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Vinorelbine- chemo treatment for metastatic breast cancer.
Is anyone else taking this medicine? If so can you tell me if it was successful for you? Did it shrink the tumours and has it helped anyone to remission? If so for how long?
I have been taking this medicine for the last 6+ weeks with little or no side effects. I am taking it orally (1X80mg capsule + 1X 20mg capsule) although it can be given by I.V. I take this once a week for 2 weeks and then nothing for the 3rd week.
Any information would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Shielah.
I have been taking this medicine for the last 6+ weeks with little or no side effects. I am taking it orally (1X80mg capsule + 1X 20mg capsule) although it can be given by I.V. I take this once a week for 2 weeks and then nothing for the 3rd week.
Any information would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Shielah.
Best Answer
Hi again,
Hope you are still finding your vinorelbine txs tolerable, and that it is working well for you.
I mentioned above that there were promising drugs in clinical trials that might become available in the future by the time you need them. The 2010 Report of ASCO (American College of Surgeons Oncology Group) reviewed this one, which recently reached the endpoint of its stage lll trial:
ERIBULIN FOR METASTATIC BREAST CANCER
Results of the EMBRACE study (a phase III trial of eribulin mesylate vs. treatment of physician's choice in 762 patients with metastatic breast cancer who were previously treated with an anthracycline and a taxane) have been anticipated since press releases indicated that the study's primary endpoint had been met. Compared with other systemic therapies, eribulin — a synthetic analogue of the mitotic inhibitor halichondrin B — improved survival. Patients (20% of whom were ER-, PR-, and HER2-negative) had received a median of four prior chemotherapy regimens; 75% had received capecitabine. Treatment of physician's choice consisted of chemotherapy in 95% of cases, with vinorelbine being the most common option. OS was 13 months for patients who received eribulin and 10 months for those who received treatment of physician's choice, a highly statistically significant difference. Overall response rates and progression-free survival (PFS) also favored patients who received eribulin. The safety profile associated with eribulin was manageable, although the agent was associated with slightly higher risk for hematologic toxicity and peripheral neuropathy.
I hope many other members of our community will join me in praying for you...
bluebutterfly
Hope you are still finding your vinorelbine txs tolerable, and that it is working well for you.
I mentioned above that there were promising drugs in clinical trials that might become available in the future by the time you need them. The 2010 Report of ASCO (American College of Surgeons Oncology Group) reviewed this one, which recently reached the endpoint of its stage lll trial:
ERIBULIN FOR METASTATIC BREAST CANCER
Results of the EMBRACE study (a phase III trial of eribulin mesylate vs. treatment of physician's choice in 762 patients with metastatic breast cancer who were previously treated with an anthracycline and a taxane) have been anticipated since press releases indicated that the study's primary endpoint had been met. Compared with other systemic therapies, eribulin — a synthetic analogue of the mitotic inhibitor halichondrin B — improved survival. Patients (20% of whom were ER-, PR-, and HER2-negative) had received a median of four prior chemotherapy regimens; 75% had received capecitabine. Treatment of physician's choice consisted of chemotherapy in 95% of cases, with vinorelbine being the most common option. OS was 13 months for patients who received eribulin and 10 months for those who received treatment of physician's choice, a highly statistically significant difference. Overall response rates and progression-free survival (PFS) also favored patients who received eribulin. The safety profile associated with eribulin was manageable, although the agent was associated with slightly higher risk for hematologic toxicity and peripheral neuropathy.
I hope many other members of our community will join me in praying for you...
bluebutterfly
Hi,
Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers, we all need those!
I will check with my oncologist if they do this blood test as a matter of course or if it will require a seperate test to the 2 I routinely have done before my chemo. I expected to have a CT scan after the 4th cycle but he has decided not to do this, I showed an allergic reaction to the dye last time but we think it was because I had had several CT scans quite close together.
This type of cancer shows up on an x-ray as a silver streak or so I have been reliably informed. Unfortunately the radiographer missed it along with several other womens positive results. Some of us have already died because of this negligence. The radiographer was suspended for 12 months and is now working at another hospital. It makes you wonder what is the point when you consider all you have to go through to prove that there has been negligence.
I have to get off this, it just makes me mad and sad!
Thankfully there a wonderful people out there who are working hard to find successful treatments and hopefully cures. So I'm going to keep going until they find one no matter how long it takes.
Shielah.
Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers, we all need those!
I will check with my oncologist if they do this blood test as a matter of course or if it will require a seperate test to the 2 I routinely have done before my chemo. I expected to have a CT scan after the 4th cycle but he has decided not to do this, I showed an allergic reaction to the dye last time but we think it was because I had had several CT scans quite close together.
This type of cancer shows up on an x-ray as a silver streak or so I have been reliably informed. Unfortunately the radiographer missed it along with several other womens positive results. Some of us have already died because of this negligence. The radiographer was suspended for 12 months and is now working at another hospital. It makes you wonder what is the point when you consider all you have to go through to prove that there has been negligence.
I have to get off this, it just makes me mad and sad!
Thankfully there a wonderful people out there who are working hard to find successful treatments and hopefully cures. So I'm going to keep going until they find one no matter how long it takes.
Shielah.
I am so sorry your BC was not discovered at an earlier stage! Unfortunately, that is all too often the case with lobular BC, which tends not to show up by the usual imaging methods...
I haven't any new information yet about treatments, but it is hoped that the recent complete DNA mapping of lobular cancer may in time give rise to new, effective approaches.
