HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Treatment options

Mandamoo · 10-18-2012, 01:41 PM

It is an interesting read Jackie however I feel in all of this we are all individuals and have the freedom to make our own choices and therefore deal with the consequences. At the end of the day Steve Jobs had pancreatic cancer - not very treatable for many and it is not known had he had conventional treatment up front whether his outcome would have been any different. I think it is quite a different scenario to having treatment with known cure rates.

I often reflect upon being told that I have incurable disease and wonder how much more of this often barbaric treatment that I can take and have wondered if I would be doing no more harm by trying a purely alternative route - afterall I have been using experimental drugs anyway.

At the end of the day there will always be science which relies on population based studies to determine efficacy. There will always also be anecdotal stories and miracles that not even science can explain. It is an individual's body and and individual's choice to make based upon what they believe and feel is truly right for them. I did laugh at the oncologist saying patients wasted what precious little time they had left on some of these quests - would he prefer they waste that precious little time bald, vomiting, fatigued? I peruse my current treatment because my quality of life is till good and so far I feel there is reasonable science behind continuing the current path - if that should change I am not sure I will spend my precious little time left with conventional medicine - I might just take that trip to the Black Forrest and give something extreme a go - maybe I will just drink essiac tea and meditate - maybe I will just go to the beach - my choice in the end.

I just want to put another perspective here.

10-18-2012, 01:41 PM	#3
Mandamoo Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 432	Re: Treatment options - a must read It is an interesting read Jackie however I feel in all of this we are all individuals and have the freedom to make our own choices and therefore deal with the consequences. At the end of the day Steve Jobs had pancreatic cancer - not very treatable for many and it is not known had he had conventional treatment up front whether his outcome would have been any different. I think it is quite a different scenario to having treatment with known cure rates. I often reflect upon being told that I have incurable disease and wonder how much more of this often barbaric treatment that I can take and have wondered if I would be doing no more harm by trying a purely alternative route - afterall I have been using experimental drugs anyway. At the end of the day there will always be science which relies on population based studies to determine efficacy. There will always also be anecdotal stories and miracles that not even science can explain. It is an individual's body and and individual's choice to make based upon what they believe and feel is truly right for them. I did laugh at the oncologist saying patients wasted what precious little time they had left on some of these quests - would he prefer they waste that precious little time bald, vomiting, fatigued? I peruse my current treatment because my quality of life is till good and so far I feel there is reasonable science behind continuing the current path - if that should change I am not sure I will spend my precious little time left with conventional medicine - I might just take that trip to the Black Forrest and give something extreme a go - maybe I will just drink essiac tea and meditate - maybe I will just go to the beach - my choice in the end. I just want to put another perspective here. __________________ Amanda xx 40 year old Mum to three gorgeous kids - son 5 and daughters 8 and 11 Wife to my wonderfully supportive husband of 17 years! 22 February 2011 - Diagnosed Early Breast Cancer IDBC Stage2b (ER/PR -ve, Her2+ve +++) - 38 years old (L) skin sparing mastectomy with tissue expander, axilla clearance (2/14 affected) clear margins. Fec3, Taxotere and herceptin2 - stopped due to secondary diagnosis June 24 2011 Stage IV - Skin met, axilla node, multiple lung lesions Bolero3 trial - Navelbine, Hereptin weekly, daily Everolimus/Placebo February 2012 - July 2012 Tykerb and Xeloda - skin mets resolved, Lungs initially dramatically reduced but growing again August 2012 (turn 40!) tykerb and herceptin (denied compassionate use of TDM1) while holidaying in Italy! September 2012 - January 2013 TDM1 as part of the Th3resa trial - lymph nodes resolved, lungs slowly progressing. January 2013 - herceptin, carboplatin and Perjeta (compassionate access) April 2013 - Some progression in lungs and lymph nodes - Abraxane, Herceptin and Perjeta July 2013 - mixed response - dramatic reduction of most lung disease, progression of smaller lung nodules and cervical and hilar nodes - ? Add avastin.