Dear Donna,
Thank you for responding. I am sorry about your dad. The trial I am in is called "Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients Who Are Undergoing Surgery for Ductal Carcinoma in Situ of the Breast". It can be located under ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT00107211
I was diagnosed with DCIS 12/03, had a lumpectomy 1/16/04 a relumpectomy 2/3/04 a sentinal node biopsy 2/24/04 and radiation 3/04-5/04. Since my cancer was non invasive and node negative, I was not given chemotherapy. Since I am ER- and PR- I was not a candidate for Tamoxifin or Arimidex.The DCIS has recurred in the same spot two years after I finished radiation. I am HER2+ grade 3+ and this vaccine trial builds antibodies against the HER2 overexpression which is fueling my cancer.
Monday, 9/25/06, I went for leukapheresis where they removed white cells so they could make the vaccine. Tomorrow I will receive the first of 4 doses of the vaccine, once a week for 4 weeks. At the end of the trial I will have a double mastectomy with reconstruction. The vaccine is added protection if it creates antibodies like it should. I do not want this to recur again.
Since HER2 is on normal cells as well as cancer ones, there is the possibility the antibodies created by the vaccine could attack normal cells (including heart tissue) and create an auto immune disease. So far that has not happened with any one who is on this trial.
You live close by to me. You can email me at
CAGrabbit@aol.com if you would like to talk.
Sincerely,
Skibunny