I am about thìo start the trial with Lapatinib on brain mets. What results do you have so far? Please let me know. I know it's a trial, but let me know. Thanlk you so much. Beatrice

I met a woman who's been on the Lapatinib trial since Nov. '04, and for whom it is working very well shrinking her brain mets. She even completed a half-marathon in May.

My sister participated in the trial for a couple of months this past winter, and unfortunately it did not work for her. She then had neurosurgery on her brain mets (NED in the rest of her body thanks to Herceptin), followed by stereotactic radiation, and is doing well now. Neither my sister or the woman we met had any noticeable side effects from Lapatinib.

Take heart and be hopeful -- Lapatinib seems to be working very well for a lot of women!

Beatrice,
I'm glad to hear that you are on the trial. As Marianne's post reflects, there is no guarantee that it will work...but I suppose we know that for all drugs. My sister, who is on the trial, started her drugs today so I will keep you posted regarding side effects and outcome. Please keep in touch as I, too, would love to hear how things are going with you. Are you at the Dana Farber Institute? The staff there is wonderful and the nurses have the most positive things to say about this drug's effects on brain mets. The doctors are cautiously optimistic as well. Good luck to you, Beatrice. I think you will do well.

Beatrice, where are you receiving this trial--state? facility? or ?

Marianne, thanks for sharing the story re your sister. Where is she being treated or where did she receive this clinical trial?

Thanks so much to all of you. I will keep you posted.
I come from Florence, Italy, and there is no such trial nor in ITaly nor in Europe. So I should start the trial through Dana Farbers, in Boston. By the way, thank you for the info on the BWH, the nurses and doctors, its helps a lot. I am still in the planning phase. Also, in Italy all sanitary treatments are covered by the states, so now I have to make out some financial plan (insurance...) for this trial. We'll see. And it is does not work, neurosurgery still remains a possibility.
We'll see. Thanks again to all of you and let's keep in touch.
Ciao, Beatrice

My sister is being treated in Boston, at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center -- her oncologist is collaborating with Eric Winer at Dana Farber Cancer Institute (literally 1 block away) on the Lapatinib trial, as is another oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, a mile or so away. (The Lapatinib is taken in pill form, which is a nice change from the IV.) While we in Boston are fortunate to have 3 sites participating in the trial, it doesn't seem fair that there is no place closer for you in Italy.

The U.S. National Institute of Health website that contains info about the trial is:

http://www.cancer.gov/search/ViewClinicalT...earchid=1706510

Other locations that are participating in the trial are the Lombardi Cancer Centeer at the Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC, and the Lineberger Cancer Center at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Perhaps some oncologists in Europe would be interested in doing trials as well. Good luck and God bless you-- I hope it all works out very positively for you!

Marianne