[StephN]

"continuation of trastuzumab after diagnosis of brain metastases in such patients is associated with extended survival. Authors have speculated that this is due to improved systemic control of disease; however, a possibility is that trastuzumab may have a beneficial effect on cerebral metastases themselves"

Thanks, Lani. This has been on my mind.
Last Friday when I had my consult with my rad onc after my followup brain MRI, we were talking along the same vein.
I have another area that was Gamma Knifed 18 months ago that is showing some increased enhancement. He wants to follow this one rather than do any intervention now, since we proved radiation necrosis in the larger tumor with the surgery in Jan.

He said normally they are quicker to want to investigate the area of concern as some 42% of these spots (in general population) turn out to be tumor regrowth and another large percentage test out as a mix of tumor and necrosis. It is a minority that turn out to be necrosis alone.
We talked about the number of what "looked like brain tumor regrowth" in HER2 positive women from this board and he says that they have no studies on whether the Herceptin DOES penetrate the BBB or some breakdown in the circulating blood could have a positive effect.
I also asked about those of us who have also had an open surgery and are still on Herceptin and he does not know how this would matter either.
Sure would be nice if some researcher would take up this subject.

He also said that TAXOL is a radiosensitizer and that would probably hold true for Abraxane as well. I wonder what else we take that is radiosensitizing??