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Lani · 06-09-2009, 07:56 AM

it may be that after being challenged by all these treatments, the cancerous cells which survived were not those that were vulnerable to herceptin, etc (those were killed) but those that were able to mutate so that they were not (or, alternatively, those which had that phenotype predating the treatment and now can multiply and utilize nutrients without the competition of the cancer cells with the other phenotypes.)

Think of it like a lawn with several types of weeds in it. If you use a weed killer effective only against one or two types of weeds, the other weeds that were not vulnerable to the treatment will survive and thrive

Dr. Stephanie Jeffries of Stanford has been looking at the phenotypes of circulating tumor cells of those with metastatic breast cancer. She found triple negative CTCs floating around in the blood of Stage IV patients with her2+ breast cancer (at least primarily) while they were still being treated with herceptin.

Smart little buggers, those cancer cells!

In addition there are epigenic changes (not requiring mutations) that can turn ER- breast cancers ER+ and vice versa. New treatments can try to reverse those epigenetic changes.

They are now finding treatments which seem to work on triple negatives (PARP inhibitors, cisplatin, EGFR inhibitors) so that is not to say there won't be tools to attack your new cancer type. See if your doctor can try to determine if there are markers on your new cancer cells which might point to the right direction to take eg. if your tumor cells are EGFR + etc.

Good luck, and don't worry...her2 support supports those exher2s too!!!

06-09-2009, 07:56 AM	#2
Lani Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 4,778	that is not the only way to interpret the facts it may be that after being challenged by all these treatments, the cancerous cells which survived were not those that were vulnerable to herceptin, etc (those were killed) but those that were able to mutate so that they were not (or, alternatively, those which had that phenotype predating the treatment and now can multiply and utilize nutrients without the competition of the cancer cells with the other phenotypes.) Think of it like a lawn with several types of weeds in it. If you use a weed killer effective only against one or two types of weeds, the other weeds that were not vulnerable to the treatment will survive and thrive Dr. Stephanie Jeffries of Stanford has been looking at the phenotypes of circulating tumor cells of those with metastatic breast cancer. She found triple negative CTCs floating around in the blood of Stage IV patients with her2+ breast cancer (at least primarily) while they were still being treated with herceptin. Smart little buggers, those cancer cells! In addition there are epigenic changes (not requiring mutations) that can turn ER- breast cancers ER+ and vice versa. New treatments can try to reverse those epigenetic changes. They are now finding treatments which seem to work on triple negatives (PARP inhibitors, cisplatin, EGFR inhibitors) so that is not to say there won't be tools to attack your new cancer type. See if your doctor can try to determine if there are markers on your new cancer cells which might point to the right direction to take eg. if your tumor cells are EGFR + etc. Good luck, and don't worry...her2 support supports those exher2s too!!!