Targeted therapy

[Anita-B]

Hi everyone just wondering if anyone has ha DNA testing for more specific targeted treatment, it is not yet available on the NHS but you can have it done privately. My understanding is it helps to identify the drugs that you will respond to best. It will not cure cancer but may help to slow it down or help to keep it at bay. Has anyone else had this done? Can you give me any information or advice. Thanks

[Debster2016]

Hello Anita-B. No I didn't hear or read about this type of process in relation to breast cancer but if I remember correctly and if I am right then a friend of mine's husband who had colo-rectal cancer received targeted therapies (again if my memory serves me she called it monoclonal antibodies) and she asked me if it had been mentioned to me and was surprised when I said no.

Have you looked it up on NICE website? And I've just had a quick surf and I see what you mean! And I see that her+ breast cancer can receive targeted therapy in the shape of herceptin but don't think it's DNA identified........l

Do let us know the outcome? If I knew what private options had been available I would have seriously considered them.

Wishing you the best xx

[Hidden in reply to Debster2016]

Hi there , there are only a few targeted treatments at the moment , for melanoma, lung cancer , colorectal cancer and breast cancer , but only where there are specific proteins or mutations , as Deb says HER2+ breast cancer is the only type which has a targeted therapy, Herceptin , and more recently Perjeta , along with some newer ones such as Kadclya and Neratinib - they are very expensive drugs and have strict guidelines on who and how they are given to patients.

Jo x

[SurreySurvivor in reply to Hidden]

I was lucky enough to be on a clinical trial of Kadcyla + Perjeta through the US Military. (I credit it with -knock on wood- saving my life.) I am also starting Nerlynx (neratinib) now. All of my care is through the US Military (not NHS). But, hopefully, Nerlynx will be available through the NHS soon.

Kadcyla is a great med! I was stage 4 with tumors visible to her neck. Herceptin was no longer working. Her doctors told her to get her affairs in order. She started Kadcyla. She is now NED (no evidence of disease) and going on 13 years since dx.