoleukin and Interferon.
Kirill fells well.

Update as of March 7, 2007. In the next few days, Kirill will start Interferon therapy together with Proleukin. He needs help with buying the medications. The preliminary estimate is 10,000 rubles. The exact amount will be known once the doctors set the drug dosage.

Update as of March 30, 2007. The doctors decided to start Kirill on the third chemotherapy block, and begin Roncoleukin therapy afterwards. The chemotherapy has already started. Kirill feels relatively well.

Update as of June 9, 2007. Kirill completed chemotherapy and started Roferon therapy. This medication is not currently available for free, so we have to buy it. One tube of Roferon costs 1,200 rubles, and Kirill will need five of them for the next course.

Update as of July 30, 2007. Based on the test results, Kirill's remission is sustained. His GVHD symptoms had increased, and Kirill started hormone therapy. He feels well.

Update as of August 14, 2007. Kirill is doing well based on the results of planned examination. The doses of hormones and Cyclosporine are gradually being reduced.

Update as of September 16, 2007. Based on the results of the planned examination, Kirill is in remission, although he still shows signs of insignificant skin GVHD.

Update as of November 7, 2007. Kirlll was found to have another tumor in his kidney. The puncture results showed tumor cells. He is now undergoing treatment with Kampas.

Update as of December 13, 2007. Kirill's had negative changes and was hospitalized for a chemotherapy course.

Update as of December 30, 2007. Kirill recovered after the chemotherapy block and was discharged home. After the New Year, he will have a CT scan and the results of it will help determine the further therapy.

Update as of February 9, 2008. Kirill was offered autotransplantation.

Update as of March 17, 2008. Kirill's stem cells were collected. The autotransplantation will be performed in the next few days.

Update as of April 8, 2008. Due to low cell count, the doctors were not able to collect enough cells for the autotransplantation. Further treatment options are under discussion.

Update as of April 12, 2008. Kirill has fungal pneumonia and receives Cancidas.

Update as of May 25, 2008. A decision was made to treat Kirill with Clofarabine medication, which is not imported to Russia. We are sincerely grateful to the drug maker, Genzyme, for offering this medication for free and to Victoria Reznikova for negotiating with the firm's representatives and organizing delivery of Clofarabine to Russia.

Update as of August 3, 2008. The therapy with Clofarabine has been postponed due to Kirill's aspergillosis infection, for which he received therapy with Cancidas. As a result of managed GVHD reaction, his lesions in the kidneys had shrunk. To strengthen this result, a decision was made to administer Kirill two more courses of hormonal therapy.
Kirill responded well to the therapy. At present, two options are discussed: a therapy with Clofarabine or surgical removal of lesions from his kidneys.

Update as of September 23, 2008. Last week Kirill had a scheduled puncture. The results of it were good. Kirill will now come to clinic only for testing. After the therapy for the herpes infection, Kirill's thrombocyte counts fell. He feels well and has a positive outlook.
Kirill is planned to undergo a surgery to remove a lesion from his kidney. In the next few days we should get a bill for the operation from University clinic in Tubingen.

Update as of September 25, 2008. We received a bill for the operation from the University clinic in Tubingen.

Update as of October 15, 2008. Kirill received an invitation from University clinic in Tubingen. The hospitalization is scheduled for October 27th. We are sincerely grateful to AiF – Kind Heart fund for agreeing to pay the bill for the operation.

Update as of October 26, 2008. Kirill was admitted for treatment at Uniklinik in Tubingen.

Update as of October 31, 2008. The operation to remove a tumor in Kirill's kidney is scheduled for November 3. Kirill feels well.

Update as of November 4, 2008. The operation took place as planned and Kirill's tumor was removed completely. Kirill is recovering and feeling relatively well.

Update as of November 13, 2008. Kirill is now recovering after the operation. The doctors in Germany are selecting a treatment course for him. Kirill and his mom need urgent help with buying the plane tickets to fly home, which cost 600 euros. Please send your donations to Kirill's mom's bank card (see information below).

Update as of December 12, 2008. Kirill returned to St. Petersburg after the operation. He is now under monitoring at Raisa Gorbacheva Pediatric Hematology and Transplantology Institute. Kirill feels well.

Update as of June 17, 2009 Kirill underwent planned testing that confirmed remission.

Update as of August 19, 2009 On August 16th we went for PET imaging. The results are good: Kirill is in remission. He continues supporting therapy and we go to the hospital for testing.
Kirill's mom

Update as of May 25, 2010. We received a cost estimate from University Clinic in Tubingen for Kirill's treatment totaling 52,960 euros.

Update as of May 19, 2010. Based on CT scan, Kirill had a relapse. Two treatment options are now under discussion: either therapy with Atriance or surgery followed by radiation. His documents were forwarded for a consultation to the Tubingen University Clinic.

Update as of June 26, 2010. After several consultations, it was decided to refer Kirill for further therapy in Italy (rather than Germany) where he will participate in a clinical trial. Today Kirill and his mom arrived in Naples.

Update as of July 1, 2010. The first injection of the drug was postponed due to elevated ALT. Kirill had liver biopsy.

Update as of July 12, 2010. Kirill's liver counts started to go down. Next Monday he will be administered a test injection, and by Wednesday we will know what further treatment he will receive.
Kirill's mom

Update as of September 1, 2010. Kirill completed five cycles of immunosuppressive therapy and he has three more cycles to go. It means Kirill will stay in Italy for at least two more months. He is still planned to participate in the clinical trial with radioimmunotherapy.
Marina, AdVita USA fund president

Update as of September 22, 2010. Unfortunately, therapy with Campath was unsuccessful and GVHD was not controlled. Kirill also had tests with radiopharmaceutical drug to evaluate whether disease will respond to therapy with radioactive analogs of somatostatin, but this attempt was unsuccessful as well. Since the tumor increased by 1.5 cm, the doctors plan to administer therapy under GIFOX protocol after biopsy of the lesion and bone marrow, since Kirill has not yet been treated with them. Further treatment will depend on results of this chemotherapy cycle.

Update as of November 6, 2010. Kirill is completing the first chemotherapy cycle. He is tolerating it well. On Monday, if his condition and test results allow, he will be discharged for outpatient monitoring.

Update as of November 23, 2010. Kirill completed the first round of chemotherapy and feels well. The second round is planned for November 24th.

Update as of January 22, 2011. Kirill completed three cycles of chemotherapy with some improvement.

Update as of March 7, 2011. Kirill is continuing therapy with Revlimid and goes for checkups at the clinic. The complete examination is scheduled for the end of March.
Kirill's mom

Update as of April 12, 2011. Kirill is continuing treatment with Revlimid. His test results are normal. Liver counts are slowly going down. Kirill still has sclerodermia symptoms and a dermatologist prescribed him an ointment and pills. When he came here, Kirill lost weight, but by now he gained it back and more. He is in a good mood - there is lots of sun and warmth! Planned tests were rescheduled for April.
Kirill's mom

Update as of April 16, 2011. Kirill underwent evaluation and results are good. The doctors are happy and so are we. We hope to go home soon. Once every three months he will need to travel for evaluation to Pascale Institute where he will receive Revlimid. We are now working on the way to arrange for our future trips.
Kirill's mom

Update as of June 11, 2011. Kirill is continuing therapy with Revlimid in Italy. He is in remission in regards to primary diagnosis, but some time ago Kirill felt pain under his ribs. The tests showed that he has acute cholecystitis and candidosis of stomach lining. Kirill was prescribed appropriate therapy.

Update as of December 2, 2011. Kirill and his mom returned home until February 2012. Kirill feels well. He brought 3-month supply of Revlimid with him.

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