more adjuvant trial info

http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/apr2005/nci-25.htm

Check it out!

Jeff

Great news...Thanks for posting Jeff. You are at the forefront as usual

[Rozebud]

52% decrease in recurrance rates? Is that right? So if my recurrance chance is, say 60%, this cuts that in half to 30%?

Jeff,
This is so very exciting. My chemo combo wasn't listed but I am going with the same info. If you see anything on Carbo, Taxotere and Herceptin will you let me know? thank you. k

Everyone thought my onc was being a little too aggressive giving me Herceptin with carbo, taxatier and Femara all at the same time, but it's working for me so far. I should have tests back tomorrow proving him right (pray, pray, pray).

I'm on it Maryann! Good luck!

Susan

Jeff----thank you for informing us.

Being someone with Early Stage I who is in a Herceptin trial, I find this news exciting but also wish the statistics were more specific. Since the first participants went into the study in 2000 (and more continued to be enrolled through April 2005), that really isn't that long of a time period to access recurrence -- is it? For example, it appears the data on me would be in this study and yet I was just diagnosed with BC in Oct. 2004 with herceptin/taxol following this year. Does anyone know where or how to get more statistics such as: What is the avg time of recurrence for someone with Early Stage I who is HER2+? Are there people whose tumor is HER2+ (and if so what is the %) that never have a recurrence?

I'd like to see the data behind how they arrived at a 52% decrease in recurrence. Any data anyone has or can point me to would be welcomed. Thanks!-------JudyD/New York

Judy,

I would also love to know how they came up with that percentage but 5 years is actually a good amount of time. They already had a lot of information after one year of the study and probably knew something good was happening. It has always been my understanding that rates of recurrance are highest in the first two years after diagnosis. These rates decrease the farther you go out from the treatment. You will always know of women that have recurred much later (I know a lady who recurred 13 years later!) but they are in the minority - at least that is what my team of Dr.'s and the nursing staff have told me. With these trials they could compare the women in the control group to the ones on the Herceptin. They probably knew after a year or two that the ones on Herceptin had a much lower rate of recurrance. Unfortunetely we don't have long-term information but I am thinking that it should be good news too.

What I am thrilled about is this information will give thousands of women ammunition to go to their Dr.'s and insurance companies and tell them that they need to get on Herceptin early on. It's hard to argue against you with numbers like that. It is my personal opinion that if it only proved to help 5% of people, those people should still have the option of taking Herceptin if they wanted it!

Peace, Ruth

Ruth, thanks for your response. I am hoping the actual analysis will be available possibly after it is presented at the May meeting referenced. I have been searching for more specific numbers regarding recurrence. My endo told me my chance of recurrence was 17-20% (Early stage I, 1.8c, no nodes, HER2+) but didn't have statistics for me as far as within what time period i.e., 1 year, 2 years, 5 years, etc. or what percent of HER2+ people never have a recurrence? I am also curious as to how much herceptin an Early Stage diagosed person needs. In the study I am in, one arm gets 12 Taxol/Herceptin weekly then Herceptin weekly for another 10 months. The 2nd arm gets the same except longer weekly Herceptin treatments. I can't wait to see more specific numbers.