Herceptin Use and Prognosis for Stage IV

[Cindee]

Lani,

No my tumor is neither ER and/or PR positive. I am interested in the article about work by Javier Menendez and Ruth Lupu of Northwestern stating that one could get almost as much down-regulation of her2 signalling utilizing olive oil/flaxseed oil and the like as with herceptin. Is this story on this website as I am new to this site, but feel like this is the answer that I have been searching for. I need to talk to others like me with the same affliction. Cancer is not cancer is not cancer. I have learned this the hard way. I am ashamed of this but I am so envious of that stage I or II estrogen based breast cancer patient.

Thanks Cindee

[Lani]

Menendez JA, Lilien DL, Nanda A, Polin RS. Related Articles, Links
Use of fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography for the differentiation of cerebral lesions in patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
Neurosurg Focus. 2000 Feb 15;8(2):e2.
PMID: 16869549 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
3: Menendez JA, Mehmi I, Lupu R. Related Articles, Links
Trastuzumab in combination with heregulin-activated Her-2 (erbB-2) triggers a receptor-enhanced chemosensitivity effect in the absence of Her-2 overexpression.
J Clin Oncol. 2006 Aug 10;24(23):3735-46. Epub 2006 Jul 17.
PMID: 16847284 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
4: Lupu R, Menendez JA. Related Articles, Links
Targeting fatty acid synthase in breast and endometrial cancer: An alternative to selective estrogen receptor modulators?
Endocrinology. 2006 Sep;147(9):4056-66. Epub 2006 Jun 29.
PMID: 16809439 [PubMed - in process]
5: Menendez JA, Lupu R. Related Articles, Links
Oncogenic properties of the endogenous fatty acid metabolism: molecular pathology of fatty acid synthase in cancer cells.
Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2006 Jul;9(4):346-57.
PMID: 16778562 [PubMed - in process]
6: Vellon L, Menendez JA, Lupu R. Related Articles, Links
A bidirectional "alpha(v)beta(3) integrin-ERK1/ERK2 MAPK" connection regulates the proliferation of breast cancer cells.
Mol Carcinog. 2006 May 16; [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 16705745 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
7: Colomer R, Menendez JA. Related Articles, Links
Mediterranean diet, olive oil and cancer.
Clin Transl Oncol. 2006 Jan;8(1):15-21. Review.
PMID: 16632435 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
8: Dominguez A, Menendez JA, Inguanzo M, Pis JJ. Related Articles, Links
Production of bio-fuels by high temperature pyrolysis of sewage sludge using conventional and microwave heating.
Bioresour Technol. 2006 Jul;97(10):1185-93. Epub 2006 Feb 10.
PMID: 16473008 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
9: Menendez JA, Vellon L, Lupu R. Related Articles, Links
The antiobesity drug Orlistat induces cytotoxic effects, suppresses Her-2/neu (erbB-2) oncogene overexpression, and synergistically interacts with trastuzumab (Herceptin) in chemoresistant ovarian cancer cells.
Int J Gynecol Cancer. 2006 Jan-Feb;16(1):219-21. No abstract available.
PMID: 16445636 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
10: Menendez JA, Papadimitropoulou A, Vellon L, Lupu R. Related Articles, Links
A genomic explanation connecting "Mediterranean diet", olive oil and cancer: Oleic acid, the main monounsaturated Fatty acid of olive oil, induces formation of inhibitory "PEA3 transcription factor-PEA3 DNA binding site" complexes at the Her-2/neu (erbB-2) oncogene promoter in breast, ovarian and stomach cancer cells.
Eur J Cancer. 2006 Jan 6; [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 16406575 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
11: Mangano FT, Menendez JA, Habrock T, Narayan P, Leonard JR, Park TS, Smyth MD. Related Articles, Links
Early programmable valve malfunctions in pediatric hydrocephalus.
J Neurosurg. 2005 Dec;103(6 Suppl):501-7.
PMID: 16383248 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
12: Menendez JA, Vellon L, Colomer R, Lupu R. Related Articles, Links
Effect of gamma-linolenic acid on the transcriptional activity of the Her-2/neu (erbB-2) oncogene.
J Natl Cancer Inst. 2005 Nov 2;97(21):1611-5.
PMID: 16264182 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
13: Menendez JA, Lupu R, Colomer R. Related Articles, Links
Targeting fatty acid synthase: potential for therapeutic intervention in her-2/neu-overexpressing breast cancer.
Drug News Perspect. 2005 Jul-Aug;18(6):375-85. Review.
PMID: 16247515 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
14: Aiyagari V, Menendez JA, Diringer MN. Related Articles, Links
Treatment of severe coagulopathy after gunshot injury to the head using recombinant activated factor VII.
J Crit Care. 2005 Jun;20(2):176-9.
PMID: 16139160 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
15: Menendez JA, Lupu R, Colomer R. Related Articles, Links
Exogenous supplementation with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3) synergistically enhances taxane cytotoxicity and downregulates Her-2/neu (c-erbB-2) oncogene expression in human breast cancer cells.
Eur J Cancer Prev. 2005 Jun;14(3):263-70.
PMID: 15901996 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
16: Menendez JA, Oza BP, Colomer R, Lupu R. Related Articles, Links
The estrogenic activity of synthetic progestins used in oral contraceptives enhances fatty acid synthase-dependent breast cancer cell proliferation and survival.
Int J Oncol. 2005 Jun;26(6):1507-15.
PMID: 15870863 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
17: Menendez JA, Vellon L, Lupu R. Related Articles, Links
Antitumoral actions of the anti-obesity drug orlistat (XenicalTM) in breast cancer cells: blockade of cell cycle progression, promotion of apoptotic cell death and PEA3-mediated transcriptional repression of Her2/neu (erbB-2) oncogene.
Ann Oncol. 2005 Aug;16(8):1253-67. Epub 2005 May 3.
PMID: 15870086 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
18: Vellon L, Menendez JA, Lupu R. Related Articles, Links
AlphaVbeta3 integrin regulates heregulin (HRG)-induced cell proliferation and survival in breast cancer.
Oncogene. 2005 May 26;24(23):3759-73.
PMID: 15782133 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
19: Menendez JA, Vellon L, Lupu R. Related Articles, Links
Targeting fatty acid synthase-driven lipid rafts: a novel strategy to overcome trastuzumab resistance in breast cancer cells.
Med Hypotheses. 2005;64(5):997-1001.
PMID: 15780499 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
20: Menendez JA, Vellon L, Lupu R. Related Articles, Links
Orlistat: from antiobesity drug to anticancer agent in Her-2/neu (erbB-2)-overexpressing gastrointestinal tumors?
Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2005 Mar;230(3):151-4. No abstract available.
PMID: 15734718 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

