CONTACTS 

SUBJECTS
Treatment During Remission to Avoid Recurrance of Breast Cancer with
Recurrence Metastatic Cancer Cure Impossible Due to High Risk Factor
Survival Not Positive Explanation for Recovering from Cancer
No Clinical Observable Symptoms of Cancer Delays Commencement of Sec
Femara Treatments Reduce Recurrence of Breast Cancer by 43% for Estr
Estrogen Breast Cancer Treatment Not Effective for Millie Because He

0908 -
0908 -    ..
0909 - Summary/Objective
0910 -
091001 - Follow up ref SDS 3 0000.
091002 -
091003 - Reuters reported today that...
091004 -
091005 -    1.  Femara reduced recurrence of breast cancer by 43% in a major
091006 -        5-year trial of about 5,200 women.  Scientists stopped the test
091007 -        half way through to allow all of the patients to take advantage
091008 -        of the stunning success rate. ref OF 1 0001  Femara is a new
091009 -        pill made by Swiss drugmaker Novartis. ref OF 1 4M5I
091011 -         ..
091012 -    2.  Letrozole is the generic name for Femara, and is one of a class
091013 -        of cancer drugs called aromatase inhibitors, which suppress the
091014 -        production of estrogen.  AstraZeneca has a drug of the same
091015 -        type called Arimidex. ref OF 1 4M96 and ref OF 1 4M4G
091017 -         ..
091018 -    3.  Breast cancer strikes again in one out of two women within five
091019 -        (5) or more years after diagnosis. ref OF 1 4M89
091021 -  ..
091022 - This report aligns with correspondence from people who have seen SDS
091023 - records on the Internet while searching for remedies after suffering
091024 - recurrence 5 years after initial symptoms and treatment for breast
091025 - cancer.  Reuter's reporting also adds urgency to inquiry from Doctor
091026 - Johnson on 030606 for proactive diagnostics, testing and treatment.
091027 - ref SDS 1 NE6F
091029 -  ..
091030 - Reuter's article continues...
091031 -
091032 -    4.  Tamoxifen is currently the most widely used treatment for
091033 -        breast cancer, but loses effectiveness after five years,
091034 -        ref OF 1 4M89, so the new treatments with Letrozole seems
091035 -        potentially significant for avoiding recurrence in 43% of
091036 -        patients after 5 years.
091038 -  ..
091039 - Seems curious that Doctor Johnson has not discussed treatments using
091040 - Tamoxifen during remission to avoid relapse and recurrence cited in
091041 - the article today.  On 030606 Doctor Johnson was asked about proactive
091042 - treatments and seemed to indicate at that time that prevention is not
091043 - effective for breast cancer. ref SDS 1 NE6F  He made a similar point
091044 - on 030710, ref SDS 2 7C6W, and went on to say that treatments become
091045 - less effective over time, but cited no evidence. ref SDS 2 OW3O  The
091046 - article today appears to support Doctor Johnson's theory in relation
091047 - to treatment using tamoxifen. ref SDS 0 4M89
091048 -
091049 -     [On 031205 did not discuss drug treatments to reduce chance of
091050 -     relapse. ref SDS 5 GX6G
091052 -  ..
091053 - Reuter's article continues...
091054 -
091055 -    5.  Tamoxifen works by blocking the estrogen receptor on cells --
091056 -        the molecular doorway that estrogen uses to get into cells.
091057 -        But it can also, paradoxically, stimulate this receptor.
091058 -        Scientists believe that over time, this stimulation becomes
091059 -        greater, interfering with tamoxifen's ability to prevent
091060 -        cancer. ref OF 1 4N35
091062 -  ..
091063 - Millie commented that her cancer is not related to estrogen and so
091064 - cannot be treated by tamoxifen, which is suggestive that letrozole
091065 - might not be effective for Millie.  What is the alternative treatment
091066 - to reduce the risk of relapse for the type of cancer Millie has?
091067 - Merely, because letrozole is more effective than tamoxifen for
091068 - preventing recurrence of estrogen-based breast cancer does not
091069 - necessarily mean it is not more effective than current measures for
091070 - preventing relapse in Millie's case.
091072 -  ..
091073 - What does the literature say?
091075 -  ..
091076 - Reuter's article continues...
091077 -
091078 -    6.  Aromatase inhibitors such as letrozole suppress the production
091079 -        of estrogen. Side effects include increased risk of
091080 -        osteoporosis, hot flashes, night sweats and pain in the bones,
091081 -        joints or back. ref OF 1 4N46
091083 -         ..
091084 -    7.  Since the recurrence rate for breast cancer is 50% within 5
091085 -        years, reducing this rate by 43% shown by the study is a sea
091086 -        change in the treatment of the most common form of breast
091087 -        cancer. ref OF 1 4M5P  The New England Journal of Medicine
091088 -        released the findings ahead of its Nov. 6 print issue because
091089 -        of their significance. ref OF 1 4M64  Doctors said the study
091090 -        offers a new direction to treat patients who have the
091091 -        hormone-receptor positive form of breast cancer in which
091092 -        estrogen fuels the cancer. ref OF 1 4M75
091093 -
091094 -
091096 -  ..
091097 - Submitted the following letter to Millie notifying about this
091098 - promsiing new treatment....
091099 -
091100 -
091101 -    1.  Subject: Relapse Reduced by 43% for Breast Cancer
091102 -        Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2003 08:32:25 -0700
091103 -        From: Rod Welch
091104 -        To: "Welch, Millie"
091106 -         ..
091107 -    2.  Mil,
091109 -         ..
091110 -        Here is the record on the article we discussed this morning
091111 -        that reports a major study showing that a new drug treatment
091112 -        reduced recurrence in 43% of patients for estrogen based
091113 -        cancer, cited in the article as the most common form of breast
091114 -        cancer. ref OF 1 0001
091115 -
091116 -            [On 031011 letter to Pam notified about this promising new
091117 -            treatment to reduce chances of relapse, and plan to discuss
091118 -            with Doctor Johnson in November. ref SDS 4 AG5M
091120 -         ..
091121 -    3.  The article says the new treatment significantly improves
091122 -        results using tamoxifen for treating estrogen based cancer.
091123 -        ref SDS 0 4M4G  You noted that your condition is unrelated to
091124 -        estrogen, and so the relevance of the new treatment is
091125 -        questionable, ref SDS 0 4N35 but may justify some talking
091126 -        points concerning the 5 year issue, when you meet with Doctor
091127 -        Johnson next month.
091129 -         ..
091130 -        Rod
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