Sabcs 2012
 

They are all singing the praises of Pertuzumab and TDM-1 and predicting the latter will be approved during the next 2-3 months.

Dr Slamon declared her2 + breast cancer has gone from being one of the worst to one of the best types to have.

Lots of options of chemos to add to herceptin including Navelbine and Halaven(erbulin), mtor inhibitors too.

30% of talks on her2+ breast cancer.

Too much info to digest yet. Amount of info is dizzying-- have to rest before posting.

Great results for perjeta and TDM1.

Fabulous lecture by Dr. Yosef Yarden who worked with Dr Ulrich developing herceptin and has theorized a two hit theory of the development of her2+ breast cancer --first hit is her2, second is p53 directly or indirectly.

Explans why so many her2+ tumors
have adjacent DCIS, why there is more her2+ DICS than IDC.

Spoke with someone who has started a tissue and blood bank that I think it would be good to donate to for those whose tumors are at community hospitals (and will be disposed of anyway after 5 years ) .

Things are hopping-- more options becoming available.

Re: Sabcs 2012
 

Great news!!!

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Lani,

I hope you know how much we all appreciate what you do. The information that you post is extremely helpful. I just wanted to say thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Sincerely,
Catherine

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Thank you so much Lani!!! Not sure I understood your comment on DCIS... I had quite a large area of it together with the IDC. What did the researchers say about that?

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Thanks Lani
I guess your there incognito!
Like Bejuce I also had large areas of DCIS. Any explanation would be appreciated when you have time.
Ellie

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Thanks Lani.

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Lani - I know it's been said before - you are a treasure!

Thanks for all you do

Janis

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Thank you so much Lani. Valuable info!

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packing up and leaving sabcs--quick answer

fabulous lecture by Dr. Yosef Yarden explained that her2 amplification is found more often in DCIS than IDC, but frequently there is adjacent her2+ DCIS with her2+ IDC as there is a "two hit" development process for her2+ breast cancer, where in her2 amplification has the effect of causing cells to accumulate within the duct (there is no canalization to make an empty duct as there is in normal development) and then a second hit affects p53 which indirectly affects the normal cell cycle check which prevents uncontrolled cell division (the "brake")

The lecture should be available online in January and I recommend everyone to listen to it.

More later

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Lani,

Just finishing reading through the abstracts, yep 600 pages baby!

What is the best information on the effectiveness of TDM1? and for Perjeta?

I had adjacent DCIS as well. Interesting.

Just gave consent for my tumor samples to be further studied in the ENERGY trial. Hitting 5 years and hope they haven't been tossed out.

What are some of the new ideas being considered for treatment that you found most interesting?

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Thank you so much Lani for sharing this information, and for all our 'gang' at SABCS. I really look forward to reading your updates.
Cheers Marie

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Thank you for reporting back - very interesting! I had a very large area of DCIS and my initial assays on the tumor and lymph tissue pointed to P53 mutation in addition to the Her2 positivity. The P53 mutation was observed to a greater degree I the lymph tissue. Did he have any treatment suggestions based on this theory of a double hit?
I will have to download those abstracts!

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I have started uploading all the posters. I'll also be uploading the slides. It'll take a couple of days because I'm as exhausted as I am happy. Wonderful time had by all.

First 30 posters here:

https://docs.google.com/folder/d/0B6...FpLTVBbWM/edit

Edited to add: I'll be moving the abstract book pdf over to Google Drive also, because it just provides better viewing than Dropbox.

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I also sat in on Dr. yarden's lecture, which I gave rapt attention trying to soak it in.

Funny enough, I ALSO had DCIS (small) found in the margin when my slides were re-examined at a second institution.

Maybe this ought to be a POLL.

Perhaps they have not previously paid much attention, because the treating docs figured any small bits left behind (not seen) would be taken care of by the nasty chemos.

Ready to put my head on my own pillow now!

P.S. There was no p53 analysis done on my tissue (that is in the report) in 2000 when I was diagnosed. I think that marker had been discovered, but still in research then - LANI, is that correct?

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I too had extensive DCIS and a small focus of IDC. My path report said: positive for P53 mutation. So I guess I fit the bill. Very interested in the presentation. Thank you for letting us know.

Jacqueline

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Had DCIS also. p53 was negative. Look forward to hearing more.

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Thank you for posting this information for everyone.

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Thanks Lani but I wish I understood what you are all taking about as the info sounds as though things are looking good. Forgive me but I am not as well read as many of you on here and don't fully understand the info when it's posted.

What is DICS, IDC and p53 mutation?
Thank you
Yvonne

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I have often thought that it would be helpful to have a terminology/acronym list so as to avoid this type of confusion. I'll add it to my list of things to do. Or maybe we could just start a thread for it and add to it as we have time.

