Topic: Trials based Lapatanib/Herceptin

I have been on herceptin for a couple years now and doing well.  Genetech has some really good drugs going.   When we are HER2 positive we overexpress this protien.  And Genetech has found some interesting ways to shut down this overproduction of HER2 which in turn makes a very aggessive cancer not so aggressive anymore.

Herceptin works by attacking the HER2 protien on the outside of the tumor cell to destroy the cancer.  Tykerb (Lapatanib) works the opposite way, it attacks the HER2 protien from the inside of the cancer cell.  So the theory is combining the two will allow them to destroy the cancer tumor from both directions .  This should shut down the cancer big time.

There is no harm in participating in those trials.  In my thinking I wonder is it worth it to use both drugs at once, you may eliminate one of those drugs not working at a later point in time.  But on the other hand, doing them together could throw you into remission and it won't matter.  So I guess I'm saying nothing really....LOL  I say go for it if you want to.  Participating in a  trial helps open doors for others and there is never any harm in that.

I am on Herceptin and Tykerb.    I have been on Herceptin for 18 months and Tykerb for about 10 months.   It is really a pretty easy combination.    Herceptin is super easy and Tykerb has a few more side effects but pretty tolerable.  As far as if it works... yep.   I have been NED since June 2008.  I had bone and liver mets.

Jennifer

I was stage IIIA, Her2/neu, 3+++, 5 pos nodes.  NED for 3 yrs 9 months...now recurrence to rt axilla, illium, sacrum. (Possible liver...their not sure.)  I have compromised lungs & had rough time with TCH the first time around.  So I recently had a 2nd opinion with Dr. Slamon...pioneer of Herceptin.  Because of my family history & lung issues he wanted me in the TDM1 trial...and if that couldn't happen they said Tykerb/Herceptin/Zometa.

Well my onc and ANOTHER 2nd opinion onc I went to BOTH said they did NOT understand the recommendation for Tykerb/Herceptin?  They said you HAVE to add chemo or it would NOT work. (Period.)  They both disagreed with Dr. Slamon.  I called Dr. Slamon's office and told his NP that both onc's are telling me this won't work?  She said matter of fact that it WOULD work because I am SO "HER2" positive.  Since I have gotten this recommendation and done alot of research on it...I'm finding out most woman that have used just these two drugs together have been thur clinical trials only.  (So it's like the oncologist don't all know about the Tykerb/Herceptin combo and the good results they are getting?.   I know of one woman on the Her2support board that had a 2.2 cm tumor and she went on a 3 month clinical trial of Tykerb/Herceptin to shrink her tumor before mastectomy.  No trace of tumor...she had a complete response.   I would be all for a clinical trial with these two drugs...results have been good.  I wish onc's would get up to speed. 

Chelee

Herceptin worked well for me when combined with taxotere. But used alone, the tumours quickly regrew, so my on decided to try xeloda and tykerb-and this achieved nothing at all. I'm on clinical trials at the moment (PARP inhibitors), but he's said that once this ceases to be effective for me he'll put me back on to herceptin. Again, we all respond so differently, it's hard to give useful advice other than to warn of potential side effects. I had high hopes of lapatanib, so was absolutely devastated when it failed.