Targeted Therapy

Cazz
Cazz Member Posts: 106
in Anal Cancer #1

Has anyone had targeted therapy and how did it go?  My oncologist has sent off tumor tissue to Foundation One for genetic testing and they are supposed to nail down all the mutations at the molecular level and then they search their database for the chemo drugs that are most likely to be effective (or won't be at all effective) for those particular mutations.  We are still waiting for the results to come back and in the meantime I have an appointment to go to MD Anderson at the end of the month to hopefully talk about clinical trials, one of which includes targeted therapy.  I really want to get into an immunotherapy trial, but hope to have targeted chemo as a backup in case I either can't get in for immunotherapy, or (heaven forbid) it doesn't work.  My oncologist agrees with me that the standard chemo is not likely to work for me as my latest tumors grew all through the last chemo, and it would just make me sick again, so we are anxiously looking for alternatives.

I would appreciate any thoughts or insights.

 

Comments

  • mp327
    mp327 Member Posts: 4,440 Member
    #2
    Cazz

    I do not have any experience with this.  I only know that there are clinical trials going on for both types of treatment.  I hope your appt. at MDA goes well--will you be seeing Dr. Eng?  I hope so--I think she's awesome!  Take care and please let us know how it goes in Houston.

    Martha

  • nicotianna
    nicotianna Member Posts: 209
    #3
    Targeted Therapy

    Carol -  I know it is done for breast cancer patients.  Why not ask on the breast cancer board?

    Nic 

  • Cazz
    Cazz Member Posts: 106
    #4
    nicotianna said:

    Targeted Therapy

    Carol -  I know it is done for breast cancer patients.  Why not ask on the breast cancer board?

    Nic 

    Martha, Nic

    Yes, I am supposed to be seeing Dr Cathy Eng and I was excited to see that as I know that she is extremely well regarded by her peers and by people on this forum.  I just hope she can come up with something that might work to at least shrink these tumors, if not get rid of everything.

    I have posted the same query on the colo-rectal board as they have the same issues as us once it metastasizes to the liver, lung, etc., but I hadn't thought of the breast cancer forum, I'll try there as well, because this targeted therapy sounds like it might be a really good deal and I've noticed that the breast cancer people get the new stuff first, then the melanoma people, or maybe its the other way round.  I don't care, just as long as it trickles down to us sooner rather than later.

    Carol

  • Ouch_Ouch_Ouch
    Ouch_Ouch_Ouch Member Posts: 508 Member
    #5
    Targeted therapy.

    Did you see the Ken Burns documentary, Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies? There's a segment about targeted therapy, but I don't remember which episodes (there are three). There was also a segment about genetically testing the T-cells that are found at the tumor site to see exactly which ones were responding to the specific cancer. They then cultured a kabillion of those specific T-cells over a few weeks and then infused them into the patient. It seems to work well with not too many side effects. The episodes are still available to view on PBS: http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/cancer-emperor-of-all-maladies/home/ -and- http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/cancer-emperor-of-all-maladies/watch-video/

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