HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - some people get all the luck-Not-

Lani · 05-26-2010, 08:35 AM

I think it is an attitudinal problem. At conferences I have been to I have encountered ill-informed and older doctors who are stuck in their ways or who don't keep up with the latest research who have this nihilistic approach ie, why find recurrence early because it makes no difference, this person will be dead in an average of two years anyway (and with her2+ recurrence and death occurred faster than the average they had been led to believe)

Well first of all this is a person with hopes and dreams and families and children/grandchildren/spouses to whom additional months and years are precious and in addition, within that added time there may be better treatments or even a cure.

Second of all, we will never get closer to that better treatment or cure if everyone adopted this nihilistic approach that they are all going to die anyway

One of the reasons breast cancer research is so much farther ahead than other researches is that noisy advocates have let the powers that be know that they were not going to sit still and just be told this is how it is and why make the effort?

The changing natural history of her2+ breast cancer since herceptin became widely available has certainly altered the way many look at her2+ patients.

Recent progress with her2+ breast cancer has thrown a monkeywrench at their negative thinking...some are slow to respond/wake up.

The lastest research seems to show that metastasis in breast cancer is a very early event. It is the "awakening " of the dormant micro- and nano-metastases that starts the phase where they proliferate into macrometastases that we call Stage IV disease. Whether this is due to angiogenic factors, inflammatory factors, both or neither is the subject of new and exciting research which seems to actually be getting places by small bits which continue to add up.

They are developing better and better ways to look for minimal residual disease (iron based nanoparticles fused to herceptin is in rodent trials I believe) and hopefully in the future finding the nano or micro mets or even chemical signs in the blood that they are still there will be enough to alter/start treatment and make a big difference in the "curability" of her2+ disease.

Let's hope the time you lost waiting for them to diagnose your enlarged nodes was time during which progress was made to allow you to get into just the right clinical trial you might need. Things are moving quickly and there will be many reports @ ASCO on her2+ breast cancer. I just published the Stage Ib/II results for TDM-1 + pertuzumab (unfortunately I think you had to fail LOTs of previous treatments to qualify for this one)

You are absolutely right to spend your energy researching the right direction to go rather than wasting your time in bitterness which will not get you anywhere but only drag you down.

Best of luck to you!

05-26-2010, 08:35 AM	#15
Lani Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 4,778	Re: some people get all the luck-Not- I think it is an attitudinal problem. At conferences I have been to I have encountered ill-informed and older doctors who are stuck in their ways or who don't keep up with the latest research who have this nihilistic approach ie, why find recurrence early because it makes no difference, this person will be dead in an average of two years anyway (and with her2+ recurrence and death occurred faster than the average they had been led to believe) Well first of all this is a person with hopes and dreams and families and children/grandchildren/spouses to whom additional months and years are precious and in addition, within that added time there may be better treatments or even a cure. Second of all, we will never get closer to that better treatment or cure if everyone adopted this nihilistic approach that they are all going to die anyway One of the reasons breast cancer research is so much farther ahead than other researches is that noisy advocates have let the powers that be know that they were not going to sit still and just be told this is how it is and why make the effort? The changing natural history of her2+ breast cancer since herceptin became widely available has certainly altered the way many look at her2+ patients. Recent progress with her2+ breast cancer has thrown a monkeywrench at their negative thinking...some are slow to respond/wake up. The lastest research seems to show that metastasis in breast cancer is a very early event. It is the "awakening " of the dormant micro- and nano-metastases that starts the phase where they proliferate into macrometastases that we call Stage IV disease. Whether this is due to angiogenic factors, inflammatory factors, both or neither is the subject of new and exciting research which seems to actually be getting places by small bits which continue to add up. They are developing better and better ways to look for minimal residual disease (iron based nanoparticles fused to herceptin is in rodent trials I believe) and hopefully in the future finding the nano or micro mets or even chemical signs in the blood that they are still there will be enough to alter/start treatment and make a big difference in the "curability" of her2+ disease. Let's hope the time you lost waiting for them to diagnose your enlarged nodes was time during which progress was made to allow you to get into just the right clinical trial you might need. Things are moving quickly and there will be many reports @ ASCO on her2+ breast cancer. I just published the Stage Ib/II results for TDM-1 + pertuzumab (unfortunately I think you had to fail LOTs of previous treatments to qualify for this one) You are absolutely right to spend your energy researching the right direction to go rather than wasting your time in bitterness which will not get you anywhere but only drag you down. Best of luck to you!