1. < Breast Cancer

Something new in the treatment arsenal?

Posted by nlb122 @nlb122, Sep 23, 2023

AstraZeneca reported positive results from a Phase 3 trial for a breast- cancer treatment, sending its American depositary receipts higher.

Shares of AstraZeneca (ticker: AZN) were up 1.7% to $68.16 in morning trading.

The company said the trial showed that the treatment, datopotamab deruxtecan, showed a significant improvement relative to chemotherapy in terms of progression-free survival. Plans to submit the drug for regulatory approval globally are underway.

Progression-free survival “is defined as the time from random assignment in a clinical trial to disease progression or death from any cause,” according to the National Library of Medicine.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Breast Cancer Support Group.

eku | @eku | Apr 18 4:30am
In reply to @leeann66 "Good morning, just a little update on my recent scan. As a reminder I was diagnosed..." + (show)
@leeann66

Good morning, just a little update on my recent scan.

As a reminder I was diagnosed June 2020 de novo stage 4 breast cancer, HR+, HER2- (now considered HER2 low) Mets to bones in 7 places.

Kisqali and Anastrozole for 16 months, was NED then progression.

Also monthly XGeva injections which I still do.

Switched to Afinitor and Exemestane for about 6-8 weeks, had to stop due to bad rash and breathing trouble, continued disease progression.

Went on Xeloda for 6 months, didn’t work, continued disease progression.

Started the Tropion 01 clinical trial, phase 3, November 1, 2022.

Recent scan shows no sign of bones Mets, no sign of initial breast tumour, 3 lymph nodes still showing but have shrunk from initial scan and have remained the same size for last 6 months. Dr said it might actually be scar tissue and not cancer.

No new lesions or any evidence of disease elsewhere, all major organs continue to be clear!

Grateful for the Trial, Dato-Dxd and my medical team at the MUHC here in Montreal!!

Jump to this post

I'm so happy for you! Thank you for sharing this wonderful news with us!

(Quick question: The new progressions, were they all in bones?)

REPLY
1 reply
Zebra | @californiazebra | Apr 17 10:23am
In reply to @leeann66 "Good morning, just a little update on my recent scan. As a reminder I was diagnosed..." + (show)
@leeann66

Good morning, just a little update on my recent scan.

As a reminder I was diagnosed June 2020 de novo stage 4 breast cancer, HR+, HER2- (now considered HER2 low) Mets to bones in 7 places.

Kisqali and Anastrozole for 16 months, was NED then progression.

Also monthly XGeva injections which I still do.

Switched to Afinitor and Exemestane for about 6-8 weeks, had to stop due to bad rash and breathing trouble, continued disease progression.

Went on Xeloda for 6 months, didn’t work, continued disease progression.

Started the Tropion 01 clinical trial, phase 3, November 1, 2022.

Recent scan shows no sign of bones Mets, no sign of initial breast tumour, 3 lymph nodes still showing but have shrunk from initial scan and have remained the same size for last 6 months. Dr said it might actually be scar tissue and not cancer.

No new lesions or any evidence of disease elsewhere, all major organs continue to be clear!

Grateful for the Trial, Dato-Dxd and my medical team at the MUHC here in Montreal!!

Jump to this post

@leeann66
Wow, LeeAnn, that is truly amazing!!! I’m so happy for you! Thanks for the update.

REPLY
leeann66 | @leeann66 | Apr 17 8:52am
In reply to @leeann66 "Hello @californiazebra The plan is that as long as the medication is working, I will stay..." + (show)
@leeann66

Hello @californiazebra

The plan is that as long as the medication is working, I will stay on it. Fingers crossed that is for a very long time.

In terms of neuropathy, it is minimal.

