Some hopeful news about new drug combos for those of us with advanced disease

CypressCynthia
CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
edited December 2011 in Breast Cancer #1
"Treatment for advanced breast cancer could improve significantly if doctors give women combinations of medications that attack tumors in different ways, two large clinical trials suggest.

In one study, researchers found (ER+) patients fared better when a breast cancer drug called an aromatase inhibitor was combined with another medication, Afinitor, which is used to treat kidney cancer but is not yet approved for breast cancer. In the second study, two standard medications for women with a type of breast cancer known as HER2-positive were more effective when the investigational drug pertuzumab was added to the regimen....

In the study, patients (ER+) receiving the aromatase inhibitor exemestane plus Afinitor had an average of 7.4 months of time during which their cancers did not grow compared with 3.2 months for the women receiving exemestane and a placebo.

'This dual blockage is a more complete blockage," said study coauthor Dr. Gabriel Hortobagyi, chairman of the department of breast medical oncology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. "This is the first time we've achieved this.'"



New Breast Cancer Drugs for Advanced Disease
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-breast-cancer-drugs-20111208,0,5300399.story

More research is needed as the initial studies are coming from the drug companies themselves, but this is good news to me.

Comments

  • MyTurnNow
    MyTurnNow Member Posts: 2,686 Member
    #2
    Thanks so much for sharing
    Thanks so much for sharing this with everyone. My girlfriend called me long distance last night because she heard about the Afinitor on the news. I continue to have my fingers crossed that somehow, someway there is a cure just on the horizon. Take care!!

    P.S. I am saving this in my favorites just in case my current chemo (Abraxane) doesn't continue to work for me.
  • SIROD
    SIROD Member Posts: 2,194 Member
    #3
    Thank You for Posting About the new drugs from SABC
    Dear Cynthia,

    I thank you for posting about the new drug, especially for women like us with estrogen fueled cancer. Afinitor provided the added lift to my day. Having it come out of SABC symposium does give it the needed validation.

    I progressed last spring on Femara and ask for time off any drugs. My oncologist approved but, did not want me to go on estradiol. My first 3 months ct scan showed very little progression. I asked for 4 more months. My last ct scan (Monday) showed that it was back in my lungs, lining and bone. Hate the thought of returning to Femara. My osteoarthritis along with all my other problems will bring the pain level back “over the top”. Curiosity wins out as I do want to know if I can return to Femara and have it work.

    Well, I still have Faslodex with the extra injection to try. When I used Faslodex, there was only one shot. There is still Aromasin.

    I feel better knowing there is something else in the arsenal if Femara doesn’t work out this time around.

    Thanks for posting about these two new hopes.

    Doris
  • Lynn Smith
    Lynn Smith Member Posts: 1,264 Member
    #4
    SIROD said:

    Thank You for Posting About the new drugs from SABC
    Dear Cynthia,

    I thank you for posting about the new drug, especially for women like us with estrogen fueled cancer. Afinitor provided the added lift to my day. Having it come out of SABC symposium does give it the needed validation.

    I progressed last spring on Femara and ask for time off any drugs. My oncologist approved but, did not want me to go on estradiol. My first 3 months ct scan showed very little progression. I asked for 4 more months. My last ct scan (Monday) showed that it was back in my lungs, lining and bone. Hate the thought of returning to Femara. My osteoarthritis along with all my other problems will bring the pain level back “over the top”. Curiosity wins out as I do want to know if I can return to Femara and have it work.

    Well, I still have Faslodex with the extra injection to try. When I used Faslodex, there was only one shot. There is still Aromasin.

    I feel better knowing there is something else in the arsenal if Femara doesn’t work out this time around.

    Thanks for posting about these two new hopes.

    Doris

    Cynthia
    Cynthia,I mentioned this yesterday but didn't give all the details.Just said 2 new drugs,what they were and for advanced cancers. Thank You for posting more. Yes the 2 drugs have worked with other cancers and now it's said they will work for BC if they ever get it approved.Very costly is one setback but doctors will be looking into it.

    My cancer wasn't invasive or advanced but hoping those with advanced/invasive cancer will be able to get treatment that sounds promising. Not sure there will ever be a cure but another thing that will give people a chance to live a longer life.

    Doris.Thinking of you and hope things get better. I pray alot and will pray for you.I believe in miracles.Almost every night I say a little prayer.Just short and sweet but I think about all of us.I know even with me being dx with non invasive DCIS I have the gene and cancer can develop in other areas.

    Lynn Smith
  • laughs_a_lot
    laughs_a_lot Member Posts: 1,368 Member
    #5
    I have noticed
    I have noticed that the newer research tends to look at different pathways that a cancer might take to attack the body. It seems the researchers are trying to attack from more than one angle now days. This is a good idea since no one can be sure of the pathway the conniving cancer cell will take.
  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #6
    SIROD said:

    Thank You for Posting About the new drugs from SABC
    Dear Cynthia,

    I thank you for posting about the new drug, especially for women like us with estrogen fueled cancer. Afinitor provided the added lift to my day. Having it come out of SABC symposium does give it the needed validation.

    I progressed last spring on Femara and ask for time off any drugs. My oncologist approved but, did not want me to go on estradiol. My first 3 months ct scan showed very little progression. I asked for 4 more months. My last ct scan (Monday) showed that it was back in my lungs, lining and bone. Hate the thought of returning to Femara. My osteoarthritis along with all my other problems will bring the pain level back “over the top”. Curiosity wins out as I do want to know if I can return to Femara and have it work.

    Well, I still have Faslodex with the extra injection to try. When I used Faslodex, there was only one shot. There is still Aromasin.

    I feel better knowing there is something else in the arsenal if Femara doesn’t work out this time around.

    Thanks for posting about these two new hopes.

    Doris

    I am so sorry to hear that
    I am so sorry to hear that your ct scan showed progression. I hate this disease! I am praying that the femara will kick it back.
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #7
    laughs_a_lot said:

    I have noticed
    I have noticed that the newer research tends to look at different pathways that a cancer might take to attack the body. It seems the researchers are trying to attack from more than one angle now days. This is a good idea since no one can be sure of the pathway the conniving cancer cell will take.

    Thank you for sharing this news, CC --
    Gentle hugs and prayers going out to you, Doris.

    Strength, Courage and Hope for a CURE.

    Vicki Sam
  • SIROD
    SIROD Member Posts: 2,194 Member
    #8
    VickiSam said:

    Thank you for sharing this news, CC --
    Gentle hugs and prayers going out to you, Doris.

    Strength, Courage and Hope for a CURE.

    Vicki Sam

    Thank You Vicki Sam
    Hi,

    In real life I am not a gambler of any sorts. I just hope that this experiment with going off AI or any type of cancer drug will work. I have only read those posts of women who went off AI and took estradiol (estrogen). Then when they restarted, the Ai's didn't work. My oncologist did not want me on estrogen and that worked as I didn't want to be on more drugs last spring. I was having liver issues from other drugs, so one more off the list of poison I was happier.

    Time will tell if my gamble paid off. I have very lazy cancer cells. Only one found the estrogen after I stop Femara at the 3 mos scan. Finally the others caught up along with those who I thought had taken a hike, but I knew they would find the estrogen. Now if they have forgotten how to deactivate Femara, I will be happy. Since their indolent, I am hoping stupid as well. I will settle for no long term memory too.

    Thanks again,

    Best,

    Doris

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