autologous breast cancer vaccine

amazonian · Last edited by amazonian on Wed Jun 27, 2007 4:35 pm; edited 1 time in total

Age: 48
Not menopausal
Tubulo-lobular infiltrating breast carcinomas - one 5x3,5, one 2,5x2 cm, 6 lymph nodes affected (of 11) Chemotherapy and radiotherapy plan to be determined next week

I have just undergone total mastectomy and the doctor told me that in addition to radio- and chemotherapy there is another possible postoperative treatment - autologous vaccine made of my own tumour, comprising two types - cellular and gene type - that will be injected back. Has anybody heard of or done such treatment? What is the efficiency or side effects - does anybody know?

Muttsmom

Hi,

I personally have never heard of the vaccine you're talking about. I also was dx with ILC, large tumor and many nodes involved. I know this could be something new since my dx, but I've never heard of anyone on the other BC board I've been on for years too.

The treatment won't differ, but according to the ACS, NCI etc. if your tumor is over 5 cm, you'd be Stage IIIA. Mine was 5.5 cm.

Best wishes and as scary as chemo is, the fear of the unknown is worse then the treatments. It's not fun, but doable and there is life after cancer!!!!
_________________
Nancy
2/14/02 ILC 43 - 5.5 cm 9+/16 nodes
Stage IIIA er/pr+ Her2-
2/02 MRM
FECx6 radsx33
Tamoxifen - Arimidex (chemo induced menopause)
4/03 SM w/bilat. recon.
9/03 expanders removed
5/04 repair reconst. disaster
10/04 Actonel for bone/joint pain from Arimidex
NED - 5 years
3/07 Diabetes
In memory of Kim 12/1/04

amazonian

Could you tell me just - what is dx with ILC Smile

I am from Sofia, Bulgaria and even as a translator from/into English I do not know these abbreviations.

I think I am at the limit between stages IIB and IIIA, but it is IIB that my surgeon wrote in the diagnosis. Thanks a lot for the encouragement - the important think is not so much how bad the chemo is, but what will happen later - one year from now, for example. I wish you to have all things clear of further complications, too.

The therapy - as I was informed - comes from USA and the laboratory where the vaccine is done is there. So I hope that there will be somebody acquainted to give some more information about it.

brainman

Hi amazonian and welcome to the Cancer Forums.

ILC means Invasive Lobular Carcinoma... the type of cancer you have.

I too have not heard about this vaccine. Maybe someone else has. Check the forum often and keep us posted of any news.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

Muttsmom

Hi,

Your oncologist will probably change your dx to Stage III if they go by the same thing that they do in the U.S. Whether you're IIB or IIIA, the treatment will basically be the same.

Have they told you what kind of chemo you'll be getting yet? I had Cytoxin (all BC ladies get that), Epirubensin and 5FU. There was a lady on here awhile back that got the same chemo as I did. I know someone who was dx 2 years before me and got 2 different chemos and not all at the same time and she's doing great too.

There aren't many of us with ILC AND Node involvement, so anything I can help you with, please ask.
_________________
Nancy
2/14/02 ILC 43 - 5.5 cm 9+/16 nodes
Stage IIIA er/pr+ Her2-
2/02 MRM
FECx6 radsx33
Tamoxifen - Arimidex (chemo induced menopause)
4/03 SM w/bilat. recon.
9/03 expanders removed
5/04 repair reconst. disaster
10/04 Actonel for bone/joint pain from Arimidex
NED - 5 years
3/07 Diabetes
In memory of Kim 12/1/04

Muttsmom

Oh. I was not menopausal or even peri, but chemo put me into menopause, so I was able to switch to Arimidex from Tamoxifen about 6 months after starting. You have to be post to take that, but it's superior to Tamoxifen. Chances are good I would think that you'd go into menopause. I had just turned 43.

Do you know if you are estrogen/progestrine positive (hormone receptors) and if you are Her2 _ or +?
_________________
Nancy
2/14/02 ILC 43 - 5.5 cm 9+/16 nodes
Stage IIIA er/pr+ Her2-
2/02 MRM
FECx6 radsx33
Tamoxifen - Arimidex (chemo induced menopause)
4/03 SM w/bilat. recon.
9/03 expanders removed
5/04 repair reconst. disaster
10/04 Actonel for bone/joint pain from Arimidex
NED - 5 years
3/07 Diabetes
In memory of Kim 12/1/04

amazonian · Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 3:11 pm Post subject: estrogen/progesterone

estradiol receptor - 310 fm
progesterone receptor - 499 fm

I do not understand exactly what that means in my diagnosis (and fm. may have some other translation in English) - and I did not yest ask the doctor about it.

HER2 will be done in a week

Muttsmom

Hi,

I have no idea what "fm" means after your estrogen/progesterine numbers, or the numbers for that matter. Mine were done as %. I think one was 79% and one was 78%. I'm assuming that means you are hormone + so you will be able to take Tamoxifen or Arimdex ex. after chemo since it didn't say "negative".
_________________
Nancy
2/14/02 ILC 43 - 5.5 cm 9+/16 nodes
Stage IIIA er/pr+ Her2-
2/02 MRM
FECx6 radsx33
Tamoxifen - Arimidex (chemo induced menopause)
4/03 SM w/bilat. recon.
9/03 expanders removed
5/04 repair reconst. disaster
10/04 Actonel for bone/joint pain from Arimidex
NED - 5 years
3/07 Diabetes
In memory of Kim 12/1/04

Muttsmom

Hi,

I just looked up the Vaccine you were talking about. It's only a Phase I study and you have to be Stage IV to even qualify. There are a lot of qualifications and you would be excluded in the States because, thank God you're not Stage IV. Here's the info. It was last updated 1/17/07 and only 20 women were in the study, so it's a very small one. It will explain all about it.

http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00317603
_________________
Nancy
2/14/02 ILC 43 - 5.5 cm 9+/16 nodes
Stage IIIA er/pr+ Her2-
2/02 MRM
FECx6 radsx33
Tamoxifen - Arimidex (chemo induced menopause)
4/03 SM w/bilat. recon.
9/03 expanders removed
5/04 repair reconst. disaster
10/04 Actonel for bone/joint pain from Arimidex
NED - 5 years
3/07 Diabetes
In memory of Kim 12/1/04

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