Not much new to report...Linda continues to struggle with the coughing and the shortness of breath....we think she will be going on oxygen assistance soon....
We have been meeting with our new trust attorney.....things are really complicated..... particularly with the government not taking any action to protect changes which will sunset January 1st....
We continue to finish up projects here and there...the end is in sight....
Oregon Ducks win again today.....beat USC.....
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Thursday....October 28th...2010
Actually it is just beyond the 28th into the 29th....oh well...Four Pillars of Radiation Medicine
Linda had her time with the radiation people today and got scanned and tattooed and all....this is to make sure the radiation hits the exact spot and does so every time....she starts Tuesday and goes every weekday for 10 days..and then chemo in the three week cycles. If anyone wants to take her to a session of radiation..which the actual radiation session from beginning to end is but a few minutes....and get to ride the tram up to the hospital and back.....let us know...her first session is 12:40 pm on Tuesday and on that day we are supposed to hear the times after that.... she also has a bone builder infusion at 2:30 pm down below on the waterfront....
Dr. Holland went out of his way to come over to see Linda today..a very nice man...he was honored in 2010 in the Portland Monthly as one of the top doctors in Radiation Oncology in Portland....not surprised....
.
Dr. John Holland, MD
Faculty Rank: Associate Professor
Department: Radiation Medicine
Degree: University of Washington in St. Louis, Missouri
Residency: University of California, San Franciso
Certification: American Board of Radiology (Radiation Oncology)
Awards: Dr. Holland selected as Outstanding Faculty Teacher Award recipient for the 2nd consecutive year. The housestaff has selected Dr. Holland for 2006 and 2007, as the recipient of this honor.
Interest and Accomplishments:
Dr. Holland specializes in treating Thoracic and Head and Neck malignancies. He did his residency at the University of California, San Francisco. He joined the medical staff at OHSU in 1994. He chairs the weekly Lung Cancer Conference. He is the program director for the radiation oncology residency program.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Wednesday.....October 27th...2010
On with the radiation....
Linda met with the radiation oncologist today......nice man....
Anyway, long story short...Linda is going to proceed with the radiation effort...trying to stop the shortness and coughing.....he emphasized there are no guarantees...but Linda decided to see what can happen.....she goes back in tomorrow to do the "simulation", that is, to get set up for the radiation sessions which will start early next week. The simulation will involved another CT Scan and mapping the area to be radiated....tattoos again if necessary....
The biggest risk is that this will not work...the second risk is further damage to the lung....which he indicated will be minimal. They will pinpoint the radiation to avoid burning the esophagus (like last time) at all costs or to impact the aorta.....
The radiation will be given over two weeks followed by the chemo.....
Linda will start steroids again which will reduce the inflammation from the radiation.....
More tomorrow...
Jim is over for dinner tonight and to watch the World Series...Linda is in good spirits.....Maureen came to visit today...she is funny in a good way.....and brightened Linda's day early....
Linda met with the radiation oncologist today......nice man....
Anyway, long story short...Linda is going to proceed with the radiation effort...trying to stop the shortness and coughing.....he emphasized there are no guarantees...but Linda decided to see what can happen.....she goes back in tomorrow to do the "simulation", that is, to get set up for the radiation sessions which will start early next week. The simulation will involved another CT Scan and mapping the area to be radiated....tattoos again if necessary....
The biggest risk is that this will not work...the second risk is further damage to the lung....which he indicated will be minimal. They will pinpoint the radiation to avoid burning the esophagus (like last time) at all costs or to impact the aorta.....
The radiation will be given over two weeks followed by the chemo.....
Linda will start steroids again which will reduce the inflammation from the radiation.....
More tomorrow...
Jim is over for dinner tonight and to watch the World Series...Linda is in good spirits.....Maureen came to visit today...she is funny in a good way.....and brightened Linda's day early....
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday....October 25th...2010
Hard to get things done outside when it shines for 10 (at least a partial shine)..and then dumps a lot of rain as soon as I go outside to accomplish something....
Linda has a meeting with the radiology oncologist Wednesday to determine whether radiation will help her breathing and coughing...if she is qualified she will begin two weeks of daily radiation followed by the 3 week cycles of chemo..if she is turned down on the radiation she will start the chemo cycles immediately...
Claudia came over and gave great support to Linda today.....and Dave too.....we enjoy her visits..she is a delight....we need to move her in full time....
On November 20 our children....Jim...Wendy....Jeff...Janine...and spouses...are putting together an EVENT to celebrate Linda and Dave's 30th wedding Anniversary to be held in downtown Portland from 12 to 4:30 in the afternoon....if you have already committed to come or sent regrets or plan to please ignore this...if this is your first notice and wish to attend, please leave a "comment" so you can be contacted...
Attached please see the picture we received by email today...it is the picture taken of us during our participation in Wings Listening Heart in late September.....
.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday....October 24th...2010
Linda is doing pretty good...looks a bit tired and was somewhat out of breath today....has happened before and she bounces back..we shall see...in good humor though.Perhaps tomorrow we will hear something from the Radiologist...we look forward to seeing if Linda has some radfiation coming to relieve the coughing....
Today it rained and rained..fall is here for sure and we face our first winter of rain and all..such a difference not being aware that it is snowing in the mountains and most likely in Central
Oregon...
Oregon...
Dinner tonight here at the Canby home with Jenn and Jim and Janine and her and our friend Scott....a dear friend from Champ Car days....
