Clinical trial: Abemaciclib + pi3k inhibitor + Faslodex

Hi all,

I've been meaning to post for awhile about my experience on an Eli Lilly-sponsored clinical trial I'm participating in. (I'm at Moores Cancer Center at UC San Diego.) My original cancer was strongly ER/PR+ and a biopsy of a subcutaneous tumor on my abdomen in early January revealed that it hadn't changed — that tumor, about the size of a lima bean, was my red flag that something was wrong. My MO, and others in her office, were totally perplexed as to how it ended up there. Subsequent CT and bone scans found numerous bone lesions (hips, pelvis, ribs, spine, femur, shoulder blade, skull), "innumerable" lung mets + pleural effusion, mediastinal lymph node involvement.

My MO's initial recommendation was Ibrance + Faslodex, but prior to me starting that treatment, a slot opened up in a clinical trial. I'm not sure if the trial has an official name, but I can certainly find out.

I take 150 mg of Abemaciclib and 50 mg of a pik3 inhibitor (LY3023414) twice a day, 12 hours apart. I also get 500 mg of Faslodex once a month, a Zoladex injection every 28 days and a Zometa infusion every three months. I started out taking 100 mg of the pik3 inhibitor twice a day (I was randomized into the 100 mg group; there's also a 125 mg group), but my potassium levels fell, so the dose was reduced.

I've had three CT scans since beginning the trial in February and each scan has shown smaller lesions / tumors. The pleural effusion cleared up almost immediately. The clinical trial folks told me last week that tumors have shrunk, on average, by 56 percent. My TMs have dropped from 800 in February to 200 in June.

The main side effects are diarrhea and some fatigue. Figuring out how to deal with the diarrhea has been a bit of a crapshoot (pun intended). I've pretty much had to cut out raw vegetables. I can eat avocados and tomatoes with no problem (they're both fruits, I know, but I consider them veggies). I'll eat something one night and be fine, then eat leftovers the following night and end up with terrible stomach cramps. Pepto Bismol, Tums and Immodium all help. My blood glucose levels have been consistently low, so I have to make sure I don't skip meals.

I'm happy to answer any questions and keep y'all updated. My next scans are at the end of July.