HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Docetaxel, cisplatin, and trastuzumab show great result

StephN · 05-04-2006, 11:20 AM

"The five-year disease-free survival rate for patients with stage III locally advanced breast cancer is between 20 and 30 percent. But Dr. Hurley’s patients had an 85 percent survival rate at 43 months. “The fact of the matter is that seven relapsed but 41 did not,” said Hurley. “Considering these tumors were an average of 9 centimeters (3 ½ inches) and HER2 over-expressing, you would expect at four years that most of the patients would have relapsed.” The largest tumor in Dr. Hurley’s study was 35 centimeters – more than 13 inches."

The above is a quote from the article using Cisplatin in the treatment. I was considering a treatment regimen with this drug for adjuvent. It was recommended by one of the oncs I saw for 2nd or 3rd opinion. He knew I had agressive disease and thought this might be a good drug for me. We will never know if it might have worked better than Adria & Taxotere, which did NOT work on me.

What shocked me in the above was the size of the tumors. involved. I ask WHO could have 13 inch tumor and not be aware sooner? Must have been a very large person. Even with an average of 9 centimeters, this is much larger than almost anyone here has posted.

Most of us would have been dead by the time our tumors got that large, as the disease would be everywhere by then. The fact that these patients were
surviving for 4 years IS amazing.

05-04-2006, 11:20 AM	#3
StephN Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Misty woods of WA State Posts: 4,128	Tumor sizes! YIKES! "The five-year disease-free survival rate for patients with stage III locally advanced breast cancer is between 20 and 30 percent. But Dr. Hurley’s patients had an 85 percent survival rate at 43 months. “The fact of the matter is that seven relapsed but 41 did not,” said Hurley. “Considering these tumors were an average of 9 centimeters (3 ½ inches) and HER2 over-expressing, you would expect at four years that most of the patients would have relapsed.” The largest tumor in Dr. Hurley’s study was 35 centimeters – more than 13 inches." The above is a quote from the article using Cisplatin in the treatment. I was considering a treatment regimen with this drug for adjuvent. It was recommended by one of the oncs I saw for 2nd or 3rd opinion. He knew I had agressive disease and thought this might be a good drug for me. We will never know if it might have worked better than Adria & Taxotere, which did NOT work on me. What shocked me in the above was the size of the tumors. involved. I ask WHO could have 13 inch tumor and not be aware sooner? Must have been a very large person. Even with an average of 9 centimeters, this is much larger than almost anyone here has posted. Most of us would have been dead by the time our tumors got that large, as the disease would be everywhere by then. The fact that these patients were surviving for 4 years IS amazing.