FDA Clears Herceptin-Chemotherapy Combo for Metastatic Her2+ Gastric Cancer

unclaw2002
unclaw2002 Member Posts: 599
edited March 2014 in Esophageal Cancer #1
All,

Recently we were having a discussion on the board about HER2 gene testing and the use of herceptin in gastric junction/esophageal cancers. Some folks had been told this was experimental and not a proven treatment method for espohageal cancer.

Well, on October 20th the FDA approved herceptin as a treatment in gastric junction cancers --- see the article below (cut and paste the link into your browser) FDA Clears Herceptin-Chemotherapy Combo for Metastatic Her2+ Gastric Cancer


http://www.genengnews.com/gen-news-highlights/fda-clears-herceptin-chemotherapy-combo-for-metastatic-her2-gastric-cancer/81244099/

For those of you who are HER2 positive this is great news. Every day we get closer to finding better ways to fight this horrible monster.

God bless everyone and have a wonderful weekend.

Best,
Cindy

Comments

  • mrsbotch
    mrsbotch Member Posts: 349
    #2
    Great news
    I just went on that web-site and copied the article. I will take it to my husbands oncologist next week. Who does the blood testing to see if you have the HER2 gene? Is it the oncologist?

    Thank you so much
  • unclaw2002
    unclaw2002 Member Posts: 599
    #3
    mrsbotch said:

    Great news
    I just went on that web-site and copied the article. I will take it to my husbands oncologist next week. Who does the blood testing to see if you have the HER2 gene? Is it the oncologist?

    Thank you so much

    The oncologist orders the
    The oncologist orders the pathology lab in the hospital to do the test, if the hospital has the facilities it can do it, or the hospital will send it out to a third party lab. You need a tumor sample - they need to use an unstained slide --- when the hospital did the biopsy they should have created multiple slides so hopefully they have some that can be used for the test and they won't need to do another biopsy.

    You might also want to have them do another gene test called the KRAS test at the same time - if this receptor is present you are not eligible for a new drug named Erbitux which is an experimental drug regime with FDA approval for use in Colon cancer and currently having excellent results in clinical trials for esophageal cancer (it is in Stage III trials). The KRAS receptor doesn't allow the erbitux to work. So with one of the targeted therapies you need the gene, with the other you can't have it. The targeted tumor gene therapy field is really amazing and where alot of research is being done these days.

    Good luck -- if he is lucky enough to have the HER2 gene it appears that the herceptin really can help.
  • Bobs1wife
    Bobs1wife Member Posts: 150
    #4
    unclaw2002 said:

    The oncologist orders the
    The oncologist orders the pathology lab in the hospital to do the test, if the hospital has the facilities it can do it, or the hospital will send it out to a third party lab. You need a tumor sample - they need to use an unstained slide --- when the hospital did the biopsy they should have created multiple slides so hopefully they have some that can be used for the test and they won't need to do another biopsy.

    You might also want to have them do another gene test called the KRAS test at the same time - if this receptor is present you are not eligible for a new drug named Erbitux which is an experimental drug regime with FDA approval for use in Colon cancer and currently having excellent results in clinical trials for esophageal cancer (it is in Stage III trials). The KRAS receptor doesn't allow the erbitux to work. So with one of the targeted therapies you need the gene, with the other you can't have it. The targeted tumor gene therapy field is really amazing and where alot of research is being done these days.

    Good luck -- if he is lucky enough to have the HER2 gene it appears that the herceptin really can help.

    Cindy, Thank you for posting this!
    Thank you for posting this information so we can readily access it. I, too, will be taking it to our next oncologist appt on Tuesday. Linda
  • LivingFaith
    LivingFaith Member Posts: 74
    #5
    Bobs1wife said:

    Cindy, Thank you for posting this!
    Thank you for posting this information so we can readily access it. I, too, will be taking it to our next oncologist appt on Tuesday. Linda

    Thanks
    Thanks for finding this one. My dad is so sick I hope this can help. I haven't read the article yet, but I wonder what other protocols you have to meet to get it.

    Deb
  • oriontj
    oriontj Member Posts: 375
    #6
    unclaw2002 said:

    The oncologist orders the
    The oncologist orders the pathology lab in the hospital to do the test, if the hospital has the facilities it can do it, or the hospital will send it out to a third party lab. You need a tumor sample - they need to use an unstained slide --- when the hospital did the biopsy they should have created multiple slides so hopefully they have some that can be used for the test and they won't need to do another biopsy.

