Fenter Family Update 4:

The Fenters had a good day today. Marta spent Friday night with several friends from Midland Christian and Rachel spent the night with Shelly Stain, a friend from church. Gail and I went to the movies last night and sat with friends from church (Mike and Linda Resnick).

 A word about Marta (15) and Rachel (11):

We're encouraged about how both are doing. Marta, who has always considered Gail her best friend, continues to share her heart and life with her Mom. It's wonderfully healthy for both, especially for Marta who completely opens herself with only a few.

 Rachel's life and emotions are more public. She, too, is extremely close to Gail, and a delight to all that know her. Gail and I think that she has a future either as a social director or president of the US.

 Rachel, on her own initiative, recently started a new club which she calls "The Jesus Freaks" (appointing herself as founding president, of course). After inviting all of the girls at church and school to be in the club, she enlisted her Bible class teachers to help her. The "Jesus Freaks" met one week to visit old folks homes, write notes to people in the hospitals, bake cookies for new mothers, etc. The following week they do something fun like bowling, skating, etc. So far, she's been gone most of the day running and organizing her club. Gail and I both agree: both of our girls are incredibly more spiritually mature than we were at the same ages....

 We finish radiation the end of next week, Friday, February 14. One month later we'll go back to Dallas for an MRI to see if the tumor is growing. (We have to wait a month for the swelling caused by radiation to subside.) One week after that, we'll go back to Dallas again to begin a new experimental treatment.

 This treatment, TNP-470, is an antiangiogenesis drug. Tumors must recruit blood vessels (angio) to feed them. The tumor sends out chemical signals to recruit these vessels. An antiangiogenesis drug seeks to confuse these signals to prohibit this recruitment.

 The first human trials are being conducted this year. Earlier tests in petri dishes and in mice have been encouraging, sometimes slowing tumor growth by as much as 40%. (I told Gail that we should have good success as rats are generally considered a couple of notches above preachers [or lawyers, for that matter]....)

 Like radiation, this treatment is not curative in glioblastomas; it's purpose is to slow the growth of the tumor. We'll be in Dallas for a couple of weeks towards the end of March to begin this treatment. Gail will have a minor surgery to insert a semi-permanent IV line. Then we'll have to determine the dosage.

 This treatment has some advantages for us. First, after spending a few days in Dallas, we'll be able to have the drug administered in Midland (probably about three times a week). Second, the treatment is nontoxic. Though a form of chemotherapy, it seems to have far greater potential without the devastating side effects of traditional chemo. Third, this treatment does not preclude other experimental treatment downstream.

 Your continued prayers and love mean much to us. We'll never be able to tell you how much.

 Randy, Gail, Marta and Rachel Fenter