As for quality of life, as I did with all the other medication‘s, I continue to do everything I want to do, which includes going for walks, dragon, boat practice, spending time with my friends and family and grandkids, travelling, entertaining…

What is different is that some days I do have to take more breaks, particularly in the week following chemo. As well, am regularly through the day having to put a variety of eyedrop’s in my eyes, as well as rinsing my mouth due to pretty significant mucositis. The mucositis also impacts my eating and drinking so that is a bit of a juggling act, but things could be much worse.

That being said, it is all quite manageable just takes a bit of planning and juggling and ensuring I listen to my body to stay as healthy as possible.

With the other medications, Anastrozole and Kisqali gave severe bone pain in particular in my feet and hair thinning, but was manageable.

Affinitor and Exemestane I had a terrible rash and trouble breathing so that had to be stopped pretty quickly.

With the Xeloda, I had nausea every single day, for the whole afternoon, which was more of an issue than what I’m dealing with now.

So long story short, I am living my life and doing all the things I want to do, just with more breaks, more medication’s for side effects and a few more steps to try to be more comfortable, but I’m still doing it all. Hope that answers your questions, feel free to reach out if you have more. Take care, LeeAnn

Jump to this post

Good morning, just a little update on my recent scan.

As a reminder I was diagnosed June 2020 de novo stage 4 breast cancer, HR+, HER2- (now considered HER2 low) Mets to bones in 7 places.

Kisqali and Anastrozole for 16 months, was NED then progression.

Also monthly XGeva injections which I still do.

Switched to Afinitor and Exemestane for about 6-8 weeks, had to stop due to bad rash and breathing trouble, continued disease progression.

Went on Xeloda for 6 months, didn’t work, continued disease progression.

Started the Tropion 01 clinical trial, phase 3, November 1, 2022.

Recent scan shows no sign of bones Mets, no sign of initial breast tumour, 3 lymph nodes still showing but have shrunk from initial scan and have remained the same size for last 6 months. Dr said it might actually be scar tissue and not cancer.

No new lesions or any evidence of disease elsewhere, all major organs continue to be clear!

Grateful for the Trial, Dato-Dxd and my medical team at the MUHC here in Montreal!!

REPLY
6 replies
Zebra | @californiazebra | Apr 15 8:44pm
In reply to @leeann66 "Hello @californiazebra The plan is that as long as the medication is working, I will stay..." + (show)
@leeann66

Hello @californiazebra

The plan is that as long as the medication is working, I will stay on it. Fingers crossed that is for a very long time.

In terms of neuropathy, it is minimal.

As for quality of life, as I did with all the other medication‘s, I continue to do everything I want to do, which includes going for walks, dragon, boat practice, spending time with my friends and family and grandkids, travelling, entertaining…

What is different is that some days I do have to take more breaks, particularly in the week following chemo. As well, am regularly through the day having to put a variety of eyedrop’s in my eyes, as well as rinsing my mouth due to pretty significant mucositis. The mucositis also impacts my eating and drinking so that is a bit of a juggling act, but things could be much worse.

That being said, it is all quite manageable just takes a bit of planning and juggling and ensuring I listen to my body to stay as healthy as possible.

With the other medications, Anastrozole and Kisqali gave severe bone pain in particular in my feet and hair thinning, but was manageable.

Affinitor and Exemestane I had a terrible rash and trouble breathing so that had to be stopped pretty quickly.

With the Xeloda, I had nausea every single day, for the whole afternoon, which was more of an issue than what I’m dealing with now.

So long story short, I am living my life and doing all the things I want to do, just with more breaks, more medication’s for side effects and a few more steps to try to be more comfortable, but I’m still doing it all. Hope that answers your questions, feel free to reach out if you have more. Take care, LeeAnn

Jump to this post

Hi LeeAnn @leeann66

Thank you for all the great information in your upbeat response. I'm so glad you are still able to enjoy life despite all the challenges with the cancer and, often more so, the cancer meds. I believe your positive outlook will take you a long way. Prayers for good scan results. Zebra

REPLY
leeann66 | @leeann66 | Apr 15 3:30pm
In reply to @californiazebra "Hi @leeann66 Thank you for the update! Prayers for your scan results! Please update when those..." + (show)
@californiazebra

Hi @leeann66
Thank you for the update! Prayers for your scan results! Please update when those come in. It sounds like you're still in good spirits despite some challenging side effects. Yes, neat how they are treating your eyes. New treatments all the time. Also good news that they are submitting Dato-Dxd for FDA approval. Your results to date are encouraging!