In the meantime, DCIS is "ductal carcinoma in situ." It is also known as "Stage 0" because the cancer cells have not yet broken out of the duct. IDC is "invasive ductal carcinoma," which is the most common type of breast cancer. P53 is "tumor protein 53," a tumor suppressor protein encoded by the TP53 gene.

It's helpful to remember that gene names do not have to make sense or be consistent (although there is currently some movement in that area). This is why HER2 is also called neu--same gene, twice-named.

Never let it be said that scientists do not have a sense of humor--"sonic hedgehog" is not the worst of the examples, but it gives you an idea that some of these guys have a juvenile streak:

http://tinman.nikunnakki.info/browser

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Very encouraging news. Thanks for posting.

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Great sessions! I did not have Time Off this time, but I should next year. I might even end up working in Texas from my looking around.

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Thank you Rhondalea for the link and info, it does help to make sense of it all.

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Lani, the time you take; digesting and passing along the vital bits, has helped so many of us. You just keep paying forward and forward. I can only imagine the spiraling positive effects of all your efforts. I too had adjacent DCIS. Your abstracts are like one big bucket full of hope. Thank you so much.
Love Kim from CT

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Lani, You are always a constant source of good news " New Hope!" You are so appreciated dearly.

Peace,

Nancy

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Program Overview
2012 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium*
December 4-8, 2012 | San Antonio, Texas
This independent educational program contains comprehensive, yet concise summaries and expert analysis of the key studies presented at the 2012 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

http://www.clinicaloptions.com/Oncol...ec%202012.aspx

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RhondaLea,

Thanks for filling my morning with levity. I love the clever gene names!

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Lani,

It looks like you aren't reachable with a PM--I tried. I hope I am not being too bold to ask: I wondered if you possibly would be willing to help me decipher the take away info in layman's terms on the Mini Symposium 2: Breast Density: Mechanisms and Clinical Implications. Are you a scientist? Did you listen in on that session and were you in the mentoring session that evening? I asked my questions to the medical panel during that evening mentorring session . I felt that they gave a good overview of Dr Tisty's lecture and limits in the clinical implications but honestly I could use some help making headway in understanding and explaining the charts, graphs, etc on the basic genetics, epidemilogy, and biology. I am finding it very complex and am supposed to write a 3-5 page paper about those three sessions for the Alamo Breast Cancer Foundation. Right now I am plowing through my 1 1/2 hours of fast and furious messy notetaking with the slides that are on line and looking up some past medical write ups on the implications of breast density, cancer, and survival. So far I'm not seeing any news articles about the research in that particular session to glean from but read the one that was published in November (that you posted here) about the legislation and legal mandates in some states requiring radiologists to notify women of their breast density and possible increased cancer risk. I printed out another 5-6 on-line articles on breast density to go through that I hope will be helpful in understanding the genetics and science from the symposium that I'm supposed to write about relating to breast density. Anyway, honestly alot of this stuff is above my head but I want to do a good job. I'm going to be in contact with a doc from the medical panel that have made themselves available to mentor us some in these write ups after I do some more work on my own but wondered if you could give me a hand on this as well before I contact them or point me to articles maybe I am not seeing that were written up after the 2012 symposium putting it into more understandable terms?

Of course no problem or pressure if it doesn't work out for you to help me--I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask and I would certainly appreciate it very much if you are able to give me a hand with understanding this better.
Thanks,

Paula

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http://www.curetoday.com/index.cfm/f...-breast-cancer (Brief video recap of presentations on Herceptin at 2012 SABCS)

One year of Herceptin optimal for HER2-positive breast cancer

BY DEBU TRIPATHY | DECEMBER 11, 2012
On one of the final days of SABCS there was some interesting updates to Herceptin.
Seven years ago, the original data on Herceptin in early-stage breast cancer was presented. This year, there was an interesting update to the U.S. trial that was presented. That confirmed that Herceptin is saving lives. We now have fewer deaths and fewer recurrences because of this drug. With longer follow-up, the certainty we have with the data is even greater.
Two studies looked at the duration of Herceptin. One study looked at giving Herceptin for two years and another study looked at giving it for less time, for six months. That trial found that results were worse, especially for patients given Herceptin after chemotherapy, which we usually don't do in the U.S. Here in the states, the drugs usually overlap. In that setting, when Herceptin is given for six months, the results were borderline statistically inferior, meaning one year still appears to be a little better than six months. But that's still important because 10 to 15 percent may have to discontinue Herceptin early because of side effects. These results make that decision a little easier knowing that six months of Herceptin still provides some benefit.

Re: Sabcs 2012