HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Vaccine Clinical Trial, may not be able to go

StephN · 11-29-2011, 12:21 PM

Dear Bonita -

You have my admiration with how much you have taken on to keep your family together and raised properly. It is added impetus for you wanting to do all you can to stay healthy and keep the cancer from coming back.

I really would offer the U of W trial that I am in for consideration.
http://depts.washington.edu/tumorvac...ntific_133.php

There are only three shots and you could fly in one day and leave the next. The final blood draw can be done at your own clinic at the one year mark.

I had my Informed Consent session, signed it, and had my physical while my vaccine was being sent up from the lab at the U of W Medical Center. So first appointment took less than the 4 hours they mention. You can have a morning appointment and be on a plane home in the afternoon.

The National Cancer Insitute helps find free or very reduced price lodging. Some of the ladies I met here even stayed at the Sheraton downtown at NO CHARGE.

So nothing like 8 days away from home and you have a wide choice of airlines.

Last week I was told there are still about 15 slots for the phase one that I am in. There are several patients starting in January, and that is counting those.

11-29-2011, 12:21 PM	#9
StephN Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Misty woods of WA State Posts: 4,128	Re: Vaccine Clinical Trial, may not be able to go Dear Bonita - You have my admiration with how much you have taken on to keep your family together and raised properly. It is added impetus for you wanting to do all you can to stay healthy and keep the cancer from coming back. I really would offer the U of W trial that I am in for consideration. http://depts.washington.edu/tumorvac...ntific_133.php There are only three shots and you could fly in one day and leave the next. The final blood draw can be done at your own clinic at the one year mark. I had my Informed Consent session, signed it, and had my physical while my vaccine was being sent up from the lab at the U of W Medical Center. So first appointment took less than the 4 hours they mention. You can have a morning appointment and be on a plane home in the afternoon. The National Cancer Insitute helps find free or very reduced price lodging. Some of the ladies I met here even stayed at the Sheraton downtown at NO CHARGE. So nothing like 8 days away from home and you have a wide choice of airlines. Last week I was told there are still about 15 slots for the phase one that I am in. There are several patients starting in January, and that is counting those. __________________ "When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest." H.D. Thoreau Live in the moment. MY STORY SO FAR ~~~~ Found suspicious lump 9/2000 Lumpectomy, then node dissection and port placement Stage IIB, 8 pos nodes of 18, Grade 3, ER & PR - Adriamycin 12 weekly, taxotere 4 rounds 36 rads - very little burning 3 mos after rads liver full of tumors, Stage IV Jan 2002, one spot on sternum Weekly Taxol, Navelbine, Herceptin for 27 rounds to NED! 2003 & 2004 no active disease - 3 weekly Herceptin + Zometa Jan 2005 two mets to brain - Gamma Knife on Jan 18 All clear until treated cerebellum spot showing activity on Jan 2006 brain MRI & brain PET Brain surgery on Feb 9, 2006 - no cancer, 100% radiation necrosis - tumor was still dying Continue as NED while on Herceptin & quarterly Zometa Fall-2006 - off Zometa - watching one small brain spot (scar?) 2007 - spot/scar in brain stable - finished anticoagulation therapy for clot along my port-a-catheter - 3 angioplasties to unblock vena cava 2008 - Brain and body still NED! Port removed and scans in Dec. Dec 2008 - stop Herceptin - Vaccine Trial at U of W begun in Oct. of 2011 STILL NED everywhere in Feb 2014 - on wing & prayer 7/14 - Started twice yearly Zometa for my bones Jan. 2015 checkup still shows NED 2015 Neuropathy in feet - otherwise all OK - still NED. Same news for 2016 and all of 2017. Nov of 2017 - had small skin cancer removed from my face. Will have Zometa end of Jan. 2018.