HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Denied late Herceptin; maybe her2 vaccines an option

RobinP · 12-07-2005, 11:23 AM

Well, I am focusing on trying to get Herceptin late. As you know so far the oncologists I have seen have denied it due to no proven benefit late in the game. My local onologist does not want to give it unless a "breast oncologist" okays it. Who better to do that than Edith Perez who I plan to see 12/29/05. As you know my breast oncologist at Dana Farber and Roswell Park have refused recommending Herceptin late.

My plan would be to get Herceptin then get the Her2 vaccine that is being offered next year for patients that are Her2+ having been treated with Herceptin. This addditional treatment with the vaccine, at least in theory would help to prevent a later brain mets. You might think I am crazy for wanting to treat such a small her2+ disease so aggressively but I have a lot to live for. I have a 7, 12 and 14 year sons and I am young.

Juts to let you folks here know. I just conversed with Dr. Peoples, the principle investigator of the E75 vaccines and with his nurse at the Walter Reed Institiute. They wil be changing their clinical trails next year to include prior Herceptin use into all their new trails since everyone now with her2+ breast cancer will be treated with Herceptin. As you may or may not know, the current trails stipulate no prior use of Herceptin as part of their eligiblity requirements.

Of course, if my initial plan of getting Herceptin fails, I will try to get into the current E-75 vaccines rather than standing here doing nothing at all about Her2+ breast cancer that obviously responds to animonoclonal targeted therapy.

Once again, later brain mets following adjuvant treatment with Herceptin is still a concern as there was no change in the number of brain mets between the control and experimental group in the current adjuvant herceptin trials.With more successful and prolonged systemic anti-tumour effects achieved by novel drug combinations, the risk of developing CNS metastases might be even greater. Evaluation of prophylactic cranial irradiation strategies might be studied for high-risk patients according to Dr. M. Piccart, PI of the HERA trail.

12-07-2005, 11:23 AM	#3
RobinP Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 943	Well, I am focusing on trying to get Herceptin late. As you know so far the oncologists I have seen have denied it due to no proven benefit late in the game. My local onologist does not want to give it unless a "breast oncologist" okays it. Who better to do that than Edith Perez who I plan to see 12/29/05. As you know my breast oncologist at Dana Farber and Roswell Park have refused recommending Herceptin late. My plan would be to get Herceptin then get the Her2 vaccine that is being offered next year for patients that are Her2+ having been treated with Herceptin. This addditional treatment with the vaccine, at least in theory would help to prevent a later brain mets. You might think I am crazy for wanting to treat such a small her2+ disease so aggressively but I have a lot to live for. I have a 7, 12 and 14 year sons and I am young. Juts to let you folks here know. I just conversed with Dr. Peoples, the principle investigator of the E75 vaccines and with his nurse at the Walter Reed Institiute. They wil be changing their clinical trails next year to include prior Herceptin use into all their new trails since everyone now with her2+ breast cancer will be treated with Herceptin. As you may or may not know, the current trails stipulate no prior use of Herceptin as part of their eligiblity requirements. Of course, if my initial plan of getting Herceptin fails, I will try to get into the current E-75 vaccines rather than standing here doing nothing at all about Her2+ breast cancer that obviously responds to animonoclonal targeted therapy. Once again, later brain mets following adjuvant treatment with Herceptin is still a concern as there was no change in the number of brain mets between the control and experimental group in the current adjuvant herceptin trials.With more successful and prolonged systemic anti-tumour effects achieved by novel drug combinations, the risk of developing CNS metastases might be even greater. Evaluation of prophylactic cranial irradiation strategies might be studied for high-risk patients according to Dr. M. Piccart, PI of the HERA trail. __________________ Robin 2002- dx her2 positive DCIS/bc TX Mast, herceptin chemo Last edited by RobinP; 12-07-2005 at 12:30 PM..