Topic: Who watched Stand Up to Cancer?....

I think they said she had a cancer in her breast that was so big that it was busting through the skin AND lung mets.

2.5 years NED.

I think that she currently takes Herceptin only.  I can't imagine that sort of response to Herceptin only AND protocol indicates chemotherapy for visceral (lung) mets.

Tammy Lou

I saw that to & thought - what is this?  They said she never had Chemo.

I forget exactly how they worded her treatment....I dont think they said she was taking herceptin...I thought they worded it different...I cant remember

Pam

I was surprised too when they said she never had chemo. I know she was treated with Herceptin - Am I right in thinking she was in a clinical trial? She was answering phones on the stage and looked gorgeous.

She was treated at a medical facility in CA. They did not mention herceptin, only that she did not have chemo, but was treated with a medication that is developed in the lab and only distroyed the cancer cells while her healthy cells were not harmed. Sounds like herceptin to me, but they did not say that is what is was. Let me know if anyone finds out her name and any other details!

She definitely did not have chemo.  They did not say she had Herceptin - I think they may have said gene therapy that attacked only the cancer cells.  She was definitely HER2+.  My immedicate response was "wow, Herceptin without chemo - why wouldn't they give that to me?".  However, they did not say Herceptin.  I would love to know as well. 

I saw that also and thought "I'm Stage 3 and I had 8 rounds of chemo, bilateral masectomy, radiation and Herceptin.  They did not mention the word Herceptin but that is what it must have been.  I told my DH I as going to ask my Ocon in two weeks when I have an appt. if that is really possible.  I would like to have been "cured" without the treatments that I had to endure.

It looks like you can watch it on the web here-

http://www.nbc.com/Movies_Specials_More/Stand_Up_To_Cancer/video/episodes/ 

Carolina 59, Just to let you know, they are doing vaccine trials that target HER2 and say they are very promising.  Johns Hopkins is one place that is doing this trial.  Lets hope it can stop it in its tracks. Maryiz

A news report about her that says she did use herceptin.

Unique cancer treatment saves woman

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A local woman had a breast cancer so aggressive, she could see it on her skin. She didn't have much hope until doctors offered her a unique treatment.

Fitness instructor Stephanie Grimes is the picture of strength and balance.

Click in the Eyewitness News Story Window above to watch the accompanying video.

She rarely gets sick, but in 2006 something she thought was an unusual mosquito bite on her chest ended up being an extremely aggressive form of breast cancer. Doctors told her that it was a severe case.

"They told me that it was one of the most severe cases of breast cancer that they had seen," explains Grimes.

The cancer had literally eaten through her chest wall and eventually caused a large open wound.

"At that point I had been given about two months to live," said Grimes.

The disease had spread to her lymph nodes. At this point, standard treatment wouldn't help.

"Chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer is not curative," said Oncologist John Glaspy, MD.

Dr. Glaspy at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center suggested the an experimental drug therapy combination of Herceptin and Avastin.

"The thing that made her cancer really aggressive also gave us a target," explains Dr. Glaspy.

The drugs target proteins that feed the cancer. Within the first few weeks, Stephanie saw her lumps start to disappear.

"They had shrunk tremendously. Externally I could see changes occurring right away," said Grimes.

And except for a little fatigue, she hardly felt any side effects. Two years after she was told she had two months to live, Stephanie's prognosis is very hopeful.

Stephanie's tumor before herceptin and avastin was a substantial size, but after her treatment it shrunk significantly.

"Things are going very well and they may go well indefinitely," said Dr. Glaspy.

"I am truly blessed with the outcome of the treatment that I am on," said Grimes.

The clinical trial is one of many happening at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. And some of the proceeds from the Revlon Run Walk funds their research.

Thanks for that post, I thought I saw that.

jan125 - do you know of any trials for Herceptin as stand-alone treatment?  

Here are some links with a bit of info for the vaccine:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/tj451863035u3132/

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=20145290

http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/abstract/23/30/7536

If you google E75 Her2+, you should be able to find additional information.  I am not sure if only people in the armed services can get into the trial, but I know the armed services are spearheading the trials.

Looks very promising to me and I am ready to get the vaccine!

I was in the trial with avastian, but once they found out I needed herceptin they said I couldn't be in the trial anymore, as it is not for people with the her/neu thing.