Friday, October 22, 2010
Friday......October 22....2010
Thank you all for the supportive comments during this difficult "bump in my road". It's amazing that I made it through without a tear. I hate to think I'm becoming used to these "bumps".
I'm anxious to meet with the radiation oncologist about radiation to help with the coughing. My upper left lobe is collapsed, which causes the cough and shortness of breath. The oncologist must decide whether too much time has gone by since the collapse to help the problem. If not, Dr. Sandler is not sure what else to do to relieve my cough which is definitely a quality of life issue for me.
Claudia came for brunch and a good visit today. I actually had a good day today (I'm sure the company helped). I felt emotionally stronger, and until tonight didn't do a lot of coughing.
Love and gratitude......Linda
I'm anxious to meet with the radiation oncologist about radiation to help with the coughing. My upper left lobe is collapsed, which causes the cough and shortness of breath. The oncologist must decide whether too much time has gone by since the collapse to help the problem. If not, Dr. Sandler is not sure what else to do to relieve my cough which is definitely a quality of life issue for me.
Claudia came for brunch and a good visit today. I actually had a good day today (I'm sure the company helped). I felt emotionally stronger, and until tonight didn't do a lot of coughing.
Love and gratitude......Linda
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Thursday....October 21st...2010
Another very complicated day....things have gotten more difficult as decisions have to be made as to directions to take with the clinical trials and targeted therapies not in the picture anymore.
Linda showed today to begin the chemo program only to find that an infection she had been fighting might hold things off.....but a test showed she had successfully completed getting rid of the infection and could have proceeded....but in the meantime, a discussion with the Oncologist took place regarding the cough that has been a big thing in disrupting Linda's quality of life.
Long story short.....Linda decided to set the chemotherapy back a while and explore radiation as an option to deal with the area of the lung...which clearly showed the problem....that is the source of the coughing. She will meet with the Radiation Oncologist either tomorrow or most likely Monday to see if radiation is a viable option...and if so radiation would take place daily for two weeks followed by the chemotherapy.
The ostomy take down was discussed and it was agreed that it is no longer a viable option.....the surgery would be too hard on Linda and definitely not worth the trouble....
The Oncologist was clear that there is no way out of this at this point..nor anything on the horizon....no other clinical trials or miracle drug or....what is going to happen at this point is to use a variety of available drugs to keep the cancer from getting too far ahead....
Our discussion with the Oncologist covered what has happened over the past few months and he understood the "rollar coaster" ride Linda has been on....and indicated it was not abnormal to have this occur at this stage in the process.....some things not clear to us at the time now make sense in looking back and hearing from the doctor.
Linda has decided to be upbeat and not worried about statistics....she looks to the support of her friends and family....as we have heard many times...attitude and surroundings can have a significant impact on duration and quality of life....so she looks to you for support....again, it is not about worrying about what happened or the unfairness of it all....it's about being in the moment..living it. As the sign at the store as we traveled home said "Every day is a new day unless we drag in the past"
Linda showed today to begin the chemo program only to find that an infection she had been fighting might hold things off.....but a test showed she had successfully completed getting rid of the infection and could have proceeded....but in the meantime, a discussion with the Oncologist took place regarding the cough that has been a big thing in disrupting Linda's quality of life.
Long story short.....Linda decided to set the chemotherapy back a while and explore radiation as an option to deal with the area of the lung...which clearly showed the problem....that is the source of the coughing. She will meet with the Radiation Oncologist either tomorrow or most likely Monday to see if radiation is a viable option...and if so radiation would take place daily for two weeks followed by the chemotherapy.
The ostomy take down was discussed and it was agreed that it is no longer a viable option.....the surgery would be too hard on Linda and definitely not worth the trouble....
The Oncologist was clear that there is no way out of this at this point..nor anything on the horizon....no other clinical trials or miracle drug or....what is going to happen at this point is to use a variety of available drugs to keep the cancer from getting too far ahead....
Our discussion with the Oncologist covered what has happened over the past few months and he understood the "rollar coaster" ride Linda has been on....and indicated it was not abnormal to have this occur at this stage in the process.....some things not clear to us at the time now make sense in looking back and hearing from the doctor.
Linda has decided to be upbeat and not worried about statistics....she looks to the support of her friends and family....as we have heard many times...attitude and surroundings can have a significant impact on duration and quality of life....so she looks to you for support....again, it is not about worrying about what happened or the unfairness of it all....it's about being in the moment..living it. As the sign at the store as we traveled home said "Every day is a new day unless we drag in the past"
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Wednesday....October 20th...2010
A most disappointing day today...Linda received a phone call this morning from the clinical trials coordinator telling her she has been removed from the clinical trial she was scheduled for.....a most disappointing bit of news, after having spent the last month and a half waiting for this trial and having wasted the previous 2 and a half months on Tarceva that didn't work.
Why?
Because Linda had radiation in her initial treatment.....and the folks behind the trial said that radiation damages the heart and therefore the risk of further damage would be increased and also would affect the results of the trial...and..and...
After a morning of some miscommunication, Linda's Oncologist called and apologized for the miscommunication and let her know she would start tomorrow on a chemo...specifically Docetaxel.
Linda still had the CT Scan today but all other tests were canceled.....the CT Scan will let the Oncologist know what is causing the increased coughing.
