This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

At the present time, anecdotal reports continue to surface about the positive changes reported by patients after endovascular treatment of stenoses within the IJ and azygous veins. However, one can in no way state that enough research has been done to conclude that CCSVI is a true pathologic entity occurring with an increased frequency in MS patients, that this entity is responsible for the symptoms and disease progression seen with MS, and that treatment significantly improves the quality of life in these patients. As a result, additional research is going to be critically important moving forward.

This sentiment was echoed in the recent report from the Research Consensus Panel convened by the Society of Interventional Radiology Foundation, which supported the need for additional well-designed studies in areas including basic science work to better understand the relationship between venous stenoses, hypertension, and CCSVI; single-center studies to define appropriate patients to treat and develop standardized procedural technique; and multicenter, prospective, randomized trials to demonstrate efficacy.34 Ongoing studies include registries in Europe and the United States as well as several prospective single-arm and randomized, blinded studies. Ultimately, these studies will help grow our understanding of CCSVI and help determine what role treatment of this entity can and should play in the care of patients with MS.

Hard proof in MS drug trials is reversal of brain atrophy, healing of lesions, lack of new lesions and similar evidence on MRI. That's what the neuros want to see, but they are also insisting pwMS stay on their drugs duing venoplasty studies...and you can bet any MRI changes will be credited to the drugs. It is an impossible situation. Catch 22.

There are many MS patients who have never taken a DMD. From what you say here, these are the volunteers we need.

They wouldn't be accepted...one of the parameters the neuros are saying is essential for large scale clinical trials is that all pwMS enrolled must be on an approved DMD before and after. This is a problem.
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