Yesterday I joined the Facebook group for women on hormone blockers in preparation for this next step in my journey to overcome cancer.
Many of these poor women have been on the typical hormone blockers with horrific side effects and the response to learning about an alternative drug was amazing.
I just found my paperwork so for those of you who wanted to know, the name of the drug is called Giredestrant and it is being given to women with a specific type of cancer: Estrogen Receptor (ER)-positive/human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-negative.
ER-positive means that the cells of this type of breast cancer have receptors that allow them to use the hormone estrogen to grow. Treatment with anti-estrogen hormone (endocrine) therapy can block the growth of cancer cells.
HER2-negative means that your cancer has low levels of a protein called HER2.
I tested negative for the genes for cancer (despite my Ashkenazi/Eastern European) heritage and there is no history of breast cancer in my family. My onco score was 10 (so no chemotherapy needed) and my type of cancer is considered nonaggressive.
It's a 50/50 chance that I will go on this drug vs Anastrozole.
The clinical trial is being conducted by the University of California Los Angeles (Dr. Sara Hurvitz - Division of Hematology-Oncology). My oncologist said that all of her patients who went on this drug did great.
Tomorrow, I go in for my CT scan and a week later, a bone scan. After that I will have a blood draw every week with a doctor visit the day after, also every week.
So not only do I hope to go on this drug for myself but also for all those women out there who are on the traditional drug therapies who are suffering!
I'll keep you posted. I should know by 6/8/22 which drug I'll be put on.