Friday March 16, 2001

New Leukemia Treatment

Many people assume arsenic medication is just used for rat poison however, in the world of health and medicine medicine, arsenic is saving lives, not taking them.

Derek Ross was a championship runner, a rower, and a hiker. But one day, while training, he noticed he was losing energy. Derek says, "I thought maybe I'm just getting burnt out or something, but really it was my body starting to shut down a little bit, getting weaker." He was diagnosed with acute promyelogenous leukemia. "I guess I was pretty close to the end. At that point, I probably had another month to go."

And when traditional chemotherapy didn't work, Derek learned about a poison that could treat his leukemia. The treatment is arsenic. "I was freaked out when she told me that. I said, 'Arsenic! Forget that.'"

Arsenic is the key ingredient in a new leukemia-fighting drug called trisenox. And for Derek, it's proven to be quite successful.

Trisenox also worked for Annie Malmstrom's son, Donnie. She says, "I just couldn't believe they wanted to treat my son with poison."

After being diagnosed with leukemia, his doctor put him on one dose of trisenox daily for 47 days. As a result, Donnie took a step back from death's door. "The trisenox was able to make him well enough that he was able to go up to Duke University and he had a bone marrow transplant."

Two years later, he's doing great. Playing football, and taking care of his new baby brother.