The Food and Drug Administration has just approved a new breast cancer drug for some late stage patients. It's called Kadcyla. After years of trials, the FDA approved it Friday.
One of the people in the study is from Northwest Ohio. Mary Chris Skeldon was in Detroit getting her treatment when the news came that the FDA had approved the drug, meaning it will be available to certain breast cancer patients in a matter of weeks.
Mary Chris loves spending time with her grandson and the rest of her family. She's able to do that thanks in part to Kadcyla, "It's a very gentle drug without many side effects. It's wonderful for someone with late stage cancer to have a treatment that doesn't knock you over."
Mary Chris was originally diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer in 1997 and given just 18 months to live, "I decided I am going to fight and fight hard and I am going to find a way to get more time and we did." After aggressive chemotherapy, radiation and stem cell treatment she was in remission for 13 years, but in 2011 it came back, "When I had the recurrence it brought me to my knees again, just like it did the first time."
Kadcyla is made by Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. It's a new kind of targeted cancer medicine that can attach to certain kinds of cancer cells and deliver chemotherapy directly to them. Like Mary Chris, her husband Marty is grateful for the drug, "This drug has a little bit of Herceptin in it, and it's the horse that takes the rest of the drugs to the cancer cells and then drops them bomb on them. It's amazing."
For the last six months Mary Chris has been part of the Kadcyla trial at The Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit in conjunction with Wayne State University. The drug is for people with previously treated HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, "If you're lucky enough, you keep beating it down until the next drug comes along. That's why it's so important to keep the research dollars coming because you can string a lot of years together and have a darn good life."
Mary Chris was the press secretary for Mayor Carty Finkbeiner and Mayor Jack Ford. She now works full time at The National Exchange Club. She says she'll spend the rest of her life working to help find a cure for breast cancer by sharing her story and raising money.
For information on the drug check out these links:
Thursday, May 23 2013 12:47 PM EDT2013-05-23 16:47:37 GMT
Source: TPS website
Police have arrested five teens, including four Bowsher High School Students, for a senior prank that went awry. Court documents say the five were caught on surveillance camera throwing paint, birdseed,
Police have arrested five teens, including four Bowsher High School Students, for a senior prank that went awry.
Thursday, May 23 2013 9:46 AM EDT2013-05-23 13:46:40 GMT
The month of May will likely end up in the top 10 list for the driest May's on record. Despite the dry month it does not look like we are headed for a repeat performance of last year's drought and extreme
The summer forecast calls for above average rainfall for most of the Great Lakes region with near average temperatures.
Thursday, May 23 2013 7:54 AM EDT2013-05-23 11:54:56 GMT
Toledo police shot and killed a man with a gun early Thursday morning. Police say officers were patrolling in the 1000 block of Page Street around 12:30 when they saw a man pointing a gun at a woman.
Toledo police shot and killed a man with a gun early Thursday morning.
Thursday, May 23 2013 7:20 AM EDT2013-05-23 11:20:31 GMT
If you're in Archbold and you hear the sound of 100 harps, you're not just hearing things. The 6th annual Harp Gathering is underway May 16-19th.Denise Grupp-Verbon co-founded the festival with her husband.
If you're in Archbold and you hear the sound of 100 harps, you're not just hearing things. The 6th annual Harp Gathering is underway May 16-19th.Denise Grupp-Verbon co-founded the festival with her husband.
Thursday, May 23 2013 5:07 AM EDT2013-05-23 09:07:37 GMT
The picture has been shared over 23,000 times on Facebook. It shows a note pinned to a car. In the note, Facebook user, Jeremy Jon, explains that he took the car owners dog to the Bowling Green Police
Police say viral photo on Facebook is a hoax. Man claimed to save a dog and then posted it on the social network to impress a girl.
Thursday, May 23 2013 7:54 AM EDT2013-05-23 11:54:56 GMT
Toledo police shot and killed a man with a gun early Thursday morning. Police say officers were patrolling in the 1000 block of Page Street around 12:30 when they saw a man pointing a gun at a woman.
Toledo police shot and killed a man with a gun early Thursday morning.
Wednesday, May 22 2013 11:12 PM EDT2013-05-23 03:12:46 GMT
We often report stories on the Ohio State Highway Patrol's K-9 unit. The dogs help Troopers find huge quantities of illegal drugs in our region every year. But between the big hits is a lot of hard work,
Ride along as an elite group of four legged crime fighters and their handlers take drugs off Northwest Ohio roads.
Thursday, May 23 2013 12:47 PM EDT2013-05-23 16:47:37 GMT
Source: TPS website
Police have arrested five teens, including four Bowsher High School Students, for a senior prank that went awry. Court documents say the five were caught on surveillance camera throwing paint, birdseed,
Police have arrested five teens, including four Bowsher High School Students, for a senior prank that went awry.
Thursday, May 23 2013 9:46 AM EDT2013-05-23 13:46:40 GMT
The month of May will likely end up in the top 10 list for the driest May's on record. Despite the dry month it does not look like we are headed for a repeat performance of last year's drought and extreme
The summer forecast calls for above average rainfall for most of the Great Lakes region with near average temperatures.
Thursday, May 23 2013 7:20 AM EDT2013-05-23 11:20:31 GMT
If you're in Archbold and you hear the sound of 100 harps, you're not just hearing things. The 6th annual Harp Gathering is underway May 16-19th.Denise Grupp-Verbon co-founded the festival with her husband.
If you're in Archbold and you hear the sound of 100 harps, you're not just hearing things. The 6th annual Harp Gathering is underway May 16-19th.Denise Grupp-Verbon co-founded the festival with her husband.
Thursday, May 23 2013 5:07 AM EDT2013-05-23 09:07:37 GMT
The picture has been shared over 23,000 times on Facebook. It shows a note pinned to a car. In the note, Facebook user, Jeremy Jon, explains that he took the car owners dog to the Bowling Green Police
Police say viral photo on Facebook is a hoax. Man claimed to save a dog and then posted it on the social network to impress a girl.
Wednesday, May 22 2013 11:32 PM EDT2013-05-23 03:32:13 GMT
Some of Rossford's oldest school buildings need major repairs. District leaders now have five potential renovation plans, but they're looking for voter input before they move forward.
Some of Rossford's oldest school buildings need major repairs. District leaders now have five potential renovation plans, but they're looking for voter input before they move forward.
Wednesday, May 22 2013 11:07 PM EDT2013-05-23 03:07:04 GMT
Kassy Widman is a Woodmore High School graduate. She's been living in Moore, Oklahoma for several years with her kids and husband. Monday her world was turned upside down after an EF 5 tornado nearly
A Woodmore High School graduate loses everything in the Moore, Oklahoma tornado. Her sister tells 13abc, her twin nephews were among the survivors at Plaza Towers Elementary school where 7 children died.
Wednesday, May 22 2013 10:18 PM EDT2013-05-23 02:18:14 GMT
Sylvania Township Police are investigating a Missing Person case. 25-year-old Jennifer Webster was last seen Monday in Sylvania Township.Jennifer is 5'1", 150 lbs., with brown hair and blue eyes. She was
Sylvania Township say a 25-year-old woman was was reported missing by her mother has been found.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WTVG. All Rights Reserved.
