Well this thread has gone south really fast. The facts are that when you have few options, you try the ones that you have regardless of how remote or close the success might be. Targeted therapies are still in their infancy, and we are not even actually sure how they all work when they do.

I have posted this before, but rather than try to chase an old post down I will do the short version of it here. It all started with a targeted therapy called Irrisa for lung cancer. It was a commercial failure. It only worked in 10% of the patients that took it.... but in those patients it worked 100% of the time. They are still sorting out what genetic traits that 10% have in common with each other so that it can be given to those patients where they will know that it works. They have not figured that out yet. Of course the manufacturer doesn't really care at this point, as it doesn't make money and others with government funding are looking at who it will work in. It's all about understand these things that interfere with the cells functions. But your cells, as similar as we are to each other, are different than mine. And there in lies the problem. The model has to transfer from animals, to humans, to all or at least identified groups of humans.

Bottom line is that with all of these targeted therapies, because of their unique methods of action, we can't be sure who they will work for and who they will not. At least with Erbitux the downside (except for the extremely high cost for the drug) is very little as far as quality of life issues go. So if an insurance company will bite, why not?

These are tough times, and everyone wants a successful outcome regardless of the odds. I think that the trick is more about mental strengths to continue the fight if you choose to, and when you have decided you have done all that you can, to have your family buy into your decision. It is tough on everyone to be on the edge of success or failure. Sometimes it is tougher emotionally for the family members than the person in treatment. When one person gets cancer, the whole family gets cancer.