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heblaj01 · 12-19-2006, 10:42 AM

Jóhanna,
The latest good news on your progress in fighting back your cancer are indeed pleasant to read.
The most impressive part,in my view, is the regression of the brain mets with the regimen of Herceptin, Femara & Zometa.
In principle, Herceptin is not able to cross the blood brain barrier. So it is not likely to be the key to your successfull treatment.
I can't find definitive answers as to what Femara can do for the brain: one web site states that it is unknown if it reaches the brain. The Novartis web site (manufacturer of Femara) says that the drug is widely distributed in the body but does not mention specifically the brain. Even if it drastically reduces the circulating estrogens outside the brain, it is now known that large quantities of estrogens (estradiol alpha & beta) are secreted in the brain by nerves in the hippocampus.
I found only one definite mention of brain mets successfully treated with Femara:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...=pubmed_docsum
Letrozole for brain and scalp metastases from breast cancer--a case report.
Al tried to find answers to the same questions from Forum members but the answers are inconclusive :
http://www.her2support.org/vbulletin...ad.php?t=19324
Brain mets and hormonal therapy

So your success calls for an explanation since, if you are not a special case, your onc may have found a combination treatment applicable to others.
Could you ask him for his thoughts?
Did you weaken the blood brain barrier in some way(without the help of radiotherapy)?

12-19-2006, 10:42 AM	#3
heblaj01 Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 543	Jóhanna, The latest good news on your progress in fighting back your cancer are indeed pleasant to read. The most impressive part,in my view, is the regression of the brain mets with the regimen of Herceptin, Femara & Zometa. In principle, Herceptin is not able to cross the blood brain barrier. So it is not likely to be the key to your successfull treatment. I can't find definitive answers as to what Femara can do for the brain: one web site states that it is unknown if it reaches the brain. The Novartis web site (manufacturer of Femara) says that the drug is widely distributed in the body but does not mention specifically the brain. Even if it drastically reduces the circulating estrogens outside the brain, it is now known that large quantities of estrogens (estradiol alpha & beta) are secreted in the brain by nerves in the hippocampus. I found only one definite mention of brain mets successfully treated with Femara: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...=pubmed_docsum Letrozole for brain and scalp metastases from breast cancer--a case report. Al tried to find answers to the same questions from Forum members but the answers are inconclusive : http://www.her2support.org/vbulletin...ad.php?t=19324 Brain mets and hormonal therapy So your success calls for an explanation since, if you are not a special case, your onc may have found a combination treatment applicable to others. Could you ask him for his thoughts? Did you weaken the blood brain barrier in some way(without the help of radiotherapy)?