['lizbeth]

Love that response.

I just don't want Genentech, or anyone else to get complacent about cancer treatments.
Yes, Herceptin was a blockbuster. BUT, not just more research - a little creative thinking outside the box could have gone a long way. The industry held on to the blockbuster status way too long, when they should have been looking for ways outside of the 1 year adjuvant treatment to best use Herceptin.

I agree with what you posted. I disagree with the current system of large scale clinical trials that take years to finish. In order to achieve what you pointed out the system must be changed. The number of study participants will have to shrink. Testing needs to improve and the science behind this.

My biggest unhappiness with our current system is that Overall Survival is an acceptable endpoint. Ah, we are trying to save lives here. What kind of society allows patients to die to get a treatment approved at FDA. This is madness.

Define a new endpoint prior to death. No patient should die so that you and I can get a treatment as part of standard of care. How did this become an "acceptable insanity"?

Design a system that gives these patients many more opportunities for clinical trials at stage IV or metastatic disease. The Right to Try is the first step in the right direction. Let's run in that direction and redefine how we handle patients who are in the greatest need of a miracle.

Yes, I am impatient. I am tired of seeing progression and suffering. Thankfully it seems that a large number are being helped considerably with the new TCHP.

I do appreciate Genentech, and all others who work so hard to keep us well.

However, its not enough - keep going forward finding and improving treatments. Finding and improving testing. And each time I hear someone being complacent about HER2 cancer my little voice is going to pop up and push for progress.