[Becky]

Dear Pam

Keep the faith. I just wanted to comment that Abraxane is the exact same active as Taxol but the taxol active has to be emulsified because it is extremely water insoluble. Taxol uses an emulsifier. Abraxane - what was done is that the active is bound to a type of sugar molecule. As we all know, sugar is water soluble so that bound sugar molecule drags the active along with it into water.

Abraxane, since it doesn't need the emulsifier (which is the component of Taxol that everyone is allergic too and is the reason we all need benadryl and decadron when we get Taxol infusions), it does not cause all those problems like Taxol because you don't need the steroid.

Secondly, there are studies on Abraxane in heavily pretreated women where weekly (three weeks on/one week off) infusions (versus every three weeks ) gave very good results.

I do not know much else about the other drugs but Ixempra works on the same cellular structures as taxanes (the telomeres) but has a different biochemical way of doing it.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure an anti Her2 drug is part of the combo.

I will be thinking about you.