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After 2 years of watch and wait, my doctor tells me it's time to start treatment

A MyLeukemiaTeam Member asked a question 💭
Ottawa, OH

He gave me 2 options, one is taking Calquence, and the other is a combination of Venclexta and Gazyva. Has anyone had difficulty with Medicare paying for either, and which treatment has the least side affects?

January 17
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Reactions
A MyLeukemiaTeam Member

No. My WBCs doubled in 4 months, so he said if it keeps up at that pace he recommends treatment. Right now no other symptoms. I think it has something to do with my early testing and mutations. Treatment only lasts 12 months. Also the heart palpitations and risk of bleeding with Calquence is something he wanted to avoid.

January 20 (edited)
A MyLeukemiaTeam Member

Hopefully someone on the team with experience will respond to your question soon Rich. You can call Medicare directly to see what they say as far as coverage.

January 19
A MyLeukemiaTeam Member

So, you haven't started treatment yet? Why did your doctor recommend this treatment instead of a btk inhibitor?

January 20
A MyLeukemiaTeam Member

Rich, my doctor said Gazyva and Venclexta when I start. I understand it’s well tolerated, but you MUST drink 60 oz of water daily to flush out your kidneys to avoid tumor lysis syndrome.

January 20
MyLeukemiaTeam

Which treatment has the least side effects between Calquence and Venclexta with Gazyva?

Both treatment options have different side effect profiles to consider:

Calquence side effects include
* Headache
* Diarrhea
* Muscle and joint pain
* Infection
* Hemorrhage
* Irregular heartbeat
* Low red and white blood cell counts Show Full Answer

Which treatment has the least side effects between Calquence and Venclexta with Gazyva?

Both treatment options have different side effect profiles to consider:

Calquence side effects include:
* Headache
* Diarrhea
* Muscle and joint pain
* Infection
* Hemorrhage
* Irregular heartbeat
* Low red and white blood cell counts and low platelet counts
* Skin lesions (sunscreen is essential)

Venclexta side effects include:
* Anemia
* Neutropenia (low white blood cells)
* Diarrhea
* Nausea
* Tumor lysis syndrome (a potentially dangerous side effect where the drug kills so many tumor cells that their contents can clog the kidneys, leading to kidney failure)

Because of the risk of tumor lysis syndrome, people taking Venclexta may need to stay in the hospital when beginning treatment or when increasing the dose.

The "least" side effects really depends on your individual health situation and what matters most to you. It's important to discuss with your doctor which side effects you're most concerned about and which treatment aligns best with your priorities—whether that's effectiveness, safety, quality of life, or frequency of hospital visits.

Regarding Medicare coverage, the search results don't provide specific information about insurance coverage for these medications. You'll want to contact Medicare directly or ask your doctor's office to help verify coverage for both options before making your decision.

January 17

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