Lapatinib (Tykerb)

[michele u]

As we all know, the clinical trials have stopped with this oral med because it was working so well, and they are giving the drug to the people that didn't draw that arm of the trial(does this sound familiar? Herceptin) I think the future will follow that of Herceptins, that they will do a trial with early stage cancer's, to prevent recurrences (does this also sound familiar(tamoxifen) I'm stage 3b and i've already talked to my onc that if this is FDA approved that he will prescribe it for me to prevent a recurrance. He said YES! I might have to fight my insurance company to pay for it, but i will if it takes that. My arguement will be that stage 3 cancer is still metastatic cancer. I think alot of onc will accept this arguement also. We all might have to band together and see what happens!

[taffy]

Michelle, may I ask you something? What exactly is stage 3b? I have heard of stage 3 obviously but wondered how they did the a, b and c part of it. I am stage 3 myself but don't know what letter, a, b or c. I have a tumour in my left breast with skin involvement on the chest wall. We are treating it with chemo and I should be starting Herceptin any time now.

Hope you will reply
love
Taffy

[RhondaH]

How long will you be on it?

Rhonda

[Rupali]

Hi Michelle,

I am stage 3A and I totally agree with what you said. Do u have any idea how soon Lapatinib will get a FDA approval. I will also start discussing with my oncologist about chances of getting this off label.
I know my onc had agred to give me herceptin off label and then it got approved by FDA for early stagers.
Stage 3 is one of those stages when you can twist it in either direction.
Did you have any specific article which you presented to your onc to talk abt giving it to Stage 3.

Rupali

[Cathya]

I am stage 3c and hope that it comes to Canada very soon after you get the FDA approval. Looking at staging with stage 3's I have recently found out that there is more to it than just the stage itself. My second tumor was in my left supraclavicular node and apparently that location presents a higher than normal risk of spread to the neck and head. My doctor is doing the brain and has tested my neck already. If everything had happened to my right breast and node I would still be classified a stage 3 but my risk would be reduced. You live and learn.....lol.

Best regards,

Cathy

[michele u]

to answer some questions. Taffy, you would be stage 3c with skin involvement. I was stage 3b because my level 2 lymph nodes were positive so they assume my level 3 nodes are positive. I would probably be staged 3c with the staging they do now. The length of time i would take Lapatinib? Probably indefinitaly i would assume? Or maybe 5 years like Tamoxifen is. My oncologist agreed with me because it's oral i think. He didn't want to dot he second year of Herceptin when i asked. Since this is oral, i think that is why he said he would. The talk is that they are going to try for FDA approval the end of this year yet. The sooner the better for me.

[Sherryg683]

My Oncologist said he would get me on it as soon as he can. Since I'm stage IV hopefuly they won't give me any grief. Although it is thought that insurance may initally approve it only for those who did not respond on Herceptin, hopefully this will not be the case. In the new issue of "Cure" there is a big article about the future success of Tykerb taken with Herceptin, it being the 1-2 knock out punch. It talks about how Herceptin attaches itself to the outside of the cell and Tykerb attacks the inside and also the HER1 receptor..both bases covered. I don't see how it can be refused to us if it is that successful with Herceptin. I will fight my insurance for it also. The article says that it may be filed for FDA approval within the next year....so when is that...soon ..I hope...sherryg683

[Lolly]

I read somewhere (maybe here?) that it's on the "fast track" and should be approved in 6 months or so!

<3 Lolly

[michele u]

My cousin is a Glaxo district manager in Arizona. He forwarded me the article about the Lapatinib trials being stopped due to success. I emailed him a plee from "us" survivors that want to get their hands on it! I hope it falls into the right hands and they will listen