As a network site of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA), we have inside access to some of the most compelling research trials initiated by leaders in their respective fields. Every few months we join in a teleconference with physicians from the SCCA to review our current efforts at collaboration in research for a given disease site. Tonight we teleconferenced with physicians from the SCCA involved in breast cancer research. Here is a sample of the things we talked about.
The first presentation was by Dr. Jennifer Specht of Medical Oncology. She is the developer and principal investigator of a trial using a novel combination of chemotherapy and biological drugs to treat a difficult subset of breast cancer patients with an exceptionally aggressive behavior. The subtype is called "triple negative" based on the fact that their breast cancer cells are negative for estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and Her-2neu. The trial is for women whose breast cancer is advanced or stage IV (spread to other parts of the body). The trial is designed so that all patients initially receive a combination of two very active breast cancer treatments, a chemotherapy drug called nab-paclitaxel and an anti-vascular antibody called bevacizumab. After 12 weeks of therapy with this combination, the nab-paclitaxel is discontinued and an oral medicine called erlotinib is added to the bevacizumab. The hope is that this combination of multiple agents will cause breast cancer cell death through many mechanisms and lead to high remission rates. We have opened this trial at WVMC and hope that with this combination of therapies many women in north central Washington with this difficult type of breast cancer will be helped.
The next presentation was by Dr. Hannah Linden discussing various strategies to approach women whose breast cancer cells have estrogen receptor expression on them with medications aimed at depriving them of the estrogen that the cancer cells use to grow and divide. In addition she shared strategies and research that is being developed to "re-sensitize" these cancer cells to hormonal manipulation therapy even after they appear to be resistant to the treatment.
The next two presentations by Dr. Mankoff and Dr. Doot discussed research on imaging. PET scanning is standard imaging in many cancers to include breast cancer. PET scanning is a "functional" imaging technique looking at metabolism of tumors and not just the size of the tumor. The SCCA had developed other "functional" imaging techniques. One imaging technique is to look at the expression of estrogen receptors as way to identify the location and activity of breast cancer tumors in the body. It also appears to have predictive value to therapy that is initiated. Although this technique is not available in cancer centers outside of Seattle, our breast cancer patients are eligible to be studied using this technique with a simple phone call and a quick trip over to Seattle.
I am so pleased with our collaborative relationship with investigators at the SCCA because it means that our patients can be considered for research trials involving the most novel and scientifically meaningful areas of investigation...often without having to leave their homes in north central Washington. We are committed to that for our breast cancer patients and everyone who entrusts their care to us.
Until next time, Best Regards Always,
MItch G.
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