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JohnL · 01-26-2006, 07:39 AM

Probably refers to the outcome of a specific study - possibly not a very recent one. Not so many years ago studies on Herceptin recruited patients with late stage disease. Whilst Herceptin often slowed the progress significantly and extended survival time, it only delayed the final outcome.

Later studies recruited people at progressively earlier and earlier stages when the effect was magnified to the point where its ability to stop recurrence effectively gave a measurable survival benefit - at least over the timescales of the study. Many recent studies like HERA which are reporting data after only a year or two of treatment qualify their results by pointing out that the percentage survival/recurrence benefit after 5 or 10 years may not be the same as is being measured over 2.

Most Onc's with extended experiece of using herceptin don't seem to be expecting this - though the occassional pessimist leaps up in the medical press to remind everyone that only time will tell.

01-26-2006, 07:39 AM	#2
JohnL Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: London, England Posts: 24	Probably refers to the outcome of a specific study - possibly not a very recent one. Not so many years ago studies on Herceptin recruited patients with late stage disease. Whilst Herceptin often slowed the progress significantly and extended survival time, it only delayed the final outcome. Later studies recruited people at progressively earlier and earlier stages when the effect was magnified to the point where its ability to stop recurrence effectively gave a measurable survival benefit - at least over the timescales of the study. Many recent studies like HERA which are reporting data after only a year or two of treatment qualify their results by pointing out that the percentage survival/recurrence benefit after 5 or 10 years may not be the same as is being measured over 2. Most Onc's with extended experiece of using herceptin don't seem to be expecting this - though the occassional pessimist leaps up in the medical press to remind everyone that only time will tell.