I have been diagnosed with endrometiral cancer in May, 2011. At that time the cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes. Then I underwent three chemotherapy, and my conditions improved. But the doctor said that my condition had not improved as they had expected, so they arranged me to undergo radiation therapy. But after one month of radiation, my conditions worsened a little bit because I felt severe pain in the belly, especially under the liver area. The doctor told me that the recent scan results showed that the cancer has spread to the tissue attached to the underpart of the liver, but has not infected the liver.
Then the doctor suggested me to participate in a research called "A Phase 2, single-arm study of orally administered BKM-120 as second-line therapy in patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma." The BKM-120 is a PI3K inhibitor. During Phase 1, 80 patients had participated in the research, now there are 140 patients around the world participating in Phase 2. According to the information given by the doctor, the purpose of this study is to determine whether a new treatment has any effectiveness for a particular type of cancer. The document says that "The purpose of this study is to find out if the drug BKM-120 is safe and has beneficial effects in subjects who have endometrial cancer that recurred after previous treatment. "
So far, I an very puzzled as to what decision to make. The doctor said that the effect of this drug can only be seen after at least 4-6 weeks and I can switch to regular chemotherapy if this treatment fails. But I am afraid that it may be too late if the treatment fails.
I know nothing about endometrial cancer or this study. So I am asking for any kind of suggestions. Thanks very much.
HI, I see no one has responded as yet, so Idk if you made a decision or not. If your doctor suggested it, it is worth looking into. You will get what is called an Informed Consent, that you review, that tells you all about the trial in detail, what you can expect, how many visits, what tests they will do (like blood pressure or any lab work). Most of the time, cancer therapies are tried and true, but the most effective one for your type of cancer and the stage of cancer, may not yet be available, and the way you get access to the newest treatment, is to participate in a clinical trial.
Once I know more about my cancer, I plan to ask my oncologist if he is aware of any clinical trials which might benefit me. However, please realize, this is just one person's opinion, you need to do what is right for you. In any clinical trial, you can ask all the questions you need, before consenting, and even once you are in a trial, if at Any Time, you want to leave the study, you are completely free to do so.
You are in charge of your medical care, only you can decide if this is something you should try.
Take Care,
Viola
