gene FOX03 found to predict sensitivity to IRESSA in bc

[Lani]

study used two her2+ breast cancer cell lines, SKBr3 (ER-) and BT474 (ER+) both of which they report as IRESSA sensitive.

As you recall, the study "curing" her2+ breast cancer in mice used the triple whammy of pertuzumab-herceptin- Iressa (although Genentech does not make Iressa, they make another EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, Tarceva--so perhaps they would sponsor a trial of the triple therapy????).

When I asked specifically as to why estrogen depletion(AI equivalent) or tamoxifen was not needed to obtain the "cure" I was told they postulated that in the strain of BT474
(ER+) cured the "cure" occurred so quickly there was no time for the tumor to mutate/or a resistant clone expand (depending on your theory of how resistance develops)

I was also told that there was another strain of BT474 where the "cure" did not work--perhaps this paper points a way to predict whether IRESSA or another drug should be the third element of the Triple Whammy.

Merry Christmas, with dreams of triple whammy cures!