Vaccines

[Julie2]

Are the vaccines of either Univesity of Washington or windber,PA really useful?Anybody who had them are really recurrence free? I am really not able to makeup my mind to persue them.

thanks,
Julie

[Ginagce]

Hello Julie. I was originally diagnosed in 97 with DCIS/LCIS, had lumps and rads. Recurrence in 04 in both breasts, this time invasive er+ her+++ FISH 7 with lymph node involvement. Had bilateral masts, chemo ac/taxol, started arimidex in Feb (premenopausal prior to chemo) and herceptin in June.

I have contacted Dr. Peoples who cochairs the trial at Walter Reed. It is my understanding that the current trial is not applicable to those on herceptin. I was told that there is a chance they will be doing another arm of the study that will include women who have had herceptin for 1 year. I am interested in that trial.

I believe current results show no toxicity and a 50% relative reduction in recurrence. Based on this I am pursuing the trial.

I will keep the site posted as I learn more about this possibility.

Best wishes
Gina

[michele u]

Julie,

Go to the tumorvaccinegroup.org they post their results of their vaccinetrials there

Dear Julie,

My wife Lisa participated in the U of Washington vaccine study. She received 6 vaccine treatments and exhibited a strong immune response. At the point she completed the study she had been NED for a period of almost 3 years and was receiving maintenance herceptin.
The week after she had taken her final vaccine treatment in January, 2005 a CT scan revealed two small tumors growing on scar tissue from a previous tumor in her lung. My wife had surgery to remove the upper lobe of her left lung. She was NED until October when two small tumors were discovered in her liver in places that had been previously treated by RFA. She had surgery to remove the tumors at the end of October and is now again NED. She is taking maintenance herceptin and Xeloda which will hopefully keep her clean for awhile.
I can say that despite Lisa's good immune response to the vaccine treatments they have not prevented recurrance. I cannot say that the vaccine had no effect, because it is possible that the vaccine is preventing a more extensive and pervasive recurrance, but at this point no one can tell.
We were hoping that the vaccine would aid the herceptin in a long term prevention of recurrance, but it has not worked at this point.
Nevertheless, I would advise one to try the vaccines, as there is no great downside risk to them and there is a chance that they may work.

Good Luck and God Bless!
Lisa and Brian

[Julie2]

Thanks for all the replies. Anybody has idea on what is the difference between the UW peptide vaccine and the walterreed/windber PA vaccine(E75)? I have read many good reviews and great results of E75( 50% reduction recurrence) but haven't come accros such a positive result about UW vaccine. I just want to undersatnd if there is a difference or both are same.

thanks,
Julie