HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - statistic on chemo....only helps 1/4 of us??

AlaskaAngel · 08-01-2011, 06:25 AM

It is difficult to get an honest answer to this question for a number of reasons. Most of the people who provide treatment are not in it "just for the money", but it is only human for them to hope the best and overemphasize the possible benefit of treatment when they have no way of knowing which patients will be helped by it, and know that "some" are helped by it.... and as they tend to see it (given that usually they aren't the ones to go through it, with all the expense and collateral damage from it) it "most patients can get through it anyway, so why not"?

None of us tend to want to actually be totally objective about this either. We all know that some percentage of us aren't going to survive for long, but we can't handle very well the awareness as individuals that the "someone" might be "me".

Not knowing scientifically which treatment will actually work for which patients makes it harder for medical providers to give hard figures to us. Some of us will survive against the odds with no definite reason as to why, and some won't, even with treatment that "should" have made a difference. So how can they discourage anyone from doing what treatments are available?

More patients are surviving longer now primarily because cancers are being caught earlier and earlier surgical treatment (as well as radiation and other medications) is keeping more cancers from metastasizing early on.

However, the closest percentage I was able to find in the various oncology discussions was that chemotherapy "helps" somewhere between 17 and 20% of the time, and as I understand it, that includes those who get some extension of time with the use of chemotherapy. The side effects also have to be considered, since they affect the 80% who don't benefit.

HER2's have had greater benefit from treatment due to trastuzumab. But providers still are not clearly and openly able to provide accurate numbers because the majority of HER2 patients (as with all breast cancer patients) are early stage due to earlier detection and earlier surgery/rads, and because trials did not provide clear information as to whether this majority needed treatment with anything more than surgery and trastuzumab.

A very difficult subject. See if you are able to get documented numbers for this question, and maybe together we can get an answer.

-AlaskaAngel

08-01-2011, 06:25 AM	#5
AlaskaAngel Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Alaska Posts: 2,018	Re: statistic on chemo....only helps 1/4 of us?? It is difficult to get an honest answer to this question for a number of reasons. Most of the people who provide treatment are not in it "just for the money", but it is only human for them to hope the best and overemphasize the possible benefit of treatment when they have no way of knowing which patients will be helped by it, and know that "some" are helped by it.... and as they tend to see it (given that usually they aren't the ones to go through it, with all the expense and collateral damage from it) it "most patients can get through it anyway, so why not"? None of us tend to want to actually be totally objective about this either. We all know that some percentage of us aren't going to survive for long, but we can't handle very well the awareness as individuals that the "someone" might be "me". Not knowing scientifically which treatment will actually work for which patients makes it harder for medical providers to give hard figures to us. Some of us will survive against the odds with no definite reason as to why, and some won't, even with treatment that "should" have made a difference. So how can they discourage anyone from doing what treatments are available? More patients are surviving longer now primarily because cancers are being caught earlier and earlier surgical treatment (as well as radiation and other medications) is keeping more cancers from metastasizing early on. However, the closest percentage I was able to find in the various oncology discussions was that chemotherapy "helps" somewhere between 17 and 20% of the time, and as I understand it, that includes those who get some extension of time with the use of chemotherapy. The side effects also have to be considered, since they affect the 80% who don't benefit. HER2's have had greater benefit from treatment due to trastuzumab. But providers still are not clearly and openly able to provide accurate numbers because the majority of HER2 patients (as with all breast cancer patients) are early stage due to earlier detection and earlier surgery/rads, and because trials did not provide clear information as to whether this majority needed treatment with anything more than surgery and trastuzumab. A very difficult subject. See if you are able to get documented numbers for this question, and maybe together we can get an answer. -AlaskaAngel __________________ Dx 2002 age 51 bc for granny, aunt, cousin, sister, mother. ER+/PR+/HER2+++, grade 3 IDC 1.9 cm, some DCIS, Stage 1, Grade 3 Lumpectomy, CAFx6 (no blood boosters), IMRT rads, 1 3/4 yr tamoxifen Rads necrosis BRCA 1 & 2 negative Trials: Early detection OVCA; 2004 low-dose testosterone for bc survivors Diet: Primarily vegetarian organic; metformin (no diabetes), vitamin D3 Exercise: 7 days a week, 1 hr/day No trastuzumab, no taxane, no AI NED Last edited by AlaskaAngel; 08-01-2011 at 06:32 AM..