After the Scan, Linda went to the OHSU Oncology Center to get her needle insertion removed....we gave the nurse coordinator a note for the Oncologist to read so we could have a discussion tomorrow prior to the infusion of the Docetaxel.....specifically we want to know what the general prognosis looks like now.....where are we?......what are the options?......are there other trials?....etc...etc....can we get back what Linda lost over the past 4 months...etc...etc...
So now we move forward....what Linda doesn't need is a rehash of what happened today or the unfairness or an alternative treatment or whatever...she could just use some gentle words of support with a positive intention....having to explain everything or engage in a less than positive discussion is wearing on her physical condition, specifically the cough and also on her mental well being....I think most will get the picture....
Docetaxel (trade name Taxotere) is a clinically well established anti-mitotic chemotherapy medication (that is, it interferes with cell division). It is used mainly for the treatment of breast, ovarian, and non-small cell lung cancer. Docetaxel has an FDA approved claim for treatment of patients who have locally advanced, or metastatic breast or non small-cell lung cancer who have undergone anthracycline-based chemotherapy and failed to stop cancer progression or relapsed.
Administered as a one-hour infusion every three weeks generally over a ten cycle course.....
Docetaxel is of the chemotherapy drug class; taxane, and is a semi-synthetic analogue of paclitaxel (Taxol), an extract from the rare Pacific yew tree Taxus brevifolia.
Why?
Because Linda had radiation in her initial treatment.....and the folks behind the trial said that radiation damages the heart and therefore the risk of further damage would be increased and also would affect the results of the trial...and..and...
After a morning of some miscommunication, Linda's Oncologist called and apologized for the miscommunication and let her know she would start tomorrow on a chemo...specifically Docetaxel.
Linda still had the CT Scan today but all other tests were canceled.....the CT Scan will let the Oncologist know what is causing the increased coughing.
After the Scan, Linda went to the OHSU Oncology Center to get her needle insertion removed....we gave the nurse coordinator a note for the Oncologist to read so we could have a discussion tomorrow prior to the infusion of the Docetaxel.....specifically we want to know what the general prognosis looks like now.....where are we?......what are the options?......are there other trials?....etc...etc....can we get back what Linda lost over the past 4 months...etc...etc...
So now we move forward....what Linda doesn't need is a rehash of what happened today or the unfairness or an alternative treatment or whatever...she could just use some gentle words of support with a positive intention....having to explain everything or engage in a less than positive discussion is wearing on her physical condition, specifically the cough and also on her mental well being....I think most will get the picture....
Docetaxel (trade name Taxotere) is a clinically well established anti-mitotic chemotherapy medication (that is, it interferes with cell division). It is used mainly for the treatment of breast, ovarian, and non-small cell lung cancer. Docetaxel has an FDA approved claim for treatment of patients who have locally advanced, or metastatic breast or non small-cell lung cancer who have undergone anthracycline-based chemotherapy and failed to stop cancer progression or relapsed.
Administered as a one-hour infusion every three weeks generally over a ten cycle course.....
Docetaxel is of the chemotherapy drug class; taxane, and is a semi-synthetic analogue of paclitaxel (Taxol), an extract from the rare Pacific yew tree Taxus brevifolia.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Monday...October 18th...2010
A visit with and examination by Linda's Oncologist today as well as time with the clinical trial coordinator.
This is what we learned today....
The infusion of the STA 9090 is so concentrated that it cannot be infused through Linda's port...it actually deteriorates a port over time so it must be done through a vein....
The process will continue as long as it is determined that the trial is effective which means maintenance or better....
There can actually be improvement rather than just staying "even"....
Linda will get a CT scan every 6 weeks to determine the effectiveness of the trial.....
Linda will get a CT scan this Wednesday as well as an MRI and EKG and Eco cardiogram to make sure she is physically acceptable for the trial......the Oncologist will also examine the scan to see if there is a reason showing up which might explain the increase coughing.....which, if so, might lead to radiation or increased medication...we shall see.....
There is one other patient at OHSU, with lung cancer, who is on this clinical trial and in his second month...
If the trial is not effective, Linda will be taken off immediately and then given traditional infusions of chemo types.....
The side effects should be minimal with some nausea and perhaps lower intestinal issues...both dealt with in anticipation with meds....
This is about what we remember from today...Linda wants this trial to reverse what she has lost over the last 4 months..if she can return to how she felt 4 months ago, she will declare it a victory...
This is what we learned today....
The infusion of the STA 9090 is so concentrated that it cannot be infused through Linda's port...it actually deteriorates a port over time so it must be done through a vein....
The process will continue as long as it is determined that the trial is effective which means maintenance or better....
There can actually be improvement rather than just staying "even"....
Linda will get a CT scan every 6 weeks to determine the effectiveness of the trial.....
Linda will get a CT scan this Wednesday as well as an MRI and EKG and Eco cardiogram to make sure she is physically acceptable for the trial......the Oncologist will also examine the scan to see if there is a reason showing up which might explain the increase coughing.....which, if so, might lead to radiation or increased medication...we shall see.....
There is one other patient at OHSU, with lung cancer, who is on this clinical trial and in his second month...
If the trial is not effective, Linda will be taken off immediately and then given traditional infusions of chemo types.....
The side effects should be minimal with some nausea and perhaps lower intestinal issues...both dealt with in anticipation with meds....
This is about what we remember from today...Linda wants this trial to reverse what she has lost over the last 4 months..if she can return to how she felt 4 months ago, she will declare it a victory...
