Former President's Daughter Completes Cancer Treatment Early

Alzheimer's Association
Friday, 23 March 2001

Maureen Reagan, who has been undergoing a 3-1/2 month-long, highly-aggressive, biochemotherapy treatment for malignant melanoma at the John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, was discharged earlier today and flew home to Sacramento. The 60-year-old daughter of former President Ronald Reagan and actress Jane Wyman was admitted to the hospital on December 11, 2000, after the reoccurrence or spread of the malignant melanoma that she was originally diagnosed with over four years ago.

It was originally anticipated that her treatment would consist of six cycles of highly-aggressive biochemotherapy which would have required her to be hospitalized through the end of April. The treatment consists of a combination of three chemo drugs and two biologic response modifiers that are either infused or injected into the body over a 5-day period. As with many cancer treatments, the chemo drugs are designed to kill the tumor(s) and other errant melanoma cells while the immunotherapy works to boosts the body's immune reaction to the melanoma cells and either inhibit the growth of these cells or help them to act more normally in the body.

Each cycle of the therapy is approximately 21 days, with the patient being hospitalized while receiving the treatment over a 5-day period followed by a 2-1/2 to 3 week recovery period. Ms. Reagan, who remained in the hospital throughout the treatment, recently completed the fourth cycle and underwent a "restaging" of the disease that consisted of repeating various CT scans, MRI scans and other tests to "restage" her condition. "Restaging" is a term for reevaluating the patient's tumor(s) to see if it/they went away, had been reduced in size, or have gotten bigger.

"While her condition is still guarded, her response to the treatment so far is nothing short of amazing," said Dr. Steven O'Day M.D., her attending physician and Director of Medical Oncology at the John Wayne Cancer Institute. "She continues to prove to be an incredibly strong and resilient individual, has tolerated the therapy very well and has made significant progress. Tests performed following the fourth cycle showed that she not only had no further progression but had regression of the disease in several locations. In addition, she showed evidence of recalcification and bone regeneration at the tumor sites in the pelvic area. As a result we have opted to start her early on a biotherapy maintenance program and forgo the fifth and sixth cycles of the biochemotherapy," concluded O'Day.

Over the next twelve months, Ms. Reagan will receive self-administered, chronic, low-dose Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and Granulocyte Macrophage-Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF) with intermittent high-dose decrescendo IL-2 every 28-days. The primary objective of this maintenance program is to prolong disease-free intervals and to assist the patient's natural immune system to repel and/or fight off the reoccurrence or progression of the disease.

Ms. Reagan's husband, Dennis Revell, who has remained constantly with her throughout her treatment, stated, "She has been particularly inspired and touched by all the prayers and get well wishes from literally thousands of individuals, along with family and friends." said Revell. "She wants to not only express her sincere appreciation for the staff at Saint John's Health Center, the John Wayne Cancer Institute, Dr. O'Day, Dr. Barash and her entire medical/treatment team, but also asked that everyone pray for all the victims of this disease, their family members and caregivers, who are struggling with the day-to-day battle to beat this deadly disease" concluded Revell.

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