Experts Explain

Making decisions about your treatment, including whether or not to participate in a clinical trial, can be challenging. Many women find it helpful to speak with someone who has participated in a clinical trial as well as with a trusted physician, family members and friends.

Print or email this I-SPY 2 Trial Patient Fact Sheet to share with your family and friends when discussing your treatment decisions.

There may also be support services offered at your local clinic or in your community. These services may include help with financial issues related to treatment, transportation issues, childcare, and emotional stress, to name just a few. Local and online peer support groups are often also available.

Hear From The I-SPY 2 Trial Experts

The following videos feature I-SPY 2 physicians and researchers discussing various topics related to the trial. The topics discussed in each video are listed below.

Laura Esserman, MD, MBA     2:24
Surgeon and Director, Carole Franc Buck Breast Care Center
University of California, San Francisco
Principal Investigator, I-SPY 2 Clinical Trial

  • The mission and goals of the I-SPY 2 Trial
  • Neo-adjuvant drug therapy
  • What I-SPY 2 has accomplished so far

Angela DeMichele, MD, MSCE   2:00
Alan and Jill Miller Professor in Breast Cancer Excellence
Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine
University of Pennsylvania
I-SPY 2 Principal Investigator

  • Important learning from I-SPY 2
  • Patient safety on I-SPY 2

Judy Boughey, MD  2:17
Surgeon
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
I-SPY 2 Surgery Committee Chair

  • What makes I-SPY 2 different from other trials?
  • Which patients are candidates for I-SPY 2?
  • Which costs are covered by the trial?

 Laura van ‘t Veer, PhD     1:57
Professor of Laboratory Medicine
University of California, San Francisco
I-SPY 2 Biomarker Committee Chair

  • Breast cancer is more than one disease
  • Why are biopsies used in I-SPY 2?
  • What is a biomarker and how is it used?

Douglas Yee, MD 2:18
Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology,
University of Minnesota
Director, Masonic Cancer Center
I-SPY 2 Investigational Drug Selection Committee Chair

  • What is adaptive randomization and why is it used in the I-SPY 2 Trial?
  • How does the I-SPY 2 Trial speed up access to effective new treatments?
  • What is pathological complete response (PCR)?

If you enrolled in I-SPY 2 on or after June 23, 2022 or are interested in joining the trial, we encourage you to take the time to watch these next 2 introductory videos to get a good understanding of how the I-SPY 2 Trial works and what you can expect if you participate.

Angela DeMichele, MD, MSCE   18:35
Alan and Jill Miller Professor in Breast Cancer Excellence
Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine
University of Pennsylvania
I-SPY 2 Principal Investigator

Video Contents:

  • :00 Introduction to the video
  • :52 What is the I-SPY 2 Trial
  • 2:14 Informed Consent process
  • 3:16 Screening for eligibility to participate
  • 4:40 What is a Functional Tumor Volume MRI?
  • 6:36 Response Predictive Subtypes and the I-SPY Biopsy
  • 7:37 Your treatment on I-SPY 2 Trial
  • 10:40 Shared Test Results and Shared Decision Making
  • 11:20 Treatment Strategy of I-SPY 2
  • 13:55 How the MRI is used in I-SPY 2
  • 17:03 Deciding whether to go to surgery early
  • 18:35 Summary of the video

Douglas Yee, MD 2:15
Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology,
University of Minnesota
Director, Masonic Cancer Center
I-SPY 2 Investigational Drug Selection Committee Chair

Information About I-SPY 2 Trial Study Procedures

Understanding A Breast Pathology Report

Presented by Ron Balassanian, MD
Professor of Pathology
University of California, San Francisco

This series of 5 short videos will guide you through understanding your breast pathology report.


Pathology Report Overview 4:06

Tissue Sample Collection and Gross Description 7:46

Looking Through the Microscope 13:27

Exploring Special Tests and Markers 6:32

Unpacking the Diagnosis and Summary 4:17

Nola Hylton, PhD 2:24
Professor of Radiology, University of California, San Francisco
I-SPY 2 Imaging Committee Chair

  • What is an MRI and how is it used in I-SPY 2?
  • What to expect when getting an MRI (step by step explanation)
  • Who can’t get an MRI?

 

MammaPrint Test
MammaPrint Patient Brochure from Agendia, Inc. (Download .pdf)
MammaPrint Patient Brochure from Agendia, Inc. (Spanish) (Download .pdf)

Other Resources

Downloadable National Cancer Institute (NCI) booklet helpful, “Taking Part in Cancer Treatment Research Studies”.

Download this list of questions to ask before joining a clinical trial

The pros and cons of neoadjuvant therapy

I-SPY Patient Fact Sheet Patient Fact Sheet

List of more than 20 investigational drugs that I-SPY has already tested. More than a dozen of these drugs are more beneficial for patients than standard therapy.

Cleveland Clinic’s Drug Information Site Chemocare.com to learn more about the standard and investigational drugs on the I-SPY 2 Trial.

Transportation, lodging and other treatment-related financial resources

Air transportation
Ground transportation
Lodging
Help with other expenses

After reviewing the resources and hearing from experts, you can find answers to any more questions or express your interest in participating in the study by checking the I-SPY 2 Trial Locations map for the nearest site to you.

If you haven’t already, you may want to visit the Patients Speak page to hear how some participants decided to join the trial and how they feel about their experiences on I-SPY 2.

Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaboration LogoThe I-SPY 2 Trial is sponsored by Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization integrating high-impact clinical research with patient care.

© 2023 Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative | Version 1.2 | All Rights Reserved.

Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaboration Logo

 

The I-SPY 2 Trial is sponsored by Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization integrating high-impact clinical research with patient care.

© 2023 Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative | Version 1.2 | All Rights Reserved.