lapatinib
 

so maybe we'll have a portable drug for HER2! and not be slaves to our injections! Let's hope this works.
http://www.drugdevelopment-technolog...cts/lapatinib/
has anyone read anything negative about it? When I saw my oncologist yesterday in France, he mentioned it as possibly being available even here in about a year to a year and a half!!! yippeee!!! freedom of movement!
sarah

I have read that taken with Herceptin, it could be just the thing to provide the 1/2 knock out punch for HER2. My Oncologist is getting it in his office soon but I think I will have to wait till it is approved for use with Herceptin because I don't want to stop the Herceptin. I think they are only giving it with Xeloda now on a compassionate base. My doc says he will get me on it as soon as he can...sherryg683

To Sherry
 

I don't know where you live but I have been speaking with a Doctor in Gainsville, Fl who has an ongoing trial already with Tykerb alone or Tykerb with Herceptin.
They are still recruiting women if you qualify and are interested. I can give you the info if you want. Let me know.

I have qualified for that one and could probably start but I was waiting on the Tykerb/Xeloda in my town of Tampa.

It's been a struggle tryint to decide which way to go. Since Herceptin does not seem to be working for me any more I thought maybe with the Xeloda / Tykerb might be better. I don't know.

lapatinib (Tykerb)
 

Hi, Everyone,

Many of you may already know that I have been on the clinical trial of Herceptin, Taxol and Tykerb since December 23, 2005 and Zometa once a month. I take Tykerb every day orally at home and I receive Herceptin and Taxol once a week with one week off of Taxol. I have extensive liver mets spread throughout both lobes and two spots on my spine. So far I have been having a great response to treatment. The two largest tumors in my liver had shrunk by 20% after just eight weeks of weekly treatments. Since then they have continued to shrink drastically and the smallest of tumors in the liver are no longer evident and my bone mets are stable.

I will be having a CT scan done on July 28, I will be sure to let you all know the results.

Most of the side effects that I experience are from the Taxol. I had to take a short break from the Taxol a few weeks ago because of having a lot of numbness in my feet. During that break I felt really good, no more diarrhea, the numbness in my feet improved and I wasn't as fatigued. I am back on the Taxol now but I really felt that the side effects of just the Herceptin and Tykerb were very mild while I was on that break. I truly look forward to being able to come off of the Taxol altogether one day. They say that I will probably always be on the Tykerb and possibly the Herceptin for a long time to come. I am perfectly happy with that because I really believe that these two drugs used in combination are wonderful.

I can't wait until this becomes available for everyone. I just responded to a post that Karen wrote, she has recently started on Herceptin and Tykerb and it sounds like she is having good results as well.

This is just so exciting to me as I was the first person in the world to go on this trial and I am finally finding other women who are starting it, it is wonderful to finally be able to talk to someone else on this combination. I can't wait to hear more from Karen.

Big Hugs Everyone,
Nicola

I thought that Tyberb/Lapatinib would replace Herceptin since it attacks the HER2 (like Herceptin) and HER1, am I wrong?

Tykerb Compassionate use
 

The Glaxo Smith Kline website has information for Tykerb/Lapatinib for compassionate use and there is a website for international doctors to use...

Krysti - Inflammatory Breast cancer Survivor
"You don't have to have a lump to have breast cancer"
COMMITTED TO FINDING THE CAUSE

Dear Sarah,

Yes, you are right! Lapatinib/Tykerb attaches to both the Her1 (epidermal growth factor) and the Her2 receptors on the INSIde of the cell. Herceptin attaches to the Her2 receptors on the outside of the cell....

Krysti

oh thanks for the info. so we won't be trading our injections for pills any day soon? too bad.

Dear Sarah,
Actually yes, it's a good thing...it is an oral chemo and it is available for compassionate use now. It's also a good thing because it attacks the Her1 which Herceptin doesn't, and goes inside the cell rather than just attach to the recptors on the outside - although there are trials right now to decide if Tykerb alone or Tykerb plus Herceptin is better. I was signing up for one at the med school near me when they thought I had a recurrance, but now they've decided it's just "spots" on my lungs and they haven't changed. YIPPEEE!

thanks Krysti,
We'll all be follwoing this closely.
Sarah