My mom just got diagnosed with Stage 4 NSCLC. She has the EGFR mutation, so she is currently on Tarceva. However, i know eventually she will be resistant. I am trying to prepare for that moment, trying to do as much research as possible on upcoming treatments. I came across something very interesting called nanoshell therapy. The Cancer Treatment Centers of America just started human trials for lung tumors to test it out. If successful, it may kill off cancer stem cells in tumors with minimal damage to healthy tissues. If this works, can killing off cancer stem cells help prolong life, especially if combined with chemo? Is there reason to be optimistic about this for a Stage 4 NSCLC or is this just false hope? Are there any other cutting edge therapies on the horizon?
Nanoshell Therapy - 1250695
needinfo
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Reply # - November 28, 2012, 07:54 AM
Reply To: Nanoshell Therapy
Hallo needinfo. I'm sorry to hear about your mother. It's very tough, and very shocking when someone is diagnosed.
On the other hand, it is good news that she has the EGFR mutation, and I hope the Tarceva will work for her for a good long stretch of time. However, I understand why you are trying to be prepared.
Re the nanoshell therapy, are you thinking of something like this?
http://news.rice.edu/2012/11/02/nanoshell-therapy-to-be-tested-in-lung-…
One of the doctors may know more.
As for other cutting edge therapies. you are in the best place! GRACE has a whole series of regular briefings on the latest research, sometimes by the investigators themselves. Since there is no consensus yet on how to treat EGFR progression, this is particularly useful. The posts in this section might be a good place to start:
http://cancergrace.org/lung/?cat=26
We also have a patient thread on this topic:
http://cancergrace.org/lung/topic/acquired-resistance-to-egfr-tki/
http://cancergrace.org/topic/egfr-tki-and-acquired-resistance
You'll find a lot of information here about clinical trials that are designed to deal with the problem of acquired resistance. I would say (as someone on Tarceva) that the researchers haven't cracked it yet, although they are certainly trying! One interesting (and new) approach is to stick with the targeted therapy if someone has done particularly well, and add something else, rather than looking for a novel drug that will take care of everything.
I suppose what I am trying to say is that there will definitely be options for your mother when the times comes, which I hope will be a long way off. All best.
Reply # - November 28, 2012, 08:20 AM
Reply To: Nanoshell Therapy
I'm so sorry your mom has been diagnosed with stage IV nsclc. I know what a shock it is to the family but probably doesn't compare to your mom. It's possible that she will do very well on tarceva for a long time and since there are so many new treatments on the horizon it is best to probably stay abreast of what's happening with trials all over.
With that said, I'm not familiar with the trial you've asked about except what I've read here.
http://news.rice.edu/2012/11/02/nanoshell-therapy-to-be-tested-in-lung-…
I look forward to hearing from some of our doctors on this.
Janine
forum moderator
Reply # - November 28, 2012, 09:38 AM
Reply To: Nanoshell Therapy
Yes, it is the therapy designed by professors at Rice. They have been researching this for over 10 years and it has worked very well on animals. Just started doing human trials on lung tumors. I hope one of the doctors can comment on this. From what I've been reading, this seems to be the first time a treatment has gone directly to the cancer stem cells, which is a breakthrough. I just dont want my mom to miss out on this therapy if it works.
Reply # - November 28, 2012, 09:52 AM
Reply To: Nanoshell Therapy
Yes, we all want new treatments that work.
I have emailed a doctor to give input on this. Of course all our doctors also have practices and many coordinate research trials in their clinics as well, so it may take the day for them to be able to focus on your question.
In the meantime I'd like to introduce you to our library of very easy to read yet highly informative blog posts written by our faculty. You can search our site though you may need to log off first depending on your browser. You can also use the drop down menu above "General" and "Focused" cancer info. These have subset drop downs on the right sides.
Here is a link on vetting treatments ideas, http://cancergrace.org/cancer-101/2009/11/21/how-to-vet-a-treatment-ide…
Reply # - November 28, 2012, 08:58 PM
Reply To: Nanoshell Therapy
I actually don't have any additional insight about this work. It really isn't something that has been presented or discussed in a broad setting for clinical research in lung cancer yet. I'm not the biggest fan of Cancer Treatment Centers of America as a source for credible research, so I'll confess I'm (extremely) dubious. Plus, this work is only entering into very early clinical trials, which means it's a long way from proving that it's really feasible, safe, and effective. I'm all for it being properly tested and perhaps proving to be valuable, but I wouldn't want to presume it's going to be a breakthrough. My perspective is that expecting it to be miraculously beneficial in metastatic cancer would be well in the range of false hope, though it is certainly worthy of careful clinical testing.
-Dr. West