In 2005 I walked the Susan Komen Three-Day. What an experience that was. Darn near killed me but I bet George that I would walk every inch of the 60 miles. It was in memory of my mom Mary Voda Daniels who died of breast cancer; it was in honor of my co-mother-in-law Linda Siegle who was diagnosed the same year I was and who also had a double mastectomy -- and who also has survived. (She and I were born the same day, same year. My son married her daughter.) And it was in gratitude to my oncologist Ben Chue, MD. The Seattle PI interviewed me the following autumn -- entire article is here:
http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/health/article/Living-Well-Doctor-s-bold-step-paid-off-for-his-1186197.php#ixzz1YzvG3qyx
During the summer there was advance word about the promising clinical trials for a breast cancer drug called Herceptin.... And rightfully so. Herceptin appears to be a direct and effective match for many women with tumors that churn out too much of a protein called HER2. About 20 percent of breast cancer patients are HER2-related cases....The drug doesn't help every single HER2 patient -- common among medications -- but that didn't stop early buzz about the Herceptin trials in July when Catherine Daniels participated in a three-day, 60-mile walk for breast cancer.
"Everyone was talking about it," said Daniels, 58, a breast cancer survivor. "Every day."
Daniels got a chance to tell her story to fellow walkers. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2000...While browsing the Internet, she found out about Seattle Cancer Treatment and Wellness Center, known for its integrative medicine approachD
Dr. Chue talked to George and me about Herceptin and asked us to consider trying it. Before I'd met with him I had read the book Her-2: The Making of Herceptin, a Revolutionary Treatment for Breast Cancer and sort of understood in a foggy way. Wasn't sure it was the best thing to do and asked him how this Her-2 thing is measured and he said "A scale of one to three."
I asked, "Where do I fall?" "Three-plus," he said, "If you were my mother I would strongly encourage you to do this." So I did. And I'm alive now. Don't think it would have this happy an ending without Herceptin because these tumors tend to be "aggressive and resistant to treatment". As it was I had three tumors and the disease had spread to my lymph nodes.
Fast forward to the present. My beautiful niece Leigh has done.the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and mentioned Mom and me on her webpage: http://info.avonfoundation.org/site/TR/Walk/LosAngeles?px=6205640&pg=personal&fr_id=2060
I got my credit card ready and was just about to go there and click my donation -- I was closing a news site when I read this about a "Holy Grail" treatment for breast cancer:
The new drug combines an existing drug, Herceptin, which revolutionised breast cancer treatment 10 years ago, and a new anti- cancer treatment. It is the first time two drugs have been used in this way.
My bolding. Entire article is here: ://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/273486
I've learned that many cancer treatments are introduced with a great fanfare (think Interferon) and then quietly fade away. So we'll see if this one really is the grail or another tin cup.
Meanwhile, Leigh and thousands of other walkers are helping to cure this awful disease, one step at a time. Thank you so much, Leigh and all of you. Thank you.
Note for my family below:
