Drug resistence doesn't mean the drug doesn't work, it just means that the drug is not responding as well as planned or desired. That's certainily the context in which I intended in my abov post.In other words, Herceptin resistence implies that it has less of a response, note that doesn't mean it is not effective at all. Obviously, Herceptin becomes less effective for a reason, I don't know that the all and all answer is due to overload of her2 tumor burden. Perhaps, as Becky has mentioned the tumor cell can manipulate other pathways as a means of survival when one is becoming less responsive to Herceptin. I am not sure what article it was, but I did recently read that increased levels of her3 in bc cell lines decreased herceptin response after a time, or at least that was the implication. I don't know what the her2 serum levels were in these studies though.
Gina I always find you post very interesting with your do it yourself methods of treating her2 which I admire and respect.I also agree with one of your previous post that there should be a blood her2 monitor something like what diabetics use for monitoring insulin. You certainly have a courageous and novel approach to taking Herceptin.
I would like to point out one thing that is rather interesting with your response to Herceptin. I hope you don't mind, my mentioning it is in the hopes of us all gaining more knowledge. You are premenopausal, as I hote here and on other posts and are er- and pr-. Do you realize that prolonged Heceptin therapy can reverse the estrogen receptor? I think Lani posted that article. In that study, at 9 weeks and thereafter, certain her2+ individuals had become estrogen positive. I suppose you want to keep your negative hormonal status as you have stated before that you were happy to be enjoying your hormones still. Perhaps your short duration of Herceptin therapy has done just that for you. Anyway, best of luck. PS.I take vit A too to help bind up the estrogen receptor just in case Herceptin clicks on the estrogen receptor as I am er-,pr- too and not on any anit-estrogen.
Best to all,
RobinP
|