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Re: Too old for Chemo
If you are wondering, because the original trials for adjuvant treatment were done using chemo + trastuzumab, we do not know which patients may benefit from using trastuzumab alone and which patients likely do not.
One reason why the benefit of chemo may be less for elderly patients is because they are generally postmenopausal. One of the main effects of chemotherapy is to bring on menopause in older patients.
If you are interested, check out the clinical trials below.
Trials offered at present to try to determine what the benefit is OR is not for elderly HER2 positive patients:
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/N...elderly&rank=2
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/N...elderly&rank=6
http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/N...elderly&rank=1
We won't know unless we try to find out.
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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; 11-23-2013 at 01:43 PM..
Reason: menopausal effects of chemotherapy
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