    You might also want to have them do another gene test called the KRAS test at the same time - if this receptor is present you are not eligible for a new drug named Erbitux which is an experimental drug regime with FDA approval for use in Colon cancer and currently having excellent results in clinical trials for esophageal cancer (it is in Stage III trials). The KRAS receptor doesn't allow the erbitux to work. So with one of the targeted therapies you need the gene, with the other you can't have it. The targeted tumor gene therapy field is really amazing and where alot of research is being done these days.

    Good luck -- if he is lucky enough to have the HER2 gene it appears that the herceptin really can help.

    I don't know if my husband was tested for KRAS
    but he was in a clinical trial at the University of Chicago...the group that had the Erbitux. His chemo started a year ago September right after Labor Day...he had three at one time...on Wed...hydration Thurs and Fri...and radiation every day for 6 weeks.

    He has good scans so far...fingers crossed...we feel the Erbitux made a difference for him...and so does his oncololgist...along with as she says when she points up..God.

    Other patients in the Erbitux arm of the study are doing well..

    Like everyone else, it is one day at a time with our hearts in our hand.

    orion
  • oriontj
    oriontj Member Posts: 375
    #7
    unclaw2002 said:

    The oncologist orders the
    The oncologist orders the pathology lab in the hospital to do the test, if the hospital has the facilities it can do it, or the hospital will send it out to a third party lab. You need a tumor sample - they need to use an unstained slide --- when the hospital did the biopsy they should have created multiple slides so hopefully they have some that can be used for the test and they won't need to do another biopsy.

    You might also want to have them do another gene test called the KRAS test at the same time - if this receptor is present you are not eligible for a new drug named Erbitux which is an experimental drug regime with FDA approval for use in Colon cancer and currently having excellent results in clinical trials for esophageal cancer (it is in Stage III trials). The KRAS receptor doesn't allow the erbitux to work. So with one of the targeted therapies you need the gene, with the other you can't have it. The targeted tumor gene therapy field is really amazing and where alot of research is being done these days.

    Good luck -- if he is lucky enough to have the HER2 gene it appears that the herceptin really can help.

    I don't know if my husband was tested for KRAS
    but he was in a clinical trial at the University of Chicago...the group that had the Erbitux. His chemo started a year ago September right after Labor Day...he had three at one time...on Wed...hydration Thurs and Fri...and radiation every day for 6 weeks.

    He has good scans so far...fingers crossed...we feel the Erbitux made a difference for him...and so does his oncololgist...along with as she says when she points up..God.

    Other patients in the Erbitux arm of the study are doing well..

    Like everyone else, it is one day at a time with our hearts in our hand.

    orion
  • oriontj
    oriontj Member Posts: 375
    #8
    unclaw2002 said:

    The oncologist orders the
    The oncologist orders the pathology lab in the hospital to do the test, if the hospital has the facilities it can do it, or the hospital will send it out to a third party lab. You need a tumor sample - they need to use an unstained slide --- when the hospital did the biopsy they should have created multiple slides so hopefully they have some that can be used for the test and they won't need to do another biopsy.

    You might also want to have them do another gene test called the KRAS test at the same time - if this receptor is present you are not eligible for a new drug named Erbitux which is an experimental drug regime with FDA approval for use in Colon cancer and currently having excellent results in clinical trials for esophageal cancer (it is in Stage III trials). The KRAS receptor doesn't allow the erbitux to work. So with one of the targeted therapies you need the gene, with the other you can't have it. The targeted tumor gene therapy field is really amazing and where alot of research is being done these days.

    Good luck -- if he is lucky enough to have the HER2 gene it appears that the herceptin really can help.

    I don't know if my husband was tested for KRAS
    but he was in a clinical trial at the University of Chicago...the group that had the Erbitux. His chemo started a year ago September right after Labor Day...he had three at one time...on Wed...hydration Thurs and Fri...and radiation every day for 6 weeks.

    He has good scans so far...fingers crossed...we feel the Erbitux made a difference for him...and so does his oncololgist...along with as she says when she points up..God.

    Other patients in the Erbitux arm of the study are doing well..

    Like everyone else, it is one day at a time with our hearts in our hand.

    orion

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