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sunday....October 17th...2010
Nice day today...we went to the largest Costco in the world in Hillsboro ...."been there...done that....no need to do it again".....
Linda did well today...still coughing...tomorrow....Oncologist...noon...7th floor.....Knight Center.....OHSU.....
Linda did well today...still coughing...tomorrow....Oncologist...noon...7th floor.....Knight Center.....OHSU.....
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Saturday....October 16th...2010
Many little projects to work on this past two days and then again tomorrow...with doctor visit as the priority on Monday......a picture of some work done with pavers next.
Two sets of visitors today for Linda....Nancy and her brother Jim came by...wonderful friends from our racing days....then Linda's sister Karen and husband Ray, came by and we dined together....a very nice visit....visitors are good for Linda.
Linda's cough continues to worsen..we will have that on our list of concerns for the Oncologist on Monday...
.
Two sets of visitors today for Linda....Nancy and her brother Jim came by...wonderful friends from our racing days....then Linda's sister Karen and husband Ray, came by and we dined together....a very nice visit....visitors are good for Linda.
Linda's cough continues to worsen..we will have that on our list of concerns for the Oncologist on Monday...
.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Thursday....October 14th..2010
Linda has "perked" up significantly with the acceptance in a clinical trial.....all doctor visits and tests are in place with the first infusion to begin next Thursday....
For more information on the clinical trial....
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01031225?term=NCT01031225&rank=1
http://clinicaltrialsfeeds.org/clinical-trials/show/NCT01031225
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20100913/Synta-expands-STA-9090-Phase-2-clinical-trial-in-NSCLC.aspx
Other things...good weather today....final stretch of fencing about done....got to see game 3 of the seaon for the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight..which they won..they have won the first three games of the season...Mrs. Wood cooked dinner tonight...tasty calzone....good for her....
If you can understand below..Linda is the "wild wild" they talk about...70% with 70% success rate.......she is in the Phase 2 clinical trial....
Synta expands STA-9090 Phase 2 clinical trial in NSCLC
13. September 2010 09:24
Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. (NASDAQ: SNTA), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule drugs to treat severe medical conditions, today announced that it was expanding its Phase 2 clinical trial of STA-9090 in patients with Stage IIIB and Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from up to 69 patients to up to 146 patients based on encouraging activity observed in the first stage of the two stage clinical trial. STA-9090 is a potent, second-generation, small-molecule Hsp90 inhibitor, with a chemical structure unrelated to the first-generation, ansamycin family of Hsp90 inhibitors (e.g., 17-AAG or IPI-504).
"This NSCLC trial is enrolling patients into cohorts defined by the mutational status of key genes in order to identify cancer types especially responsive to STA-9090," said Vojo Vukovic, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Synta Pharmaceuticals. "In the first stage of this trial we have seen exactly that; patients with EGFR and KRAS wild type, representing over 70% of all NSCLC, have shown a high disease control rate, over 70%. This early signal, combined with the objective responses seen following treatment with STA-9090, is very encouraging, particularly as the patients have been heavily pretreated and are refractory to many standard of care drugs. Also encouraging is that STA-9090 continues to be well tolerated at the 200mg/m2 once-weekly schedule, without the serious hepatic or ocular toxicities observed with other Hsp90 inhibitors. Based on these findings, we worked closely with investigators, modified the protocol, and expanded the trial in order to confirm and further characterize the observed activity in this group of patients. We expect to report on additional results from this trial, as well as plans for future trials in lung cancer, later this year or early next year."
Synta also announced that the Phase 2 trial will allow for the first focused evaluation of STA-9090 combination therapy in NSCLC. An additional cohort was created to allow certain patients to receive treatment with both STA-9090 and docetaxel. Clinical and preclinical results provide a strong rationale for combining taxanes and Hsp90 inhibitors, with the potential for synergistic activity.
STA-9090
Hsp90 Inhibitor
Program Overview
About STA-9090
STA-9090 is a potent, second-generation, small-molecule heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor, being developed for treating multiple solid tumor and hematologic cancers.
STA-9090 was discovered and developed internally at Synta and has a chemical structure unrelated to the first-generation, ansamycin family of Hsp90 inhibitors such as 17-AAG or IPI-504. In preclinical studies, STA-9090 has shown potency up to 100 times greater than the first-generation Hsp90 inhibitors as well as activity against a wider range of kinases. In in vitro and in vivo models, STA-9090 has shown potent activity against a wide range of cancer types, including lung, prostate, colon, breast, gastric, pancreatic, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), melanoma, AML, chronic myeloid leukemia, Burkitt's lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and multiple myeloma - as well as potent activity against cancers resistant to imatinib (Gleevec®), sunitinib (Sutent®), erlotinib (Tarceva®), and dasatinib (Sprycel®).
Mechanism of Action
STA-9090 potently inhibits Hsp90, a chaperone protein required for the proper folding and activation of other cellular proteins, particularly kinases. Many of these "client proteins" of Hsp90—such as AKT, BCR-ABL, BRAF, KIT, MET, EGFR, FLT3, HER2, PDGFRA, VEGFR—have been shown to be critical to cancer cell growth, proliferation, and survival and are the targets of clinically validated and approved cancer drugs such as Gleevec, Avastin, Herceptin, Sutent, Nexavar, Tarceva, and Erbitux. In preclinical studies, inhibiting Hsp90 causes the degradation of multiple client proteins and leads to cancer cell death. Because mutated kinases which no longer respond to treatment with kinase inhibitors remain dependent on Hsp90 for their activity, inhibiting Hsp90 offers the potential for treating cancers that have become resistant to targeted therapies such as kinase inhibitors. We believe that inhibiting kinases indirectly, by disrupting the chaperone activities of Hsp90, provides two advantages: first, a means to simultaneously attack multiple cancer-promoting kinases; and second, an ability to kill tumor cells with mutated kinases that have lost responsiveness to a direct kinase inhibitor.
