Update #3 on Please advise, time is running out

[wennydog]

Pat came home from the hospital for a week and 2 days. She is more comfortable with a hospital bed at home, however last night we had to return to the hospital. Signs of her cancer are back despite a second dose of herceptin/ Doxorubicin. I suggested trying Gemzar/ avastin with the doxorubicin and the onc office said that avastin is not approved for her 2 positive use and insurance will not pay. Is this true? Does anyone know if avastin has shown promise? Thank you for all the prayers. My prayers are with all of you for whom I am so grateful.
Donna in Birmingham.

Pat Bailey 55 yo
2001 DX DCIS, mastectomy & reconn
2003 dx mets to lungs, double thoracotomy for bx, herceptin, navelbene,carbpl,
2005chest wall reoccurrance, rads, repeat herceptin, navelbene,carbopl
2006more mets to chest wall, axillary and rt neck lymph system, Taxotere, herceptin
x 2 treatments, inflammtion to lungs,pneumonia, stop taxotere , rads
2007disease progression to small intestine, rt. axilla, lungs,epirub,5FU,cytoxan x 2 tx
disease halted but counts so low and so weak that chemo stopped.
July2007 disease progression, given 3 weeks to live. Began herceptin, doxorubicin
2 weeks later ready to leave hopitaland ambulatory with assistance. Story to be continued

[Joe]

Donna,
There are several clinical trials of Avastin currently underway in Birmingham. Generally you do not pay for drugs in clinical trials:

http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/sea...gham%2C+breast


Regards
Joe

[tousled1]

Donna,

I'm so sorry to hear that Pat is not doing well. I felt so encouraged when they put her on Herceptin/Doxourbin especially since she actually got to come home. I don't have any information on Avastin. I will keep you both in my prayers.

[Sheila]

Donna
I am on Avastin, Herceptin and Taxol for mets to the nodes....the insurance is paying for it.....it seems to show great promise. Please check into it more!

[Lolly]

Donna, Chris from Scotts Vally is on a clinical trial of Avastin/Tykerb(the new Herceptin except it attacks the cancer cell from inside rather than attaching to the outside receptor). Do a search of her posts, and also hoping she sees your post and replies. I don't know where you live, but she travels to San Francisco for the trial.

<3 Lolly

[Vanessa]

I have not been on Avastin, but my doctor made a list of treatments that will be available for me in the future and Avastin is one that she included. She did not indicate that insurance will not pay for it. I think she also has someone else on Avastin/Abraxane and maybe Herceptin and I believe her insurance is paying for it.

[chrisy]

True, Avastin has not been approved for treatment of Breast cancer, but is approved for colorectal cancer, so it could be prescribed by Pat's onc and although insurance may put up a fight, it is likely they would pay for it - as many others have noted.

Also, as Joe said, if she enters a clinical trial, the drugs would be free.

Avastin has shown promise, and is in trials for several other cancers including breast.

the trial I'm in is Avastin and Tykerb, and is only at UCSF and Sloan kettering I think.

Don't give up!