clinical trial ?

As I wrote earlier my Mom is supposed to start this week on carbo/taxol/herceptin 1x per week.The research nurse just called and told me she is elligable for a clinical study substituting a drug called Gemzar for the Taxol. The study is to see if they have the same results with this drug and herceptin as opposed to Taxol. It would be given every 2 weeks for 10 cycles. Does anyone know anything about this other drug? Has anyone been on it? The nurse said the side effects would be similar except for less chance of neuropathy. We need to let them know by tomorrow,so if anyone can help I'd appreciate it. Thanks

Hi -
If you can scan down the posts you will find a couple of strings on the subject of Gemzar. You may have to go back a few pages.
I took Taxol for something like 27 treatments along with Navelbine and Herceptin. This much Taxol should have given me major neuropathy. I kept taking my B12, folic acid and other things that nourish nerve cells the whole time and have minimal problems with nerve damage.
Clinical trials can be good (one saved my life) and I would check out Gemzar on the net as this was originally approved for colon or other cancers. With some good successes they are expanding the use to other cancers.
All the best wishes for your Mom's successful treatment whichever you choose.

Colleen,

Gemzar has generally been used with herceptin after other metastatic breast cancer treatments have failed (click on cross-link below). The combination that you originally suggested for your mom is a proven first stage treatment for mets (i.e., herceptin, taxol, and carboplatin). Other options such as herceptin and navelbine, and herceptin, taxotere, and carboplatin are also available and very effective. You may want to consider Gemzar in the event the tried and true combinations fail.

Warmest regards,

Paul

Does that mean if this doesn't work, my Mom couldn't have the other combinations?

If one combo is not working you can always go to another one.You might want to have the first line combo to begin with,then do the other choices if it fails. Just my opinion.

I began gemzar in Feb after navelbine quit working. Mets to bones and skin Dec, 2002, and on navelbine for 6 mos before progression. So far it seems to be reducing the skin mets altho the tumor marker went up slightly the first month. I have the 2nd tumor marker test later this wk and am hoping for improvement as I don't see how it could be helping the skin mets but not the bone mets. It affects the white blood cell count more than navelbine did, which is beginning to be a problem. Less neuropathy than navelbine, and no other problems so far. Good luck with your decision!

I remember when I was looking into my first line therapy for metastatic disease reading something very important about adding carboplatin to herceptin. This info was out of UCLA and said that carboplatin works much better as a first line drug for metastatic disease. Once you get down to third or fourth line, it is not nearly as effective. Since the combination of a taxane and carboplatin with herceptin has now been DEFINITELY shown to be more effective than a taxane alone, and has good response rates, I would sure opt for something that has been studied and has a track record like a taxane, carbo and herceptin than opting for something unproven like gemzar carbo and hercptin.

By the way, I believe the studies also showed that taxotere was even more effective with carbo than taxol so I would ask your onc why taxol.

That said, down the line there is no reason that gemzar could not be used. I am on a combination now of gemzar, herceptin and xeloda and having a good response.

( I was on taxotere, carboplatin, and herceptin for a year initially. )

Best of luck.

My Mom has chosen to do the clinical trial.It is being done through US Oncology Research Inc.The study is to see how well Gemzar works in combination with the other 2 drugs.After consulting with several people we thought this was the way to go. (Also my mother prayed about it and felt the most comfortable with this decision) God bless her,she also felt by doing this she may help someone down the line. I will let you know how things turn out.She starts in 2 weeks.Thank you for all your responses.