My battle with cancer. Part 1

Abstract

In January 2023, diagnosed with numerous metastases of lung cancer in my brain, I felt that I must accomplish a mission. If everything happens for a reason, my cancer, in particular, I must find out how metastatic cancer can be treated with curative intent. This is my mission now, and the reason I was ever born. In January 2023, I understood the meaning of life, of my life. I was born to write this article. In this article, I argue that monotherapy with targeted drugs, even when used in sequence, cannot cure metastatic cancer. However, preemptive combinations of targeted drugs may, in theory, cure incurable cancer. Also, I share insights on various topics, including rapamycin, an anti-aging drug that can delay but not prevent cancer, through my personal journey.

Imbalance between Actin Isoforms Contributes to Tumour Progression in Taxol-Resistant Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells

“…The process of tumour cell evolution under the influence of treatment may be common across tumour types. Initial treatment that induces remission is often followed by invisible tumour progression and relapse, as well as treatment failure due to the development of drug resistance [53]. We propose that combination therapy during tumour regression after taxol treatment is essential to prevent dissemination and tumour progression.…”

From osimertinib to preemptive combinations

“…If so, why then an oncologist is uncomfortable with preemptive combinations of selective inhibitors). Preemptive combinations to prevent both ontarget and resistance have been discussed [6]. In general, combinations are necessary to abrogate resistance [10,[16][17][18][19][20].…”

“…Such combinations include the therapeutic response activities and anti-resistant activities that eliminate a few resistant cells. In other words, preemptive combinations induce both a therapeutic response and eliminate a few resistant cells with pre-existing mutations [ 6 ]. For example, if we started treatment with osimertinib and the tumor may have one cell with the C797S mutation (resistant to osimertinib but sensitive to gefitinib), then the addition of gefitinib to osimertinib renders this combination preemptive.…”

“…A year ago, I was hospitalized at Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston) with multiple brain metastases from lung cancer, driven by a MET exon 14 skipping mutation (METex14) [ 6 ]. The response to capmatinib (a selective MET inhibitor, type I) was outstanding.…”