NY Times article on stage IVs with stats and singling out her2+ breast

[Lani]

cancer for progress in treatment

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/health/18cancer.html?_r=1

ADDED LATER: PLEASE NOTE THAT THE STATS ARE FOR ALL STAGE IV BREAST CANCER PATIENTS AND HER2+ BC PATIENTS ARE ONLY A SMALL SUBSET OF THESE WHOSE PROGNOSIS HAS BEEN IMPROVING AND WILL CONTINUE TO IMPROVE AS BETTER ANTI-HER2 TREATMENTS ARE USED!!!!

[Jean]

"Danny Welch, an expert on metastasis, says only a few hundred scientists in the world are trying to understand the process. "

We need hundreds of more scientists working on this and we need it today!!!!! Shame on society that it is alway seeking a return on their investment when making research decisons. What better return than a soicety that is able to beat metastasis?

jean

[michka]

It's a very good article to educate people about cancer.
Although I know the stats, it is difficult to read them. Michka

[R.B.]

This seems an appropriate thread in which post this. The stats do make difficult reading ^, which is why I had not posted it before.



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2779856/?report=abstract&tool=pmcentrez

Improving outcome of chemotherapy of metastatic breast cancer by docosahexaenoic acid: a phase II trial
P Bougnoux,1,2* N Hajjaji,1,2 M N Ferrasson,1,2 B Giraudeau,3 C Couet,1,4 and O Le Floch1,2
Accepted October 19, 2009.


Background:
Breast cancer becomes lethal when visceral metastases develop. At this stage, anti-cancer treatments aim at relieving symptoms and delaying death without resulting in additional toxicity. On the basis of their differential anti-oxidant defence level, tumour cells can be made more sensitive to chemotherapy than non-tumour cells when membrane lipids are enriched with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a peroxidisable and oxidative-stress-inducing lipid of marine origin.

Methods:
This open-label single-arm phase II study evaluated the safety and efficacy (response rate), as primary end points, of the addition of 1.8 g DHA daily to an anthracycline-based chemotherapy (FEC) regimen in breast cancer patients (n=25) with rapidly progressing visceral metastases. The secondary end points were time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS).

Results:
The objective response rate was 44%. With a mean follow-up time of 31 months (range 2–96 months), the median TTP was 6 months. Median OS was 22 months and reached 34 months in the sub-population of patients (n=12) with the highest plasma DHA incorporation. The most common grade 3 or 4 toxicity was neutropaenia (80%).

Conclusion:
DHA during chemotherapy was devoid of adverse side effects and can improve the outcome of chemotherapy when highly incorporated. DHA has a potential to specifically chemosensitise tumours.

[KDR]

Yes, Michka,
Let's hope these articles became the past very soon. I can't imagine that my life expectancy is just 26 months. I read something similar last night in Susan Love's book and spent the rest of the night crying. 1-3 years, but then she goes on to say we should never look at statistics, everyone is different. We never get used to it. So, Stage IV ladies, could you please present yourselves again because this week has really got me down about this whole trip. Tell me again, please, something that can shift me back into fighting mode.
Anyway, thanks for posting, Lani.
Karen

[DeenaH]

I was just moved from stage IIIC to IV last week, and I have purposely not looked at stats because I knew they were bad. Reading this article threw me for a loop because I didn't know they were THAT bad. I cried last night after I read it because I can't even imagine that I could die that soon. I feel so good physically. But, with mets all over my lungs, and in inoperable nodes, I know my chances of living to be old are not good unless they find a cure. I would also love to hear some success stories of our Stage IV sisters who are either living with cancer successfully or who have achieved NED after a Stage IV diagnosis. The future is scary all of a sudden.

[Sheila]

Like many other stage IV's here, I also do not rely on stats....if so, I wouldn't be posting right now...instead, I am sneaking up on my 9 year mark....8 as a stage IV, still enjoying every day and every minute...even with the annoyance of continual treatment....always looking ahead!

[Jean]

Deena and Karen,
Not all size 8 shoes fit a size 8 foot!

