Quote:
Originally Posted by daisy.girl
this is such a catch 22.....doctors have to have an objective way to monitor progression. As unreliable as it may be, it seems that an increase in MRI lesions is how most neuros measure progression. As well as the drug companies.....during clinical trials, the MRI lesion load is how they determine if a MS drug is effective.
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Not wanting to turn this thread into a "lesion" debate, I will make one last comment about your statement.
Measuring MS progression by lesion count is not accurate. Disease progression is measured by the EDSS scale which takes into account the patient's symptoms and physical abilities. Some docs like to use the lesion count but this has come from the drug trial data which the companies try and use to show their medication is having an effect on the disease.
Yes a patient can have many active lesions and have disease progression but the patient can have few or no active lesions and the MS will progress.
My wife (passed away 2007) didn't have any active lesions in her brain for a number of years and her disease progressed steadily.
Harry