Optima trial

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Has anyone been approached for the optima trial? I wasn't eligible as my BC was HER+ but this is for a friend of mine who fulfils the criteria. She is very concerned about the design of the trial, and to be honest I am too. It seems like half of the patients are blindly assigned to chemotherapy, where there is a chance that they may not need it based on the oncotyping of the tumor. It sounds very confusing and I am sure that there is more to it, but we thought until she sees her oncologist to ask for other people's experience.

I did end up having 4 cycles of chemotherapy and although it was less disastrous than I was expecting, if there was even a slight chance I could have avoided it, I would take it in a heartbeat.

Best wishes,

Christina

Londonmumof2 2 months ago

I took part in the Optima trial. I had 1 positive node, 27mm grade 2 ER+ 8/8, PR+ 7/8. On paper my gain was only 3.6% at 10 years on Predict Breast (now 0.6% factoring in the harm it causes), but my sister and aunt died from breast cancer. I've no idea which group, but was given 4 x EC and made it to 7 paclitaxel. I probably wouldn't do it again unless stage 4.

The reason half are not tested is because it's too compare current protocol with the overall outcome for chemo in ER+ cases who also have hormone blockers. To to that then half are treated as normal. Has she checked gain on the new Breast Predict site?

“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Stephen Hawking,

BWBCancer 2 months ago

It was a no brainer for me,told i needed chemo.Signed up and waited ,and no chemo,happy days.Personally i would never have chemo,i have seen close up to many people suffer with this and then pass away.kind regards

Shade 2 months ago

Hi, I agreed to the optima trial. Diagnosed Jan 2023, grade 3, 25mm, 2 lymph nodes cancer in them. I was assigned chemo. I don’t know if I’m in the control arm ( all receive chemo as is present practice) or in the treatment arm and my results came back as high risk of recurrence. I understand a lot more now about my cancer and I believe chemo was the right choice. I was ER 8, PR5 and IHC 2+ negative on ish. I also had lymphovascular invasion and extra capsular spread. I applied and received a copy of my pathology report and have read up on every aspect of my cancer. I am presently on adjuvant Abemaciclib for 2 years which I’m finding harder than chemo as it seems never ending.

What I did read in the information about the optima trial was that it could cause you harm in that you may be assigned to no chemo and when the data is analysed they may find out that chemo may have been beneficial. I entered the trial not truly understanding it. The trial was sold to me that I could avoid chemo and not that avoiding chemo could increase my risk of recurrence. However this is how new treatments are developed.

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Optima trial