Thursday, June 25, 2009

Breast cancer treatment research news:PARP Inhibitors

Here's an article about the PARP Inhibitor treatment research I mentioned in my previous blog post: http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyOncology/BreastCancer/14851. It'll be two weeks before we know whether or not I have the BRCA I or II mutation but regardless, the point is that a ton of productive research and treatment options are on the horizon with great promise. That's good news worth celebrating! Edited to add (to answer questions): Right now, the PARP treatment is targeted therapy for those known to have cancer from the BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene mutation (which I gave a large amount of blood at UCLA to be tested for and for research purposes) - I'll know in a couple weeks if I fall in that category. It will be interesting to see if I am or not because triple negative cancer often is associated with the gene mutation, but not always, but then again there isn't a very strong history of breast cancer in my family - my maternal grandmother and paternal great aunt. There is LOTS of cancer on my dad's side of my family but not my mom's side. However, even if I do, right now the treatment is only available through clinical trials for which I am not a candidate. But if the remaining trials do well and the treatment(s) pass the necessary tests, they could become available to patients needing it outside of the clinical trial setting within 1-3 years. Also, this is but just one of the new class of drugs being tested for use to battle breast cancer. There are approximately 50 active clinical trials in the U.S. for drugs targeted for triple negative breast cancer. I'm not sure how many drugs/treatment therapies are being studied across those trials, but the fact that they're doing it and have seen some promise, keeps me and others in my situation hopeful and eager to hear more about what's to come.

5 comments:

Steve and Amy Beth said...

I saw something about PARP yesterday, Julie, and thought of you, knowing you'd be reading all about it. :) We celebrate PARP every year at school which is how I remembered/recognized the name when I saw it in your blog today. (PARP at school stands for Parents As Reading Partners; it is a program which runs about three to four weeks each year to encourage parents to read to/with their children.) It'll be interesting to see what happens with the PARP intervention.
-Amy Beth

Anonymous said...

PARP treatment actually repairs the mutated gene's ability to combat tumor growth/origination? Did I get that right?
It sounds HOPEful!!!

Anonymous said...

I heard about this yesterday and thought of you. It sounds promising as a new treatment...is it too new for your treatment?
-Skye

Anonymous said...

Do whatever your doctors tell you, even if it contradicts what my docs told me.(stand on your head if they ask!) They have advanced soooooo far since '93 I'm lucky to be here to help you. Greg Brown

Gabriella said...

Geez so much to absorb! I hand it to you for being so persistent, committed and dedicated..keep it up strong one. LOVE YOU !! I hope you got my organic fruit basket from Harry and David...hang in there!