I thinks quite a few of these are open access, otherwise see if a librarian can help you access some.

I will try to find the news release I referred to earlier and post references to some of his pre2005 articles. Unfortunately the synergistic effect of herceptin and orlistat (weightloss drug) doesn't seem to work in humans as we DO NOT absorb the drug (that's how it works in weightloss--it drags dietary fat with it when it gets excreted as it is not absorbed)

[Lani]

News - Plant oil 'acts like cancer drug'
Inexpensive therapy hopeThe latest work by Dr Javier Menendez and colleagues at Northwestern University suggests evening primrose oil might be a cheaper alternative, or add extra protection.
2 Nov 2005

News - Olive oil acid 'cuts cancer risk'
Caution urgedDr Menendez said it might be possible to delay or prevent herceptin resistance in breast cancer patients carrying high levels of the rogue gene by including olive oil in their diet.
10 Jan 2005

Do the same and read the first article!

[Lani]

Oil May Fight a Cancer-Causing Gene

Miranda Hitti



Nov. 1, 2005 -- Could oil from tiny seeds help bring a big, bad cancer gene to its knees?

Maybe, but it's going to take a lot more work to find out, according to a new study in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Keep that in mind before you delve into the details of the study, which involved cancer cells, not people or animals.

The scientists included Javier Menendez, PhD, and Ruth Lupu, PhD.

Menendez is a research assistant professor of medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Lupu is a professor of medicine at Northwestern University and a researcher at Northwestern's Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center.

In One Corner: A Cancer Gene

The study focuses on the Her-2/neu cancer gene. It's involved in some (but not all) cancers, including more than a fifth of breast cancers.

The gene has been linked to particularly aggressive breast tumors, and cancer patients with this gene often have a poor prognosis, Lupu says in a news release.

The gene orders the overproduction of a protein called the Her-2/neu protein. Some cancer cells grow when exposed to Her-2/neu protein.

In the Other Corner: A Seed Oil

The researchers tested gamma-linolenic acid against cancer cells with the Her-2/neu gene.

Gamma-linolenic acid, or "GLA," is found in oil from the seeds of evening primrose, borage, and black currant. Some studies have suggested that GLA might target cancer cells without affecting healthy cells, write the scientists.

