Medical Reports: Bad Blood

WSVN -- In 2000, Phyllis Lakow got the news no one wants to hear, she had leukemia.

Phyllis Lakow: "Each of my doctors told me I only had a 30 percent chance of living. I said, 'That's not going to happen to me,' and it didn't."

She was treated with a stem cell transplant. It cured her, but left her with another disease.

Dr. Lyle Feinstein: "Approximately 50 percent of patients will develop graft versus host disease after a transplant."

Graft versus host disease can literally paralyze patients.

Phyllis Lakow: "I couldn't walk at all. I really couldn't."

Jim Roomy also survived his battle with cancer but later developed the same disease.

Jim Roomy: "The scar tissuing and the lack of flexibility, your joints are sore."

Both Jim and Phyllis sought help through a new treatment program at Memorial Hospital West called extracorporeal photopheresis.

Dr. Lyle Feinstein: "Extracorporeal photopheresis, permits us to safely and effectively reduce the cells of the immune system that cause graft versus host disease."

This is how it works. A machine collects a small amount of the patient's white blood cells, treats them with medication and AUVA light, essentially cleaning them and then returns the cells to the body.

Dr. Lyle Feinstein: "The whole process takes about four hours. It's done on two consecutive days."

As the condition improves, the treatments are less.

Dr. Lyle Feinstein: "Most patients generally require treatment for approximately six months."

Phyllis is already seeing results.

Phyllis Lakow: "Even if I have to walk with a walker, as long as I have the endurance, I'd be very happy."

For Phyllis and Jim, the treatment is a life-saver.

Jim Roomy: "Being able to move around and get out in the yard and having the flexibility. When you lose that, you realize how precious that is."

Diana Diaz: "One good thing, because of the treatment, patients often get off medications faster. It is covered by insurance and has very few side effects.

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