Ask the Doc: Breast Cancer

In this morning's news, the Yellowstone park floods were attributed to inaccurate weather reports. The rain fell on the packed snow on the mountains and flowed into the already high river levels which was due to climate change. The third year of the drought in Europe is because of climate change. Last week BKP got an inaccurate weather report because weather agencies do not have the software to factor in climate change.

This weekend is the Clay Shooting Championships in TN.

FDA is allowing pharmacists to prescribe prescription drugs for COVID.

Question 1: Touches on so much of the course of cancer. Patient had breast cancer as big as a grapefruit. The cancer was spread throughout the body and bones. The patient has since been in complete remission. And her dentist is telling her that she needs to have some dental work done. But the oncologist says, if it ain't broke don’t fix it. High calcium levels or hypercalcemia can do all sorts of things in the body. Xgeva stabilizes the bones and diminishes the possibility for cancer to grow. It doesn’t kill the cancer, the medication smothers it so it doesn’t grow. The use of the drug increases bone building. Before taking the drug most doctors tell you to go see your dentist. The high calcium due to the cancer in the bones and using Xgeva can cause osteonecrosis of the jaw although very rare. Dr. Whaley recommends not to manipulate the jaw.

Question 2: The NIH releases information on a new personalized immunotherapy with the patient's own tumor killing lymphocytes for metastatic breast cancer. The studies only had 6 patients and 3 had positive results. (caution when you see percentage reporting, you have to see the breakdown of the study to understand more) This technology was developed by Steve Rosenberg in the 1980s. In the 1980s, Dr. Whaley did this procedure and did see positive results in kidney cancer. The FDA suddenly pulled the license for the study because they determined that it was a blood banking instead of a drug study. There are other studies that are similar which is TIL Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocyte therapy but it is not for metastatic breast cancer. The only place for immunotherapy for metastatic breast cancer is through the NIH.

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