After discovering that the old regimen Faslode and Xgeva aren't working the doctors office has been working with my insurance, special prescription program for the insurance, etc to get a new protocol approved and in place.
They are trying to arrange for me to take Armasin, another hormone blocker (technically it is a aromatase inhibitor, which is commonly used as a second line of defense when the patient builds up a resistance to Faslodex. But the magic bullet is the addition of Afinitor, a medicine used in the treatment of other cancers, but was very recently tested in treatment of metastatic breast cancer. You can read about the success of the study here. Women in the study were found to go 2x longer without the advance of the disease, but that 2x is the difference between 3 and 7 months. I wish that it was years and years.
So, why this treatment? Why not something more aggressive?
Metastatic Breast Cancer is at least a chronic condition, but it is generally a terminal diagnosis. I have been hopeful that somehow a miracle would take the cancer into a non-advancing and undetectable state. That isn't happening yet. The reality is that the use of Afinitor and Armasin (The Double A's) is a less toxic choice. If it can treat the cancer for now, then I don't have to use chemo again yet.
Chemo is a poison that kills more than just the cancer cells. Treatments like AA are targeted therapies and do not do the damage to the rest of the body that chemo does. So, when the time comes, which it likely will, when I have to use chemo again my body will be less beat-up. At some point, patients who have to take chemo after chemo find their body can't tolerate it any more, and possibly that the cancer won't respond to it any longer. Using AA will allow me more options in the future.
And what is the cost of this magic drug showing such promise? Right now the insurance company is still reviewing the request for approval, but if they approve it they will help pay for it, great idea considering the cost, you can see that here, although these are Canadian drug sellers, American pharmacy costs are about the same.
But, here is where the Canadian CED says that the cost is so high the the value of doubling the length of time a patient has advancement of their disease isn't worth it, and here you see other countries agree. So, the doctors office begins working on financial assistance at the same time they are working on approval with insurance.
Anyway, no matter the cost and choice that is made it is time for this process to get moving along. This week would be my week for the next treatment of the old regimen, so the drugs will be out of my system for the introduction of the new regimen.
I have been looking for new ways to help my body fight through whole foods and supplements again. Today I went to Whole Foods and purchased Flax Oil for a new smoothie have learned about. I also bought Shitake mushrooms ($14.99/lb.) because I read about their power in "Waking the Warrior Goddess" book. I went to Costco for more CoQ10. I bought fruit and veggies and $$$ later I came home too tired to care if I eat or not. I went for a couple fists full of chips - quick and easy. I think I will have a smoothie for dinner now and go to bed.
Keep close to hear about the shitake mushrooms and other new foods I am going to try.
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