Avastin

patricia09

My wife is to start chemotherapy in a week as treatment to reduce the size of her tumor before mesectomy.  This will be the begining of her treatment.  Her Onocologist is very adament about her taking part in a study with the use of Avastin along with the chemotherapy.  I believe I understand the benefits of using this drug at this juncture.  However the side effects are very scary.  She is stage 3.  It seems this drug has been used mostly in association with cancers that are already more life threatening, reacuring or just to prolong a better quality of life for terminal cancer patients.  So the benefits of the Avastin at that stage outway the potentially fatal side effects more.  We do not believe my wife is in this type of situation and are almost as afraid of the Avastin side effects as the current level of her cancer.  But the benefits in the long run could still be better with the use of Avastin, if she doesn't have severe side effects.  The tumor is er/pr and HER-2 positive.   Desperate for first hand experiences with Avastin

HensonChi

If you go up to the board   "Help Me get Through Treatment"  there is a discussion about avastian.  The topic is called Clinical Trial E5103.  I was in the trial for early stage breast cancer until they decided mine was HER-2 Postive and then they put me on herceptin instead of avastian.

patricia09

Henson Chi:  Thanks for the tip.  Patricia's cancer is er, pr and HER-2 positive.  This trial will involve using Herceptin along with the avastin and chemo. 5cm, stage IIIb.  We will be taking part in the study so that we can get the Avastin.  The side effects didn't seem that terrible on the board but some reports on the Avastin over the web were much worse.  Patricia is estimated as being 75% probable of being cancer free in 10 years without the Avastin.  The Avastin is hoped to increase this number and this fact is supposed to outway the potential side effects.  We'll see.