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Zelboraf Question
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Zelboraf Question

› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Zelboraf Question

  • Post
    • June 19, 2012 at 2:51 am
    atcchris
    Participant

      Not sure if this is a dumb question or not… probably would go better if I searched the site to see if it had been covered before… but what the heck.

      With Zelboraf, why is it once you've hit NED on scans, we don't take a break from it and keep scanning?  Is it because it doesn't work that way.. impossible for it to kill anything other than tumors (IE, can't clean out the cellular level of the disease, or whatever it is that causes new tumors?)

      Wouldn't that at least buy extra time before the resistance sets in?

      Not sure if this is a dumb question or not… probably would go better if I searched the site to see if it had been covered before… but what the heck.

      With Zelboraf, why is it once you've hit NED on scans, we don't take a break from it and keep scanning?  Is it because it doesn't work that way.. impossible for it to kill anything other than tumors (IE, can't clean out the cellular level of the disease, or whatever it is that causes new tumors?)

      Wouldn't that at least buy extra time before the resistance sets in?

      Thanks… I'm figuring the answer is probably "it doesn't work that way'  but you never know.

       

      Chris

    Viewing 2 reply threads
    • Replies
        • June 19, 2012 at 3:13 am
        atcchris
        Participant

          Not sure I fully understand.. but if I read correctly, the problem is that the BRAF mutation that allows this to work is only suppressed by zelboraf.  Almost certainly, without zelboraf, the mutated gene will go back to causing cancer cells to grow uncontrollably.

          And I guess the whole MEK thing is when the BRAF mutates again, there needs to be another drug to suppress the OTHER mutation.

          So.. zelboraf can only buy us time.. (but valuable time)

          I guess the million dollar question is how do you get things back to normal where the cancer cells are properly regulated? 

          I guess all the immunology type drugs like Yervoy, etc are designed to step up and make the body kill the cells that aren't being properly regulated in the first place.. but is anything being worked on to "fix" the genes that aren't working right?

          All or part of my understanding bogus?

          thanks,

          Chris

            • June 19, 2012 at 8:00 am
            FormerCaregiver
            Participant

              Chris, the big problem is that melanoma is often able to actively bypass the efforts of
              the immune system to keep tumours from growing. In general terms when one pathway is
              blocked, another one is usually found so that melanoma cells can continue to
              metastasise. Researchers are making good progress in trying to understand this process,
              however there is still much to be learnt.

              You may be interested in the following (from a previous post):
              "Can the Body's Immune Response Help Treat Cancer?"
              http://www.melanoma.org/community/mpip-melanoma-patients-information-page/can-body-s-immune-response-help-treat-cancer#comment-39097
              (If it doesn't work, just copy and paste the link into the address bar of your browser).

              Hope this helps.

              Frank from Australia

              • June 19, 2012 at 8:00 am
              FormerCaregiver
              Participant

                Chris, the big problem is that melanoma is often able to actively bypass the efforts of
                the immune system to keep tumours from growing. In general terms when one pathway is
                blocked, another one is usually found so that melanoma cells can continue to
                metastasise. Researchers are making good progress in trying to understand this process,
                however there is still much to be learnt.

                You may be interested in the following (from a previous post):
                "Can the Body's Immune Response Help Treat Cancer?"
                http://www.melanoma.org/community/mpip-melanoma-patients-information-page/can-body-s-immune-response-help-treat-cancer#comment-39097
                (If it doesn't work, just copy and paste the link into the address bar of your browser).

                Hope this helps.

                Frank from Australia

                • June 19, 2012 at 8:00 am
                FormerCaregiver
                Participant

                  Chris, the big problem is that melanoma is often able to actively bypass the efforts of
                  the immune system to keep tumours from growing. In general terms when one pathway is
                  blocked, another one is usually found so that melanoma cells can continue to
                  metastasise. Researchers are making good progress in trying to understand this process,
                  however there is still much to be learnt.

                  You may be interested in the following (from a previous post):
                  "Can the Body's Immune Response Help Treat Cancer?"
                  http://www.melanoma.org/community/mpip-melanoma-patients-information-page/can-body-s-immune-response-help-treat-cancer#comment-39097
                  (If it doesn't work, just copy and paste the link into the address bar of your browser).

                  Hope this helps.

                  Frank from Australia

                • June 19, 2012 at 3:13 am
                atcchris
                Participant

                  Not sure I fully understand.. but if I read correctly, the problem is that the BRAF mutation that allows this to work is only suppressed by zelboraf.  Almost certainly, without zelboraf, the mutated gene will go back to causing cancer cells to grow uncontrollably.

                  And I guess the whole MEK thing is when the BRAF mutates again, there needs to be another drug to suppress the OTHER mutation.

                  So.. zelboraf can only buy us time.. (but valuable time)

                  I guess the million dollar question is how do you get things back to normal where the cancer cells are properly regulated? 

                  I guess all the immunology type drugs like Yervoy, etc are designed to step up and make the body kill the cells that aren't being properly regulated in the first place.. but is anything being worked on to "fix" the genes that aren't working right?

                  All or part of my understanding bogus?

                  thanks,

                  Chris

                  • June 19, 2012 at 3:13 am
                  atcchris
                  Participant

                    Not sure I fully understand.. but if I read correctly, the problem is that the BRAF mutation that allows this to work is only suppressed by zelboraf.  Almost certainly, without zelboraf, the mutated gene will go back to causing cancer cells to grow uncontrollably.

                    And I guess the whole MEK thing is when the BRAF mutates again, there needs to be another drug to suppress the OTHER mutation.

                    So.. zelboraf can only buy us time.. (but valuable time)

                    I guess the million dollar question is how do you get things back to normal where the cancer cells are properly regulated? 

                    I guess all the immunology type drugs like Yervoy, etc are designed to step up and make the body kill the cells that aren't being properly regulated in the first place.. but is anything being worked on to "fix" the genes that aren't working right?

                    All or part of my understanding bogus?

                    thanks,

                    Chris

                Viewing 2 reply threads
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