Need Your Advice Again

[IRENE FROM TAMPA]

My friends, once more I am asking for your advice/experiences.

As some of you know, I have been dealing with my cancer for the last 10 1/2 years with many recurrences in between. My options are running very low and here is where I am at moment.

After having my liver surgery in July/2004 I was stable for 8 months when I had a recurrence to a lymph node behind the pancreas, by the liver. I started on Abraxane (without Herceptin which I had been on since 1999) again I was stable until March of this year when a second tumor popped up next to the other one in a lymph node. I started on Taxol/Carboplatin/Herceptin in April - June of this year when my markers started to elevate. I was rescanned again and both of the tumors have almost doubled in size. We stopped the treatment and at present am on Herceptin only waiting to see what to do next. It seems that the trio did absolutely nothing to even stall the growth.

Here are my options now -

I can start taking Avastin (which I understand is extremely expensive)
or
I have found a trial which is open in Gainsville, Fl which has a Phase III being conducted.
It will be Tykerb alone or Tykerb with Herceptin.
I also found a trial which will be starting up at the office of my first onc.-
Their's will be Tykerb with Xeloda. They are in the process of getting all of their paperwork together which could take about 3 weeks or so. Of course, this office would be more convenient for me.
The office in Gainsville is already up and running. I would just need to make appt. with the doctor to be sure I qualify and everything would probably take about 2 weeks.

I believe that I pass all of the criteria which is required (which is tough according to the co-ordinator) and I have been off of chemo for 3 weeks already, which is required (Herceptin is ok to be on)I am afraid to start back on chemo and jeporadize my chances of starting on the trial but am also nervous about waiting for nearly another month without any chemo.

I don't know what to do - Then I think, would the Avastin work better? I could start on that right away. It's really a toss of the coin to see.

My question - is anyone on Avastin or Tykerb and how is every thing going.
In what I am reading about Avastin makes it sound promising but then everyone is so anxious to get on Tykerb. Here I may have the opportunity to do so and I don't know which way to go. The waiting time has me a bit nervous also.

Any input from anyone would really be helpful. Although I know that none of us are experts in the medical field, sometimes discussing our experiences helps in making a very difficult decison a little easier.

If anyone is interested in the names and addresses for the offices that will be conducting these trials in my area, please let me know and I will pass on the info. Like I mentioned one is in Tampa, Fl and the other is in Gainsville, Fl. for those of you on this side (or not).

The criteria list is long, but you have had to have been on at least 2 regimens of chemo plus Herceptin and have failed and have progression while on it to qualify. Scary thought huh.

Thank you all for all of your help and support.