For more information on the clinical trial....
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01031225?term=NCT01031225&rank=1
http://clinicaltrialsfeeds.org/clinical-trials/show/NCT01031225
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20100913/Synta-expands-STA-9090-Phase-2-clinical-trial-in-NSCLC.aspx
Other things...good weather today....final stretch of fencing about done....got to see game 3 of the seaon for the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight..which they won..they have won the first three games of the season...Mrs. Wood cooked dinner tonight...tasty calzone....good for her....
If you can understand below..Linda is the "wild wild" they talk about...70% with 70% success rate.......she is in the Phase 2 clinical trial....
Synta expands STA-9090 Phase 2 clinical trial in NSCLC
13. September 2010 09:24
Synta Pharmaceuticals Corp. (NASDAQ: SNTA), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing small molecule drugs to treat severe medical conditions, today announced that it was expanding its Phase 2 clinical trial of STA-9090 in patients with Stage IIIB and Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) from up to 69 patients to up to 146 patients based on encouraging activity observed in the first stage of the two stage clinical trial. STA-9090 is a potent, second-generation, small-molecule Hsp90 inhibitor, with a chemical structure unrelated to the first-generation, ansamycin family of Hsp90 inhibitors (e.g., 17-AAG or IPI-504).
"This NSCLC trial is enrolling patients into cohorts defined by the mutational status of key genes in order to identify cancer types especially responsive to STA-9090," said Vojo Vukovic, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Synta Pharmaceuticals. "In the first stage of this trial we have seen exactly that; patients with EGFR and KRAS wild type, representing over 70% of all NSCLC, have shown a high disease control rate, over 70%. This early signal, combined with the objective responses seen following treatment with STA-9090, is very encouraging, particularly as the patients have been heavily pretreated and are refractory to many standard of care drugs. Also encouraging is that STA-9090 continues to be well tolerated at the 200mg/m2 once-weekly schedule, without the serious hepatic or ocular toxicities observed with other Hsp90 inhibitors. Based on these findings, we worked closely with investigators, modified the protocol, and expanded the trial in order to confirm and further characterize the observed activity in this group of patients. We expect to report on additional results from this trial, as well as plans for future trials in lung cancer, later this year or early next year."
Synta also announced that the Phase 2 trial will allow for the first focused evaluation of STA-9090 combination therapy in NSCLC. An additional cohort was created to allow certain patients to receive treatment with both STA-9090 and docetaxel. Clinical and preclinical results provide a strong rationale for combining taxanes and Hsp90 inhibitors, with the potential for synergistic activity.
STA-9090
Hsp90 Inhibitor
Program Overview
About STA-9090
STA-9090 is a potent, second-generation, small-molecule heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor, being developed for treating multiple solid tumor and hematologic cancers.
STA-9090 was discovered and developed internally at Synta and has a chemical structure unrelated to the first-generation, ansamycin family of Hsp90 inhibitors such as 17-AAG or IPI-504. In preclinical studies, STA-9090 has shown potency up to 100 times greater than the first-generation Hsp90 inhibitors as well as activity against a wider range of kinases. In in vitro and in vivo models, STA-9090 has shown potent activity against a wide range of cancer types, including lung, prostate, colon, breast, gastric, pancreatic, gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), melanoma, AML, chronic myeloid leukemia, Burkitt's lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and multiple myeloma - as well as potent activity against cancers resistant to imatinib (Gleevec®), sunitinib (Sutent®), erlotinib (Tarceva®), and dasatinib (Sprycel®).
Mechanism of Action
STA-9090 potently inhibits Hsp90, a chaperone protein required for the proper folding and activation of other cellular proteins, particularly kinases. Many of these "client proteins" of Hsp90—such as AKT, BCR-ABL, BRAF, KIT, MET, EGFR, FLT3, HER2, PDGFRA, VEGFR—have been shown to be critical to cancer cell growth, proliferation, and survival and are the targets of clinically validated and approved cancer drugs such as Gleevec, Avastin, Herceptin, Sutent, Nexavar, Tarceva, and Erbitux. In preclinical studies, inhibiting Hsp90 causes the degradation of multiple client proteins and leads to cancer cell death. Because mutated kinases which no longer respond to treatment with kinase inhibitors remain dependent on Hsp90 for their activity, inhibiting Hsp90 offers the potential for treating cancers that have become resistant to targeted therapies such as kinase inhibitors. We believe that inhibiting kinases indirectly, by disrupting the chaperone activities of Hsp90, provides two advantages: first, a means to simultaneously attack multiple cancer-promoting kinases; and second, an ability to kill tumor cells with mutated kinases that have lost responsiveness to a direct kinase inhibitor.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Wednesday....October 13th...2010
More information is coming...here's what we know as of now.....
Linda will begin her clinical trial next Thursday....
On Monday, Linda meets with her Oncologist, Dr. Sandler, to assess her general health for the trial....as well as blood tests.
On Wednesday, Linda will have a CTscan, a brain MRI, an EKG, and a Echocardiogram.....all to assess her ability to participate in the trial.....
As we understand it, the trial involves an infusion once a week for three weeks and then one week off...
We are finding out more about the tumor biopsy.....it appears Linda is assessed as "wild-wild" for the two mutations.....this we are told is the best group to be in for the trial.....EFGR and KRAS mutations to be specific....beyond that we are just start to understand the specifics....
Again, the ostomy "take down" is not on the horizon now....
Linda will begin her clinical trial next Thursday....
On Monday, Linda meets with her Oncologist, Dr. Sandler, to assess her general health for the trial....as well as blood tests.
On Wednesday, Linda will have a CTscan, a brain MRI, an EKG, and a Echocardiogram.....all to assess her ability to participate in the trial.....
As we understand it, the trial involves an infusion once a week for three weeks and then one week off...
We are finding out more about the tumor biopsy.....it appears Linda is assessed as "wild-wild" for the two mutations.....this we are told is the best group to be in for the trial.....EFGR and KRAS mutations to be specific....beyond that we are just start to understand the specifics....
Again, the ostomy "take down" is not on the horizon now....
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Tuesday....October 12th...2010
Linda received a call from Dr. Sandler's nurse coordinator...to say Linda has been accepted into the "wild-wild" clinical trial.....and that the ostomy take down surgery scheduled for Friday has been postponed...
What does "wild-wild" mean and what are the percentages..and..and...we are not sure and will surely find out more in the next few days...it has to do with the mutation that Linda carries or doesn't carry...which qualifies her...that is a result of the testing that has taken so long.
Linda then got a call from the Clinical Trials coordinator saying that an echo cardiogram was needed before getting into the procedure...and that they would have to find a cancellation as they wanted to get going as soon as possible...Linda said we were ready to go at any time...the sooner the better.
As we understand it, the procedure will be in four week cycles with an infusion at the beginning of each week for three weeks and then the fourth week off.....with the fourth week, the patient feels pretty good...so travel and all are to be in the fourth week....beyond that we are in the dark...knowing we will know more soon.
What does "wild-wild" mean and what are the percentages..and..and...we are not sure and will surely find out more in the next few days...it has to do with the mutation that Linda carries or doesn't carry...which qualifies her...that is a result of the testing that has taken so long.
Linda then got a call from the Clinical Trials coordinator saying that an echo cardiogram was needed before getting into the procedure...and that they would have to find a cancellation as they wanted to get going as soon as possible...Linda said we were ready to go at any time...the sooner the better.
As we understand it, the procedure will be in four week cycles with an infusion at the beginning of each week for three weeks and then the fourth week off.....with the fourth week, the patient feels pretty good...so travel and all are to be in the fourth week....beyond that we are in the dark...knowing we will know more soon.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Monday.......October 11......2010
I still don't have the go ahead for my clinical trial. Dr. Sandler went up to talk to the pulmonologist doing the testing, and he just doesn't have all the answers yet. I'm going in to see the PA tomorrow to hopefully deal with my cough and lung pain in the meantime. Then on Wednesday I see the doctor doing my Friday surgery, so it will be a busy week. Hopefully, some of these medical issues can be relieved some. My quality of life has not been so good lately.
The weather cleared up today, so Dave got out to do some work. He's working on an indoor project right now. I'm not much help, but he's hanging in there on his own.
Mary is back home. I miss her company. It is so nice to have such close friends.
Love and gratitude.......Linda
The weather cleared up today, so Dave got out to do some work. He's working on an indoor project right now. I'm not much help, but he's hanging in there on his own.
Mary is back home. I miss her company. It is so nice to have such close friends.
Love and gratitude.......Linda
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Sunday...10 - 10 - 10
Dinner today with Janine and her room mate and cards....Janine won..
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Linda feeling some pain for the first time in her upper left lung.....she wants to get on with something...time has gone along too much between any treatment...so we will get that straight in the am...also she is scheduled for surgery Friday..with the clinical testing taking so long, either it will knock out the surgery or prolong the clinical treatment..we want the clinical work to begin immediately or the chemo...and the surgery follows when it can...again, tomorrow we will sort that out...
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Linda feeling some pain for the first time in her upper left lung.....she wants to get on with something...time has gone along too much between any treatment...so we will get that straight in the am...also she is scheduled for surgery Friday..with the clinical testing taking so long, either it will knock out the surgery or prolong the clinical treatment..we want the clinical work to begin immediately or the chemo...and the surgery follows when it can...again, tomorrow we will sort that out...
The weather is to warm up and get sunny again tomorrow so outside projects will prevail.....
Pictures of Janine and Linda at cards...
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Saturday, October 9, 2010
Saturday....October 9th...2010
Linda had a pretty good day..we are watching the Tampa Lightning hockey season opener at Tampa...great find on the Direct TV......the Lightning were ahead 4 to 0 a few minutes ago..now it's 4 to 3 with 9 minutes to go....
Oregon State beat Arizona ranked #9 today.....great game.....Oregon was not televised on Direct TV but should be ranked as high as #2 Monday....
ps...Lightning just scored again..yea!
Linda's dear friend Mary flew up to see Linda and then on to Vancouver to see her daughter and two grand children...all came over for lunch today and to work with Linda in making popcorn balls. See the kids and Linda in action in the kitchen...Mary is probably yucking it up as I though we had taken pictures of her and Linda....but...alas..forgot...that probably made Mary very happy.
