How Edith got the treatment she needed
How did Edith go from metastatic ER positive breast cancer to complete remission?
“CTOAM has been instrumental in achieving this milestone. Love you all!!!”
– Edith
Edith had already battled cancer several times, many years ago (first with ovarian and then with breast cancer)…and she had won every time.
But, like so many cancer stories, her breast cancer eventually returned – and, this time, with a vengeance: it had now metastasized.
Edith was desperate to NOT go on chemo again.
So she decided it was time to seek other treatment options…
She gave us a call and booked a Precision Second Opinion with our lead cancer expert, Alex Rolland.
And that’s when things started to look up for Edith…
Within a year of going on the treatment we recommended for her, Edith became cancer-free!
However, as any cancer patient will know, the journey was not straightforward.
Read on to find out how Edith finally got the targeted treatment she needed and achieved complete remission from metastatic breast cancer.
Why Edith reached out for help
Edith is a 74-year-old woman who was diagnosed and treated for ovarian cancer in 2001 and then again for estrogen positive breast cancer in 2015.
By 2021, Edith’s breast cancer had returned – and this time it had spread. Her doctor encouraged her to go on chemo again…but she refused based on her previous negative experience with it.
That’s when she first decided to call us. She booked a Precision Second Opinion and spoke with our lead cancer expert, Alex Rolland. We immediately got the ball rolling for Edith. There was no time to waste.
Researching treatment options for metastatic breast cancer
The first step was to determine whether chemo would, in fact, be of any benefit to Edith. Our team discovered, and shared, data from the recent RxPONDER trial, which showed there was no benefit with chemotherapy compared with estrogen therapy in post-menopause patients with her diagnosis.
We also provided data that showed there were significant benefits from CDK4/6 inhibitors in recurrent and metastatic ER positive breast cancers.
So: the science showed that Edith would actually benefit more from NOT having chemo and instead going on newer treatments with fewer side effects!
Edith presented this data to her oncologist, but – unfortunately – her oncologist refused to recommend these newer treatments and instead urged her again to do standard chemotherapy using Docetaxel and Capecitabine. Edith decided to stick with her current doctor and follow his suggestions. In late 2021, Edith started chemotherapy.
By March 2022, Edith had had enough of the chemotherapy. Additionally, the chemo had not worked as well as her oncologist had hoped.
She decided, once more, that it was again time to take matters into her own hands…and this time she would make decisions about her treatment that felt best for her.
So Edith reached out to us again to pursue superior treatments.
She was determined to get better, to beat cancer, and to get back to living her life feeling as good as possible!
Tumor DNA sequencing for metastatic breast cancer
The next step to help Edith was to gather more data about her diagnosis. Our team needed to know the molecular features of her cancer in order to be able to find the best targeted treatment options for her. We immediately ordered a tumour DNA sequencing panel for Edith. Interestingly, the results identified that she had a pathogenic BRCA2 mutation.
In short, this gene is involved in repairing damage to DNA and increases risk of getting a variety of cancers. Moreover, this mutation had already been identified in Edith back in 2008 – but, for some reason, her doctors did not act on it. Edith had not been monitored properly for recurrence and/or new cancers.
Our team shared this data with her oncologist, along with data that showed the benefits of a class of drugs called PARP inhibitors for Edith’s specific diagnosis and her cancer’s molecular features.
Luckily, this time her doctor agreed to prescribe Olaparib (a PARP inhibitor).
Inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activity induces synthetic lethality in mutated BRCA1/2 cancers by selectively targeting tumor cells that fail to repair DNA double strand breaks (DSBs).
Achieving complete remission
Edith began this new treatment that we recommended…and, less than a year later (in April 2023), she sent us an email with the incredible news:
She is officially cancer free!!
She had an exceptional resolution of her lymph and bone metastasis, as well as her ascites…all thanks to the treatment that our cancer expert, Alex Rolland, recommended for her. Edith shared that she was feeling better than she has in a long time and thanked us for helping her achieve this incredible result.
How you can get the same results!
There are two main ways that folks usually start with us:
1. Get a FREE Cancer Care Strategy Session
This is a 30-min discussion with our team to educate you on what Precision Cancer Medicine is, and how to navigate the healthcare system to access better cancer care options beyond standard care alone. You may invite family members or friends to join our call and you can also record it if you like.
2. Book a Precision Second Opinion
Most of our clients begin with this option from the get-go, because it provides you with immediate treatment recommendations proven to be more effective than what you’re currently on. Our cancer expert, Alex Rolland, will speak with you 1:1 about your case, conduct personalized research beforehand, and provide you with a written report to show you doctor (if you choose). The call is recorded for you to reference anytime in future and/or show your loved ones and treatment team. It is the fastest way to start improving your chance of beating cancer and ensuring you have the best chance of remaining cancer-free.
Rest assured: we can help!
No matter where you are at or what type of cancer you have
We can almost always help patients, no matter what stage they are at, as long as the person is still able to tolerate treatment (and targeted treatments are usually far better tolerated than standard treatments). Our team has even helped many stage 4 patients, like Lilian and Korey, to enter long-term remission – after their doctors had told them there were no more options left!
on May 20, 2023