Since you're so great about answering questions:

Do they expect you to remain on Dato-Dxd indefinitely or only when there are visual signs of cancer?

Have there been any issues with Dato-Dxd causing peripheral neuropathy as many chemos do?

For perspective, how much does this treatment impact your quality of life compared to the other treatment regimens you've tried (Kisqali/anastrozole, afinitor/exemastane, xeloda)?

Thank you for taking the time to respond. Please keep us posted. Zebra

Jump to this post

Hello @californiazebra

The plan is that as long as the medication is working, I will stay on it. Fingers crossed that is for a very long time.

In terms of neuropathy, it is minimal.

As for quality of life, as I did with all the other medication‘s, I continue to do everything I want to do, which includes going for walks, dragon, boat practice, spending time with my friends and family and grandkids, travelling, entertaining…

What is different is that some days I do have to take more breaks, particularly in the week following chemo. As well, am regularly through the day having to put a variety of eyedrop’s in my eyes, as well as rinsing my mouth due to pretty significant mucositis. The mucositis also impacts my eating and drinking so that is a bit of a juggling act, but things could be much worse.

That being said, it is all quite manageable just takes a bit of planning and juggling and ensuring I listen to my body to stay as healthy as possible.

With the other medications, Anastrozole and Kisqali gave severe bone pain in particular in my feet and hair thinning, but was manageable.

Affinitor and Exemestane I had a terrible rash and trouble breathing so that had to be stopped pretty quickly.

With the Xeloda, I had nausea every single day, for the whole afternoon, which was more of an issue than what I’m dealing with now.

So long story short, I am living my life and doing all the things I want to do, just with more breaks, more medication’s for side effects and a few more steps to try to be more comfortable, but I’m still doing it all. Hope that answers your questions, feel free to reach out if you have more. Take care, LeeAnn

REPLY
3 replies
Zebra | @californiazebra | Apr 14 4:30pm
In reply to @vicsmit "Hi Zebra. I took Kisqali in 2019 and don't remember the dosage. The first indication of..." + (show)
@vicsmit

Hi Zebra. I took Kisqali in 2019 and don't remember the dosage. The first indication of eye infection was feeling of having an eyelash in my eye, then progressed to sensitivity to light. The second eye infection I knew right away but I was in a small mountain town with no care nearby. My eye teared up so badly it was running through my nostril, lol. I have been on Truqap since mid January and am feeling well although this drug has a tendancy to cause diabetes. So I have been buying the Libre 3 constant glucose monitor and I do have elevated levels when taking the pills (800 mg daily for 4 days then off for 3 days). I have a pet scan scheduled later this month, hoping for good results!

Jump to this post

Hi @vicsmit
Wow, again so sorry to hear about your eyesight. I'm glad you've been tolerating the Truqap and pray for encouraging results on your PET scan. I'm also taking a med (for lung NETs) that causes diabetes and have found the Libre sensors to be invaluable in determining what spikes blood sugar. Thanks for responding to my questions.

REPLY
vicsmit | @vicsmit | Apr 14 3:54pm
In reply to @californiazebra "Hi @vicsmit Just reading your post here. I'm so sorry about what happened to you with..." + (show)
@californiazebra

Hi @vicsmit
Just reading your post here. I'm so sorry about what happened to you with Kisqali! That's awful! I've been on Kisqali for 3+ years now. Do you happen to remember what dose you were on during the trial? What were the first issues you noticed with your eyes?

How is Truqap working for you? Are you finding the side effects tolerable?

