Comments on: KRAS Mutation Status Predicts Response to Erbitux in Canadian Study http://fightcolorectalcancer.org/research_news/2008/07/kras_mutation_status_predicts_response_to_erbitux_in_canadian_study C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition is a national, nonpartisan organization whose mission is win the fight against colorectal cancer through research, empowerment and access. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:21:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Kate Murphy http://fightcolorectalcancer.org/research_news/2008/07/kras_mutation_status_predicts_response_to_erbitux_in_canadian_study#comment-671 Kate Murphy Sun, 06 Jul 2008 12:23:14 +0000 http://fightcolorectalcancer.org/?p=1570#comment-671 Because information about KRAS mutations is very new, few oncologists will have routinely tested for it before now. Instead they would depend on x-ray images to see if the tumor was getting smaller, staying the same, or growing. KRAS testing can avoid that process for those patients we know will not respond to the medicine because of their tumor mutation. It's really impossible for us to tell you anything about your boyfriend's chances for survival or how long he might live. We just don't know. However, his doctor can discuss how long people with your boyfriend's condition do live and what the chances are that treatments can help him live longer. If you can sit down for an honest -- and difficult -- discussion with the doctor, it will help both you and your boyfriend. We hope that the clinical trial offers him another option to consider. Colon cancer that has spread is a tough disease, for patients and for the people who love them. Because information about KRAS mutations is very new, few oncologists will have routinely tested for it before now. Instead they would depend on x-ray images to see if the tumor was getting smaller, staying the same, or growing. KRAS testing can avoid that process for those patients we know will not respond to the medicine because of their tumor mutation.

It’s really impossible for us to tell you anything about your boyfriend’s chances for survival or how long he might live. We just don’t know.

However, his doctor can discuss how long people with your boyfriend’s condition do live and what the chances are that treatments can help him live longer. If you can sit down for an honest — and difficult — discussion with the doctor, it will help both you and your boyfriend.

We hope that the clinical trial offers him another option to consider.

Colon cancer that has spread is a tough disease, for patients and for the people who love them.

]]> By: sally http://fightcolorectalcancer.org/research_news/2008/07/kras_mutation_status_predicts_response_to_erbitux_in_canadian_study#comment-667 sally Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:55:17 +0000 http://fightcolorectalcancer.org/?p=1570#comment-667 Does the oncologist know if patient has K-Ras mutation, boyfriend was on the erbitux for five months, he got the rash, was not able to complete the 10th cycle because of pain, tumors are all around his kidney, he was hospitalized for five days, he had a high fever no sign of infection, ct scans showed the tumor around the kidney, he is in alot of pain. Can Cryoablation be an option for him? doctor is refering him to clinical study in Scottsdale AZ. does this mean he is not going to survive this, he told me he had a year to live in October of 2007 is this a valid time line if his doctor told him that. Please give me straight answers and if you know of anything that might work for him if he has the kras mutation. He is in chronic pain more so now than ever. Does the oncologist know if patient has K-Ras mutation, boyfriend was on the erbitux for five months, he got the rash, was not able to complete the 10th cycle because of pain, tumors are all around his kidney, he was hospitalized for five days, he had a high fever no sign of infection, ct scans showed the tumor around the kidney, he is in alot of pain. Can Cryoablation be an option for him? doctor is refering him to clinical study in Scottsdale AZ. does this mean he is not going to survive this, he told me he had a year to live in October of 2007 is this a valid time line if his doctor told him that. Please give me straight answers and if you know of anything that might work for him if he has the kras mutation. He is in chronic pain more so now than ever.

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