Round One: GLA vs. the Gene

The researchers studied human breast cancer cells with the Her-2/neu gene. They exposed some of those cells to GLA for 48 hours. For comparison, they left other cancer cells alone.

Afterward, they checked the surfaces of the cells for the Her-2/neu protein.

The GLA-exposed cancer cells showed "substantially" less of that protein than the cancer cells that hadn't been exposed to GLA, the researchers write.

Round Two: The Rematch

Next, the researchers exposed more breast cancer cells to various doses of GLA for 48 hours. Then, they poked around in part of those cells' genetic material.

The higher the GLA dose, the higher the odds that those cells didn't copy the Her-2/neu gene. GLA may have been a stumbling block in the copying of that cancer gene.

Round Three: Tag-Team With Cancer Drug

GLA has been shown to make cells more sensitive to the effects of some cancer drugs, write the researchers.

So they teamed GLA with the breast cancer drug Herceptin in some lab tests. Herceptin targets breast cancer cells that grow when exposed to the Her-2/neu protein.

The combination made breast cancer cells 30 to 40 times more sensitive to Herceptin. That was a significant difference, write the researchers.

GLA and Herceptin work differently on Her-2/neu, says Menendez in a news release.

Not a Knockout

The researchers call for more studies of GLA and cancers with the Her-2/neu gene. But they caution that extensive preliminary studies are necessary before GLA can be tested in clinical trials.

In January, the same team of researchers reported in the Annals of Oncology that a fatty acid found in olive oil may also counter the Her-2/neu gene. That study, too, was based on lab tests of breast cancer cells.

SOURCES: Menendez, J. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Nov. 2, 2005; vol 97: pp 1611-1615. WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise: "Herceptin." News release, Northwestern University.

Reviewed by Louise Chang

[tousled1]

Cindee,

I am Stage III, HER2+++, ER/PR-, and out of 26 lymph nodes 14 were cancer. Do not despair because you can't receive Herceptin. They are constantly doing research and new drugs are becoming available all the time. Breast cancer is a dreadful disease and all the women on this board are fighting this disease. There is a lot of support here and a wealth of information.

[Joe]

Dear Cindee,

I am right here by your side. I will not give up on you, but you must promise to do the same! Your 7 yr old does indeed need you. Focus not on the fear, which is a daunting challenge I know, but rather on your wellness. WHAT YOU THINK ALL DAY PREDICTS YOUR FUTURE. So stay far from all forms of negativity (experiencing the necessary what ifs and horror scenarios) and moving as quickly as possible to serenity and the solid KNOWING that you were meant to remain here on Earth, happy, giving, caring, loving and grateful. Your child is a huge part of your mission here. Focus on the joy you derive from that relationship, not on the fearsome possibilities. DO NOT GIVE POWER AWAY TO SUCH NEGATIVE THINKING. You can control your thoughts. They are full of energy. Try to peacefully go to your center, in silence, breathing deeply, and connect with your Inner Self. That is your Soul, your Spirit. It is full of eons of wisdom, it is sacred energy, it puts you in touch with the power of the Universe, which is inifinite, beyond our comprehension. Be awes by the beauty that surrounds us all. And by your PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT, granted you as you were born into this world. Most of us do not know we are so strong and courageous. But how perceptive we become, how keen our hearing and understanding -- once we have been forced to find our Soul! Please stay in touch with me.

Has it been suggested that you go for every 3 or 4 month CT scans (of the chest/abdomen and pelvis -- with and without contrast)? This is enormously reassuring to me, a firm confirmation that I am STABLE. It's like renewing my contract with Life each time. I go to a oncological nutritionist, which in and of itself is a rarity and a find, in Manhattan. I take many immune boosting vitamins that keep my heart and bones strong as well, and fight free radicals.

You have the power to heal yourself (with the help of modern medicine and the right docs). I have 5 oncs. Each is brilliant and each is highly regarded by the professionals as well as me. They each treat me with respect, dignity and positivity. And they each have something different to add to the mix, to help me proceed.

WHAT DOES "CHF" MEAN?

You are not lost. You are having doubts and that is natural. But you can concentrate to aligning yourself w/your Spirit which is the True You and the source of great strength and courage, if you allow it to be.

I also do take 2 meds that help relax my mind and lift my spirits. I am an extremely positive person, despite 4th stage BC (in '95) and a metastasis in '98 to the liver. I am a warrior. And you too can determine to be one as well.

With loving and healing energy being sent your way,
ANDI