New TX update

[swanky]

Hi ladies and thank you for all the information!

Well I started the new pill (TBFW - my own personal nickname for it) and I take 8 pills in the morning and 8 pills 12 hrs later. The pills are capsules, a tad bigger then a tylenol. The only side effects so far have been headaches. And I NEVER get headaches, so this has to be from TBFW. No tail yet tho - haha! Anyways, I see my onc every monday for labs and exam so will keep you all posted.

HUGS!

Leea

[DonnaD]

Leea,
First good luck with the new trial. Could you tell us more about it?

Donna

[Christine]

Leea
I'm sending you positive vibes as you persue this clinical trial. Let us know what chemo is given , and ,if you know the exact names of the chemo. New drugs have numbers, and real names. Your success is all that matters. You're helping in the fight for others.. Hope you will get fantastic resuts. C trials really can help us to treat others. Thank God for women like you. Take on the fight..and WIN!! Hugs Christine

[Christine]

Pills are becoming an easier way to receive treatment. If they work well enough, we will see a better trend of leaving the infusion room behind.
Positive and healthy wishes are set your way.
Let us knw more about the chemo your taking. My infusions are stlll out there, but slowly becoming obsolete. Looking foward to a better future with a greater response to pills.
Let us know your progress.
Sending you my positive thoughts and well wishes. Warm hugs, Christine

[Ruth]

Good luck!

I think it is awesome that you are participating in the trial...what they learn from you will help so many others.

It would be great if more treatments were in pill form. Please let us know how it goes.

Ruth

[Sheila]

Leea
Here hoping that the new drug is the magic one! It is so nice to be unleashed from the chemo center....its scary, you start to feel normal in a way....what is the name of the new drug?

[swanky]

The trial is being done by Kudos Pharmaceuticals and was initially designed for ovarian cancer patients only. To participate you had to have locally advanced disease and have failed a chemo , while being BRCA 1+. The drug does not yet have a name, only KU - and a bunch of numbers. The idea is that it is supposed to create a new mechanism DNA can use to repair itself. Because I guess by being BRCA 1+, my DNA is missing those mechanisms. So in theory it is supposed to be toxic to cancer cells because it repairs the DNA. That is my understanding...I had my onc try to explain it in english (haha) and that is basically what he said.

I guess they had such a good response with the ovarian part of the study that they opened it to BC patients. They are only taking 40 nationwide and I was number 1. My onc said people (ovarian patients) were coming from all over the nation for this drug to help in their tx. I guess this is gene therapy?

[Lolly]

Here's a link to an article about AstraZeneca aquiring Kudos Pharmaceuticals and then a brief outline of the trial drug which I think is the one Leea is getting. The article was published in 2005 so it describes the trial as Phase I

Medical News Today
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/35420.php

"...The acquisition of KuDOS Pharmaceuticals augments AstraZeneca's portfolio with clinical and pre-clinical compounds and programmes. An innovative, targeted compound, KU 59436, an oral poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) enzyme inhibitor, is currently in phase I clinical development.

PARP is a key signalling enzyme involved in triggering repair of single strand DNA damage. PARP inhibition selectively kills tumour cells lacking the homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair pathway whilst sparing normal cells. Known defects in HR repair include the well-characterised hereditary BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in breast and ovarian cancer for which diagnostic tests are available. This therapeutic/diagnostic combination offers the exciting potential that KU 59436 can be developed as a new cancer monotherapy targeted for the benefit of a definable patient population..."

[suzan w]

Wow! This will be interesting to follow!! Yay for you Leea for being brave!!!

[Hazel Joyce]

Hi, Leea. I'm wishing you lots of success with the new treatment (love the nickname!) and I hope you don't have much in the way of side effects. Keep us updated...

Hugs,
Jean C.

[tousled1]

Leea,

I applaud you for entering the clinical trial. Getting pills is so much more humane than sitting in the infusion center. I'm praying that this new drug works magic for you.

[StillHere]

I want to cry every time I read a post from a 20 or 30 something with small children. Any age for that matter with small children. I am actively looking to participate in any trials that do not involve chemo. I think this is the way of the future. Thank you for being so brave. I hope I can do likewise in the near future. I also hope you are able to still do fun things with the hubby and kids during this tx. Peace Karen

[Adriana Mangus]

Karen:

Ask your docor to put you back on herceptin, once your LVF is back to normal. Herceptin does wonders for us...Also ask onc for a brain MRI, Take care.

[Cheryl44]

I am sending big hugs and best wishes to you that this new drug does it for you...

Cheryl

[swanky]

Well - just got back from onc for my 1 wk follow up since beginning new tx. Lump in neck may be a tad bit smaller, but it is definately not bigger. Also the spot in the leftover breast tissue is still too small to find by physical exam. So no major side effects (a few headaches and a few hot flashes which may or may not be related to TBFW) and good labs. So far so good!

[caya]

Hi Leea,

Congrats - it sounds like this new drug may be working. Looking forward to total disappearance of your mets and a complete recovery and dance with NED.

all the best
caya

[lexigirl]

It is sounding positive! I am happy that your side effects are minimal. No new growth sounds good to me! I am looking forward to hearing more good news!Hugs,Lexi

[Shell]

Leea-

I congratulate you like the others for doing a clinical trial - I think they are so important.

Has an advil or motrin helped with the headaches?

Kind regards,