Prayers for you for all of this. Zebra

Jump to this post

Hi Zebra. I took Kisqali in 2019 and don't remember the dosage. The first indication of eye infection was feeling of having an eyelash in my eye, then progressed to sensitivity to light. The second eye infection I knew right away but I was in a small mountain town with no care nearby. My eye teared up so badly it was running through my nostril, lol. I have been on Truqap since mid January and am feeling well although this drug has a tendancy to cause diabetes. So I have been buying the Libre 3 constant glucose monitor and I do have elevated levels when taking the pills (800 mg daily for 4 days then off for 3 days). I have a pet scan scheduled later this month, hoping for good results!

REPLY
1 reply
Zebra | @californiazebra | Apr 13 3:16pm
In reply to @vicsmit "I have HR+ HER2- mbc and had been on Verzenio for 6 months then Abraxane chemo..." + (show)
@vicsmit

I have HR+ HER2- mbc and had been on Verzenio for 6 months then Abraxane chemo for 6 months before each began losing effectiveness. My oncologist is prescribing a newly approved immunotherapy pill called Truqap produced by AstraZenica. I have not started this treatment yet but reading indicates side effects similar to Verzenio et al. My oncologist said Truqap is not in the same family as Verzenio et al though. As a side note, I was also in a Kisqali trial during 2019-2020 before losing my eyesight to corneal damage caused by bacterial infections in each eye 6 months apart (I add this to warn users to be aware of any eye sensitivity and see your optometrist immediately). Here is a link to more information on Truqap https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2023/truqap-approved-in-us-for-hr-plus-breast-cancer.html

Jump to this post

Hi @vicsmit
Just reading your post here. I'm so sorry about what happened to you with Kisqali! That's awful! I've been on Kisqali for 3+ years now. Do you happen to remember what dose you were on during the trial? What were the first issues you noticed with your eyes?

How is Truqap working for you? Are you finding the side effects tolerable?

Prayers for you for all of this. Zebra

REPLY
1 reply
Zebra | @californiazebra | Apr 13 3:01pm
In reply to @leeann66 "Hello, yes all is well! I was Locked out of this channel For awhile so was..." + (show)
@leeann66

Hello, yes all is well! I was
Locked out of this channel
For awhile so was not responding or commenting.

Just had a scan yesterday so will know if all is still stable.

I don’t remember my last update however side effects, specifically my eyes and mouth and more fatigue.

My “dry eye”
Kept getting worse and worse so I pushed for further testing and was diagnosed with Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency caused by the chemo. On special eye drops made from the plasma from my own blood (pretty cool) since end of January and seeing slow progress, but still progress! (Maybe I already shared that here???)

Mouth sores, well that also got worse and I am expecting a new diagnosis on that also (following my constant research to find solutions and sharing my findings with my medical team!). All issues chemo related!!

Anyways, I have no reason to believe the cancer is not still stable and will know for sure this coming week! 🤞🏻

I also saw that Dato-Dxd was being put forward in the US for FDA approval so will soon be available for everyone!

If you have any specific questions please reach out to me I’d be happy to share!

Thanks for reaching out, will try to remember my password moving forward so I can continue to be active in this forum! 😀

Jump to this post

Hi @leeann66
Thank you for the update! Prayers for your scan results! Please update when those come in. It sounds like you're still in good spirits despite some challenging side effects. Yes, neat how they are treating your eyes. New treatments all the time. Also good news that they are submitting Dato-Dxd for FDA approval. Your results to date are encouraging!

Since you're so great about answering questions:

Do they expect you to remain on Dato-Dxd indefinitely or only when there are visual signs of cancer?

Have there been any issues with Dato-Dxd causing peripheral neuropathy as many chemos do?

For perspective, how much does this treatment impact your quality of life compared to the other treatment regimens you've tried (Kisqali/anastrozole, afinitor/exemastane, xeloda)?

Thank you for taking the time to respond. Please keep us posted. Zebra

REPLY
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