Update on Hope

[hope]

Hello everyone,

Well here is my latest update:

Last scan in late Aug. showed ambiguity whether my lung mets were progressing or I had radiation pneumonitis due to the radiation I had on my right lung met in Feb. 2005. I have a consolidation white mass on my middle and lower right lung, making it imposible to determine tumor size, shrinkage, or progression while on Abraxane and Herceptin.

My onc decided to keep me on Abraxane and Herceptin for 6 more weeks until the next scans. Hopefully something will be more definite. Also onc. ordered a broncosopy and PET scan to help determine if in fact I do have radiation pneuminitis or tumor progression.

According to the broncoscopy biopsy report, I have cancer cells and cells that are undergoing reporation in the right lung, probably due to the radiation. The pulmonary specialist concluded that there is definetly cancer there but may be some changes in cells due to radiation dosen't know what % is cancer or radiated cells. PET scan showed uptake of dye in the middle right lung lobe tumor, which indicates active cancer but does not tell if progessing.

I went to see Dr. Mark Pegram at UCLA last week for a 2nd opinion on all this. He is a very nice doctor. Unfortunatelly I spent about 1 hr talking to his fellow doctor giving my whole history even though I took all reports and scans on CD's since diagnosis. I spent about 25 min. actually talking to Dr. Pegram.

Basically he said that there are 2 or 3 chemos that I could still take if I fail Abraxane but the best and most effective ones I already took and failed like all the Taxanes. I asked about reaprating chemos that I have failed and he said that at times he has had patients who do repeat chemos, but in my case he feels that repeating the Taxanes would do me no good. He feels that I have exhausted all the Taxanes but it is possible to repeat Xeloda again.

We talked about clinical trials at UCLA and I possibly could qualify for one phase II called BMS-599626 which is for people who express Her2Neu. I also asked about phase III trials that he is conducting and he said that right now at UCLA I don't qualify for any because of prior chemotherapies and the trials are for first line treatments meaning no prior chemo. Those trials are also blind studies in which I might be in a placebo group or get the standard treament not the investigational drug. He said that the Phase III Avastin trial there is showing great results in breast cancer. Is anyone on the Avastin trial? I would like to hear from you.

He also suggested that I stay on Abraxane for as long as I could before deciding whether or not to go on a clinical trial or take the other chemos. He feels that I do have some radiation pneumonitis but is also uncertain that my lung mets are progressing while on Abraxane.

So again nothing definite until the next scans in about 3-4 weeks. Then possibly it will be MAJOR decision time. I have posted a separate post asking for help about clinical trials, which right now look very scary to me. I hope some of you can help me on this. I'll continue to update you as I get more info. All of you continue to be in my prayers. Hope Trahan