Breast Cancer Vaccine...How? What? When?

[Ceesun]

Please someone explain to me about the breast cancer vaccine-is this for her2 only? How do you get one? Is this experimental? How long is it good for? Can you get one before NED-my oncologist has never mentioned this. Thanks Ceesun

[Lolly]

Here's a link to a post I made on the "Clinical Trials" page, which will in turn provide you with some links to a few papers published on the Her2 vaccines; these may help answer some of your questions. The breast cancer vaccines are indeed experimental at this point, one must "qualify" and enroll in a clinical trial to receive a particular vaccine.

http://www.her2support.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=24105

[julierene]

I was just told by UW that my MUGA didn't qualify or something. I was 45% in August 2--6. The last one they did was like Feb. 2004 - which was 50%. Any light on this?

[Lolly]

Julie, I think your baseline MUGA of 50% is considered borderline normal, and 45% is definitely low. One of the unknowns of the vaccine is how it will affect heart function since cells in the heart muscle have Her2 receptors. Therefore, to qualify for the study your starting MUGA has to be at least 50%, from my understanding.
Sorry you didn't qualify for this vaccine, I know it must be dissapointing.

[julierene]

Any ideas on how to increase my MUGA 5% in 3 weeks?!

[sherri]

Don't worry, I talked to the Nurse at UW and she said the trial won't start until December. Have you stopped Herceptin, it seems when the test shows less then 50%, they stop Herceptin.

[jhandley]

Hi
You may want to try co-enzyme Q10..it has beneficial effects onthe heart as well as an anticancer effect. Look at posts on this site re. this. I take 200 mg a day and my LVEF has remained at 63 % despite having nearly a year of herceptin.

regards
Jackie

[julierene]

My last muga was like feb 2004, so that 5% could easily change. My onc said that you can even go the next day and get a 5% fluxuation. The heart medicine is just to be preventative. I also take the supplement CoEnzyme Q10. I will take it more regularily. I take Vitamin E and one other one that I forgot the name of now that says that it helps heart funciton. <cross fingers> My next test is Oct. 5th.