Yes I am on this trial. You may be eligible once you have finished all your treatment. I hope your treatment goes really well for you. Any questions that I can help you with, please just let me know x
The c-trak trial is about using immunotherapy to try to delay the recurrence of tnbc. It's being run in various hospitals across the country.
Patients are signed up after they have completed their first-line treatment (chemo, surgery, RT). I think there's a pretty tight window you have to meet. Maybe within 4 weeks of finishing? To be eligible, your cancer has to have one of a specific set of mutations which they can identify.
Eligible patients give blood samples at three monthly intervals, and a plasma biopsy checks for the presence of tumour dna in the blood. If the dna is found, a computer algorithm randomises patients either to the control group, who continue giving blood samples with no change, or to the group who will receive the immunotherapy drug, Pembrolizumab, if further tests confirm their suitability.
I'm in the latter group. I started receiving Pembro every 3 weeks in June. I had 5 cycles with no problems at all, then developed an autoimmune reaction. That meant 10 days in hospital on a high dose of steroids, and I'm still being weaned off the things. I can't restart Pembro until I'm almost done, so I have missed two cycles now.
Hi I had one pembro with no side effects and in clinic tues for second treatment weds? I am worried about clinic as fear bad news all the time. Do they actually tell you if drug is working ? What were your symptoms when you became in crake care
My clinic appointments have all been fairly standard - BP etc., how am I doing, review the blood tests, brief examination. I have a PET-CT scan every 3 months, so those results are reviewed when they come in.
I don't think they can tell whether the drug is working unless you develop symptoms or the scan shows changes. Maybe the blood tests would give some indication?
Where do you have your treatment? I'm at the Royal Marsden in Chelsea. I'm hoping to be back on treatment on Wednesday after a nine week gap.