Tomorrow we have dinner at daughter Janine's....
Friday, October 8, 2010
Friday Late...October 8th...2010
We are a bit upset..the clinical trials coordinator called today to tell Linda that the first test was still negative upon reexamination but the second possible trial was looking positive and she was not leaving her office until she heard the final result....we have not heard another word.
This is disappointing in that this is not the first time we have been told we would hear something and then not hear..in fact it has happened a few times...and should not happen...it is very unprofessional...and people are involved...
It has been over a month since the sample was taken through the biopsy..sending the sample to the wrong place...and telling us more than once something would happen and it didn't...not very good for a big hospital/university that employs the best...and Linda suffers as a result..
Monday we will deal with it.....swiftly.....and firmly......
This is disappointing in that this is not the first time we have been told we would hear something and then not hear..in fact it has happened a few times...and should not happen...it is very unprofessional...and people are involved...
It has been over a month since the sample was taken through the biopsy..sending the sample to the wrong place...and telling us more than once something would happen and it didn't...not very good for a big hospital/university that employs the best...and Linda suffers as a result..
Monday we will deal with it.....swiftly.....and firmly......
Friday AM.....October 8th..2010
Linda should hear today about her tests regarding the clinical trials....
Linda's dear friend Mary arrived yesterday..
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Here are some pictures of our hard labor on our almost almost finished Canby home....
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Tuesday Late...October 5th...2010
With an active computer again...here are some pictures downloaded from the time the computer was down..
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First picture is of sons Jim and Jeff..Jeff came to visit our new home after helping to move our furniture from Central Oregon..the second picture is of Linda's brother Marlin and sister Karen after a dinner we went to at Karen's house....the third picture is of dear friend Steve and wife Kathy who stopped to see our new home....the fourth picture is of the team working last week at Wings for the Listening Heart seminar and facilitator/owner Kris King.....you heard from many of the team on this blog......finally a picture of Linda resting between processes...
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First picture is of sons Jim and Jeff..Jeff came to visit our new home after helping to move our furniture from Central Oregon..the second picture is of Linda's brother Marlin and sister Karen after a dinner we went to at Karen's house....the third picture is of dear friend Steve and wife Kathy who stopped to see our new home....the fourth picture is of the team working last week at Wings for the Listening Heart seminar and facilitator/owner Kris King.....you heard from many of the team on this blog......finally a picture of Linda resting between processes...
Monday, October 4, 2010
Monday...October 4th..2010
Well..we are back online....using the main laptop with Verizon attached internet hardware...the good news is that with a recommitment to a 2 year agreement we have no out of pocket...now if HP will warranty the mini computer we are set..we shall see.
We made it home last night..a bit worn out...and a bit on overload...perhaps too much in the seminar with everything else going on...today is a much better day...
Doctor appointments starting at 9 am....finished about 2 pm....we have learned a lot...
First we met with Dr. Sandler the Oncologist...he said the test on one possible clinical trail was negative...and we knew that this one was a long shot with a 7% chance...he talked about finding out what was going on with the second test...he also discussed next steps if there was no clinical trails....a couple of chemos with a close monitoring to see how effective each was.
We then met with the clinical trial person who described what was going on...it seems there has been a series of screw ups which we didn't need...the Pulmonary folks sent the biopsy material off to the lab for examination..except..under the rules of clinical trials they sent it to the wrong lab...they were trying to be helpful but caused an unnecessary delay...so the tissue had to be retrieved (with the worry that there wouldn't be enough tissue left)...so the "negative" on the first test is being ignored and retesting is taking place....not that the hope on that one will be better of course...the second test is incubating and should be ready by Friday..so by next Monday we should know all and be proceeding on to a trial or on to a chemo...
We then met with the pre op folks for Linda's surgery which now has been moved to the 15th..she passed the pre op with flying colors..now a final pre test on the 13th and then into surgery on the 15th for the ostomy "take down".
We plan on being a bit "slowed down" for a day or two a recover from all of this and the seminar...some work around the house and nothing more...
Pictures..many of them..later...many thanks to our support staff comrades for their posts on our behalf...
We made it home last night..a bit worn out...and a bit on overload...perhaps too much in the seminar with everything else going on...today is a much better day...
Doctor appointments starting at 9 am....finished about 2 pm....we have learned a lot...
First we met with Dr. Sandler the Oncologist...he said the test on one possible clinical trail was negative...and we knew that this one was a long shot with a 7% chance...he talked about finding out what was going on with the second test...he also discussed next steps if there was no clinical trails....a couple of chemos with a close monitoring to see how effective each was.
We then met with the clinical trial person who described what was going on...it seems there has been a series of screw ups which we didn't need...the Pulmonary folks sent the biopsy material off to the lab for examination..except..under the rules of clinical trials they sent it to the wrong lab...they were trying to be helpful but caused an unnecessary delay...so the tissue had to be retrieved (with the worry that there wouldn't be enough tissue left)...so the "negative" on the first test is being ignored and retesting is taking place....not that the hope on that one will be better of course...the second test is incubating and should be ready by Friday..so by next Monday we should know all and be proceeding on to a trial or on to a chemo...
We then met with the pre op folks for Linda's surgery which now has been moved to the 15th..she passed the pre op with flying colors..now a final pre test on the 13th and then into surgery on the 15th for the ostomy "take down".
