HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - What can we do about the delay of TDM-1

hutchibk · 09-05-2010, 10:40 AM

The hopefully 'fatal flaw' in their written decision was the sentence "regardless of HER2 status" ~ you can't approach efficacy of potential new treatments for HER2 cancer from a "regardless of HER2 status" standpoint... IT IS ALL ABOUT THE HER2 STATUS. That is why they are developing these targeted treatments, because if the other available treatments that "have not been exhausted by the study patient population, regardless of HER2 status" worked for us, then there would be no need for intense research and focus on treating this subgroup. It's sounding like a "one size fits all" mindset that is so scary in the bigger picture.

Chrisy knows the woman at Genentech that Joe was very close to... perhaps she can connect us with lobbying folks who know the inner workings of this insane bureaucracy and we can offer our powerful, survivor/patient voice to a coordinated push for the FDA to reconsider their flawed thinking.

As well, if anyone has meaningful connections to Komen, they are the most powerful lobbying group for breast cancer and they are currently applying a full court press in coordination with Genentech to the FDA about Avastin... I am guessing if we hit them with our outrage about this, they would be very interested in helping, if they aren't already in the early stages of it.

Anyone here close to Komen? Or does anyone have an in to Nancy Brinker?

09-05-2010, 10:40 AM	#11
hutchibk Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 3,519	Re: What can we do about the delay of TDM-1 The hopefully 'fatal flaw' in their written decision was the sentence "regardless of HER2 status" ~ you can't approach efficacy of potential new treatments for HER2 cancer from a "regardless of HER2 status" standpoint... IT IS ALL ABOUT THE HER2 STATUS. That is why they are developing these targeted treatments, because if the other available treatments that "have not been exhausted by the study patient population, regardless of HER2 status" worked for us, then there would be no need for intense research and focus on treating this subgroup. It's sounding like a "one size fits all" mindset that is so scary in the bigger picture. Chrisy knows the woman at Genentech that Joe was very close to... perhaps she can connect us with lobbying folks who know the inner workings of this insane bureaucracy and we can offer our powerful, survivor/patient voice to a coordinated push for the FDA to reconsider their flawed thinking. As well, if anyone has meaningful connections to Komen, they are the most powerful lobbying group for breast cancer and they are currently applying a full court press in coordination with Genentech to the FDA about Avastin... I am guessing if we hit them with our outrage about this, they would be very interested in helping, if they aren't already in the early stages of it. Anyone here close to Komen? Or does anyone have an in to Nancy Brinker? __________________ Brenda NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...) Nov'03~ dX stage 2B Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo. Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic! Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2 Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone) Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors. Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen. Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen. June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen. Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice. Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots. Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011. Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah. "I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead." Last edited by hutchibk; 09-05-2010 at 10:46 AM..