Denied late Herceptin; maybe her2 vaccines an option

[RobinP]

Hi,

For those of you who are like me and hitting a brick wall trying to obtain late Herceptin, let us not forget our other options. There are the choice of clinical trails using her2vaccines, ig. E-75 vaccines have thus far been the most effective in phase II clinical trail. These trails have recent published results of actual increased DFS in early stage breast cancer of some 60% which marginally exceeds the success of the adjuvant Herceptin trails. Additionally, vaccines have less toxicity and apparently offer the advantage of passing the blood brain barrier via of microscopic carrier vectors; thus. offering protection to the CNS. Whereas, there was no cenral nervous system -CNS protection via Herceptin in the adjuvant trails. If you look at the complete abtract from the New Eng. Joural of Med.-NEJM, you will notice that in the Adjuvant Herceptin trails, both the control group and the experimental group had the same number of CNS or brain relapse. In other words, Herceptin did not help prevent disease relapse in the brain.( PS I have the complete abstract of the HERA trail and Herceptin plus adjuvant if you wish, I can download it on this web site for your reference.)

Please see my posting links for the full abstract on the Oct. JOCO-Journal Clin. Oncol. published results for the E-75 vaccines at "Her2support Articles of Interest".Anyway, just thought this may help those of you who may not be able to get Herceptin.

[AlaskaAngel]

Are you personally focusing on participating in a clinical trial for a vaccine, Robin? Or are you keeping your options open and still looking for an onc who might provide late Herceptin?

A.A.

[RobinP]

Well, I am focusing on trying to get Herceptin late. As you know so far the oncologists I have seen have denied it due to no proven benefit late in the game. My local onologist does not want to give it unless a "breast oncologist" okays it. Who better to do that than Edith Perez who I plan to see 12/29/05. As you know my breast oncologist at Dana Farber and Roswell Park have refused recommending Herceptin late.

My plan would be to get Herceptin then get the Her2 vaccine that is being offered next year for patients that are Her2+ having been treated with Herceptin. This addditional treatment with the vaccine, at least in theory would help to prevent a later brain mets. You might think I am crazy for wanting to treat such a small her2+ disease so aggressively but I have a lot to live for. I have a 7, 12 and 14 year sons and I am young.

Juts to let you folks here know. I just conversed with Dr. Peoples, the principle investigator of the E75 vaccines and with his nurse at the Walter Reed Institiute. They wil be changing their clinical trails next year to include prior Herceptin use into all their new trails since everyone now with her2+ breast cancer will be treated with Herceptin. As you may or may not know, the current trails stipulate no prior use of Herceptin as part of their eligiblity requirements.

Of course, if my initial plan of getting Herceptin fails, I will try to get into the current E-75 vaccines rather than standing here doing nothing at all about Her2+ breast cancer that obviously responds to animonoclonal targeted therapy.


Once again, later brain mets following adjuvant treatment with Herceptin is still a concern as there was no change in the number of brain mets between the control and experimental group in the current adjuvant herceptin trials.With more successful and prolonged systemic anti-tumour effects achieved by novel drug combinations, the risk of developing CNS metastases might be even greater. Evaluation of prophylactic cranial irradiation strategies might be studied for high-risk patients according to Dr. M. Piccart, PI of the HERA trail.

[Unregistered]

Robin,

Would it be possible for me to get the phone number of Dr. Peoples form you? I am early stage disease and I am currently being treated with Herceptin. Of course, like you have brought up, I always have the thought of brain mets in the back of my mind.

Thanks you,

Karen

[RobinP]

If you are interested in these e-75 vaccines, the contact individual is Maureen Pavlick.
E-mail Address(es):
MPavlik@conemaugh.org

locatioin:Windber PA (Joyce Murtha Breast Care Center) sponsored by the Walter Reed Army Institute, trail leader Dr Peoples