Okay - the stats are not the best news - but we have many of our sister who have been stage IV and doing
so for many years. Andi is well over 12 yrs. maybe even 14 yrs. now I think.

Research needs to be multiplied by many more dr. doing research thats for certain, but there are many
ladies who are stage IV and living full lives.

My prayers and support are with you.
Jean

[Lori R]

OK....thought it was time to chime in and remind everyone that I am stage IV and plan to stick around for quite a while.

I am 40 months since diagnosis as stage IV. These have not been bed ridden, miserable months. I've been to London, multiple family reunions at various places in the U.S, just celebrated by 25th wedding anniversay with a wonderful meal and a glass of champagne. (OK...maybe 2 ...possibly even 3) Fantastic, glorious months.
So....please ignore those statistics...we have so many success stories here. I plan to be one of them...am so far....Lori

[Lani]

I am sorry that I mentioned stats in my title. THEY ARE NOT STATS for metastatic her2+ bc, rather for metastatic breast cancer in general

They are talking about ALL Stage IV breast cancer patients.

It used to be that her2s among bc patients had their tumors recur earlier and died in a shorter period of time after first metastasis, according to Dr. Slamon

Now her2+ bc patients are living long enough to get brain mets, and even among bc patients with brain mets her2+ patients live the longest

Please do not focus on stats for "the whole fruit salad" when each and every one of you is a super special type of passionfruit!!!

Her2+ bc is tranforming from a type of bc which is more agreessive to one which has a better prognosis than many other types as long as it gets treatment geared to the her2 amplification.

We are learning more and more as to how the tumors get around the her2 blockage (her3, Egfr, IGFR1, Muc4, truncated her2, etc)

and another article I posted from U of Michigan shows we are discovering how the "metastatic niche" awakens the slumbering cancer stem cells and encourages metastasis

We have lots of brain power, computer power and drive to discover how metastases happen and how to prevent them. It wouldn't hurt to go out and try to meet researchers when you can to motivate them to understand why you are in such a hurry for them to make progress. Putting a face on it helps.

[Trish]

Karen, I was diagnosed with multiple liver mets, the largest 9cm, in Dec 2006 .I have survived with mets for 50 months to date-nearly twice that 26 number. My current cocktail of drugs seems to be pushing back the tide somewhat.There are more options available now than when I was diagnosed so I am hopeful for me but even more so for those of you more recently diagnosed.
Don't let the median be the message!
Trish

[Unregistered]

"We are learning more and more as to how the tumors get around the her2 blockage (her3, Egfr, IGFR1, Muc4, truncated her2, etc)

and another article I posted from U of Michigan shows we are discovering how the "metastatic niche" awakens the slumbering cancer stem cells and encourages metastasis"

How soon can it be learned enough to help the patients?

[Colleen007]

I read this article yesterday and it gave me a jolt because I have tried to not pay any attention to the statistics (I passed my 5 year mark as a Stage IV back in October and according to the stats, I shouldn't be here now...happy to say that I am living proof that the stats don't apply to all and I CAN be that 1 in 4 who makes it past 5 years :-).

What I liked most about the article was that it gave a good picture of what Stage IV folks have to live with...it is not just a blip in the course of our lives...rather we live scan to scan and may not get the happy ending that others in our lives will get. In a strange way, however, I feel that I will have a happy ending because I took the time to re-evaluate my life's purpose and have had more blessings that I can count since I was diagnosed (not sure that any of that would have occurred if I was healthy).

Here's to 5 more!

[Joan M]

I read the article yesterday and felt the primary points were that more advocacy and research are needed to prolong the lives of women with stage 4 breast cancer, as we are often overshadowed by research for early stage breast cancer (which I had initially). That's why Metastatic Breast Cancer Day on October 13 each year, now a federally recognized day, was an important move forward for us women with metastatic disease. I've been stage 4 since January 2007. We need to keep promoting research for all breast cancer patients.

Joan

[Kathy T]

I have been stage 4 for 8 years with good QOL and am maintaining with T-DM1. I hope to have many more.
Kathy T