We plan on being a bit "slowed down" for a day or two a recover from all of this and the seminar...some work around the house and nothing more...
Pictures..many of them..later...many thanks to our support staff comrades for their posts on our behalf...
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Sunday...October...3rd...2010
Hello,
This is Montell and I am on the Listening Heart Couples Seminar with Linda and Dave. I want you all to know how blessed I feel to know this couple. Linda is a model and inspiration for me in the way she loves, encourages and supports Dave (even though he is a rascal). Chris, who wrote yesterday, is my rascal. Today Linda shared about how the out focus of being here in service to the seminar assists her to focus on something other than her illness. What an inspiration to us all when we get focused on problems and little details in our lives to remember that focusing on others can pull me right out of the yuck and muck!
For those that are concerned, Linda is doing well and hugging a ton of people right now. We hope she is soaking up all the positive energy and love!!!
This is Montell and I am on the Listening Heart Couples Seminar with Linda and Dave. I want you all to know how blessed I feel to know this couple. Linda is a model and inspiration for me in the way she loves, encourages and supports Dave (even though he is a rascal). Chris, who wrote yesterday, is my rascal. Today Linda shared about how the out focus of being here in service to the seminar assists her to focus on something other than her illness. What an inspiration to us all when we get focused on problems and little details in our lives to remember that focusing on others can pull me right out of the yuck and muck!
For those that are concerned, Linda is doing well and hugging a ton of people right now. We hope she is soaking up all the positive energy and love!!!
Sunday....October 3rd....2010
I have spent the last several days assisting Listening Heart with Dave and Linda. They have both inspired me and have left an indelible impression.
I realize this blog is about Linda's journey. And I would like to focus on the incredible gentleman who so graciously accompanies her.
The way Dave looks at Linda, whether it is a furtive, flirtatious glance, or a prolonged connection, creates a palpable presence of absolute, unconditional love. Dave relishes in the joy each moment with Linda brings him. Dave takes lightly those moments of "spilled milk" to which I have so freely given my energy. And he finds such joy in moments he shares with her, and with friends--moments I may have once considered trivial. I am certain that Linda's condition renders each moment as priceless and precious. And yet, non of us can guarantee that we will be sharing our next moment with the people we hold dearest.
Dave has been granted a beautiful gift in each moment he shares with this incredibly strong and beautiful woman. And I can say the same for each moment I spend with my children, with my lover, with my friends.
Dave has inspired me to embrace the gift of each moment shared with the people I love.
Linda, you are one lucky lady.
Jon B. Albertson, Listening Heart Assist Team, Oct 2010
I realize this blog is about Linda's journey. And I would like to focus on the incredible gentleman who so graciously accompanies her.
The way Dave looks at Linda, whether it is a furtive, flirtatious glance, or a prolonged connection, creates a palpable presence of absolute, unconditional love. Dave relishes in the joy each moment with Linda brings him. Dave takes lightly those moments of "spilled milk" to which I have so freely given my energy. And he finds such joy in moments he shares with her, and with friends--moments I may have once considered trivial. I am certain that Linda's condition renders each moment as priceless and precious. And yet, non of us can guarantee that we will be sharing our next moment with the people we hold dearest.
Dave has been granted a beautiful gift in each moment he shares with this incredibly strong and beautiful woman. And I can say the same for each moment I spend with my children, with my lover, with my friends.
Dave has inspired me to embrace the gift of each moment shared with the people I love.
Linda, you are one lucky lady.
Jon B. Albertson, Listening Heart Assist Team, Oct 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Saturday PM....October...2nd...2010
Saturday, Blog is posted by a new person in Linda's life. At this time she lays upon a pile of blankets cared for by a very Loving Husband. I just met Linda and Dave just 48 hours ago, it was at that time, I was reminded of what true love, marriage and friendship really look like. Not just described but a true living example. Linda, shines with a bright spiritual light. She is taken care of by a equal that no other can compare to. As I type this I am reminded that we live, love and share with the world around us in service always. And in the last 48 hours, I met a couple the world could use as an example of all those things. Blessings from Chris Elliott, not the Actor
Saturday...October 2nd...2010
Hi,I'm Kyle King and Linda and Dave are in Listening Heart and being in the seminar 100%. Linda is such an inspiration for how to choose to live your life. My leg hurt a little and I was going to tell the group...but I just couldn't get any sympathy. Oh well.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Friday...... October 1st....... 2010
Hello, this is LaVonne, a new Wings friend of Linda's.
We've worked together for two days here in Eugene. Linda is taking time to care for herself and is still very present and supportive in the seminar (she baked cookies this morning...). This is a couple's seminar and Linda and Dave bring the poignant reminder to live life IN THIS MOMENT. There is wonderful connection, story sharing, love, tears and laughter. For me personally, Linda is a reminder that I am the only one who can take care of me. I am blessed by her presence and example.
Monday Dave and Linda will be in Portland and up on "the hill" at OHSU.
We've worked together for two days here in Eugene. Linda is taking time to care for herself and is still very present and supportive in the seminar (she baked cookies this morning...). This is a couple's seminar and Linda and Dave bring the poignant reminder to live life IN THIS MOMENT. There is wonderful connection, story sharing, love, tears and laughter. For me personally, Linda is a reminder that I am the only one who can take care of me. I am blessed by her presence and example.
Monday Dave and Linda will be in Portland and up on "the hill" at OHSU.
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