In addition, a blood test, called CellSearch CTC, shows promise in helping to manage treatment of metastatic breast cancer. The test measures the number of tumor cells circulating in a sample of blood and can immediately inform physicians if a patient's treatment is working or needs modification. Research has shown that if a patient typically has more than five CTCs in a blood sample, survival may be shorter compared to patients with no CTCs. The CTC test can help physicians monitor whether a patient's treatment is working by determining whether the number of cancer cells is decreasing. This information can help determine whether changes are needed in a patient's treatment.
I am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers,
bluebutterfly
I haven't any new information yet about treatments, but it is hoped that the recent complete DNA mapping of lobular cancer may in time give rise to new, effective approaches.
In addition, a blood test, called CellSearch CTC, shows promise in helping to manage treatment of metastatic breast cancer. The test measures the number of tumor cells circulating in a sample of blood and can immediately inform physicians if a patient's treatment is working or needs modification. Research has shown that if a patient typically has more than five CTCs in a blood sample, survival may be shorter compared to patients with no CTCs. The CTC test can help physicians monitor whether a patient's treatment is working by determining whether the number of cancer cells is decreasing. This information can help determine whether changes are needed in a patient's treatment.
I am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers,
bluebutterfly
Hello again,
Apologies for not getting back to you before. I go to The Christie for my chemo on Tuesdays and it wipes me out for a couple of days.
I have lobular breast cancer which is hormone receptive but I am not sure of the status. I know that it feeds off oestrogen which is why I was given Arimidex (wonderful stuff) but it was stopped when they discovered I had osteoporosis.
The type of cancer I have is totally cureable but unfortunately it had spread before it was discovered and the damage it has caused to my internal organs cannot be cured.
The cancer spread following the aorta until it encapsulated my stomache, and spread to my intestines. I have a mass over my small bowel and a partial blockage in the small bowel, it is also in my spine and ribs. Previously it had spread to my liver but we managed to get rid of that with Xeloda, I am hopeful that this is still true but as I haven't had a scan for a while I can't say.
Thank you for taking the time to answer me, I really appreciate the help.
Kind regards,
Shielah.
Apologies for not getting back to you before. I go to The Christie for my chemo on Tuesdays and it wipes me out for a couple of days.
I have lobular breast cancer which is hormone receptive but I am not sure of the status. I know that it feeds off oestrogen which is why I was given Arimidex (wonderful stuff) but it was stopped when they discovered I had osteoporosis.
The type of cancer I have is totally cureable but unfortunately it had spread before it was discovered and the damage it has caused to my internal organs cannot be cured.
The cancer spread following the aorta until it encapsulated my stomache, and spread to my intestines. I have a mass over my small bowel and a partial blockage in the small bowel, it is also in my spine and ribs. Previously it had spread to my liver but we managed to get rid of that with Xeloda, I am hopeful that this is still true but as I haven't had a scan for a while I can't say.
Thank you for taking the time to answer me, I really appreciate the help.
Kind regards,
Shielah.
I hope you are recovering from your very bad chest infection.
I also hope Navelbine keeps your husband in tears, LOL.
I understand that you have metastatic BC, but haven't seen where you mentioned the type and ER/PR/HER2 status. If you care to share that information, I will certainly let you know of any promising treatments I come across in regard to your type.
Regards,
bluebutterfly
I also hope Navelbine keeps your husband in tears, LOL.
I understand that you have metastatic BC, but haven't seen where you mentioned the type and ER/PR/HER2 status. If you care to share that information, I will certainly let you know of any promising treatments I come across in regard to your type.
Regards,
bluebutterfly
Hello,
Thanks for getting back to me. I got your note as well. I am sorry I didn't reply earlier but I have only been discharged from hospital today (not cancer, really bad chest infection). Anyway, your information that there are new drugs for treating metastatic breast cancer in trials is very encouraging (?). Oh for the brain I had before chemo fog! I have been dealing with this disease for over 10 years now and I am working towards living for another 30, no matter how much my husband cries. Thanks again and if you find any other info with regard to treating my type of cancer I would be very grateful to hear about it.
Shielah.
Thanks for getting back to me. I got your note as well. I am sorry I didn't reply earlier but I have only been discharged from hospital today (not cancer, really bad chest infection). Anyway, your information that there are new drugs for treating metastatic breast cancer in trials is very encouraging (?). Oh for the brain I had before chemo fog! I have been dealing with this disease for over 10 years now and I am working towards living for another 30, no matter how much my husband cries. Thanks again and if you find any other info with regard to treating my type of cancer I would be very grateful to hear about it.
Shielah.
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The treatment is relatively well tolerated. The most serious side effect is neutropenia (decrease of white blood cells) that can leave one more susceptible to infection. Blood counts will be watched closely, and treatments may be held at times to allow for recovery of the blood count. Other side effects of Navelbine are possible constipation, neuropathy which is reversible when the medication is discontinued, hair loss ? (more thinning rather than total hair loss), mild incidence of nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and mouth sores.
There are numerous other single agent drugs with good activity in metastatic breast cancer, such as Paclitaxel (Taxel), the anthracyclines doxorubicin and epirubicin, docetaxel, and gemcitabine. The use of single agent chemotherapy is associated with less treatment-related toxicity as compared with combination therapy.
If one stops working, the patient can be switched to another one. There are also newer drugs currently in clinical trials that may prove useful.
I hope this, or other drugs, will work well for you for a long, long time.
Best wishes...