[Tom]

Dear RB,

I have posted on here regarding this matter before, but not specifically for the purpose of your discussion topic. As you might remember, my Mom was diagnosed with HER2+3 ER-/PR- B/C some time ago. At the time of her original excisional biopsy, the surgeon failed to properly stage her via SNB, removing the one enlarged axillary node only, and not necassarily the sentinel node. The margins were said to be clear at the time of surgery, but only by the minimum commonly used by her surgeon.

Eight months later, her axillary nodes on the same side became enlarged. I insisted the enlarged nodes be biopsied, and they were determined to be positive for malignancy. Subsequently, she underwent an extensive axillary dissection, and 12 of the 20 nodes removed were positive for HER2+3, ER-/PR- malignancy. Both her radiation oncologist and oncologist agreed the the cancer was present in the axillary nodes from the beginning. She underwent another round of radiation to the axilla and supraclavicular nodes, an area which was NOT irradiated in the original field used at the time of her first surgery.

When this nightmare scenario was presented to her oncologist, he agreed to begin single agent Herceptin therapy, even though Herceptin was only then completing it's trials for early stage B/C after and concommitantly with standard chemotherapy regimens, as Mom's age (80 at that time) discouraged the use of any standard chemotherapy courses. She has received weekly Herceptin since, and her cancer has apparently been contained, thank God. Mom's HER2 SERUM ELISA assay, and other diagnostic tests indicate no progression at this point in time. I might also note that my paranoid insistance that she begin the Herceptin at the same time she was receiving her second round of radiation treatment, serendipitously paid off. Subsequent research has since confirmed my suspicions and hope, that giving the two at the same time, would produce a genuine synergistic effect. Apparently, the Herceptin does in fact sensitize the cancer to the radiation therapy, and provides additonal efficacy for cell death.

Of course, I have been giving Mom many supplements, including CoQ-10, Omega 3, flaxseed, flax oil, GLA, oleic acid, curcumin, vitamins C, D3, Gamma-E, folic acid, beta carotene, tons of green tea and green tea extract, and a long list of other supplements discussed here on this site and elsewhere in research abstracts. My approach has alway been one of making the environment as "uncomfortable as possible" for the cancer, while doing everything possible to aid the Herceptin in it's clever mission. The oncologist agrees that we are on the "very edges" of effective treatment, as he describes it, as she has had NO other chemotherapy agents. There is very little research on the efficacy of single agent Herceptin, as I suspect that not many would step outside the accepted protocols of treatment for the disease. I obviously have no proof of my theory, but if Mom continues to do well, I suspect that there might even be some benefit to her being chemo-naive with respect to the many powerful cytotoxic agents commonly used. Research indicates the the toxic nature itself of some of today's modern chemo agents, can produce such a strong inflammatory response, as to actually aid to some degree, the metastatic process. I am of the belief that most cancers arise, at least partially, as a response to chronic, or acute inflammation of otherwise normal tissues. AGAIN, this is ONLY my personal theory, and may be disproved over time with further research.

I am personally glad that Mom is receiving only Herceptin and a carefully crafted group of vitamins and supplements, designed to improve the efficacy of the Herceptin, as well as keep it working for her beyond the point at which her disease would normally begin to develop Herceptin resistance. I understand only too well, that we are really hanging out on a limb with this approach, but we shall see. I don't know if I will agree to submit her to more powerful chemotherapeutic agents should the cancer progress. I pray to God that the Herceptin alone will continue to work it's magic, so that I don't have to make such difficult decisions in the future.

I continue to read with great interest, all of your posts regarding Omega 3 to 6 ratios, and believe that EFA balance plays a huge part in disease management. I thank you for all of your research in that area. I will keep the site informed as to Mom's treatment success as time goes on, so that it might provide one little piece of a huge puzzle regarding treatment courses that might prove effective.

Sincerely,
Tom