This Time Herceptin?

I had a recent petscan to restage my mets br. ca. and unfortunately it didnt come back as good as I had hoped for.  I have had 4 cycles of Avastin/Taxotere..and the scan showed alot of improvement but still areas of activity in lung lymph nodes and lower bronchial tube area..  now the dr. wants to give herceptin every three weeks for three months..  I would like comments and follow up messages from others out there who have been on this chemo drug..   I am fearful of its known cardiac toxicity.. I was with Avastin and Taxotere, but now this herceptin can also be bad, so with so much of this being slammed at my heart, how much can it take without  bad complications..  I know I have to proceed and try it, but would like to know if other breast ca. survivors have been on this..  I have her2 overexpression and so I know this is the chemo drug of choice for me..  I am sure discouraged about having to have more treatments, I was in so hopes that I would be done for 6 months..but I guess knowing that I have metastatic disease now, I was hoping for to much!  My mets was caught in an early phase and if it cooperates I should be able to have a lengthy remission..  cooperation is the key word here though.. 

I would love to hear from others..

God's Blessings to all who fight this br. cancer fight..

Jodie

Jodie

You may want to check out the message boards for women who are HER2 Positive.  There is a wealth of information about Hercaptin.

 

www.her2support.org

 

 

On 2/14/2008 Jodie wrote:

I had a recent petscan to restage my mets br. ca. and unfortunately it didnt come back as good as I had hoped for.  I have had 4 cycles of Avastin/Taxotere..and the scan showed alot of improvement but still areas of activity in lung lymph nodes and lower bronchial tube area..  now the dr. wants to give herceptin every three weeks for three months..  I would like comments and follow up messages from others out there who have been on this chemo drug..   I am fearful of its known cardiac toxicity.. I was with Avastin and Taxotere, but now this herceptin can also be bad, so with so much of this being slammed at my heart, how much can it take without  bad complications..  I know I have to proceed and try it, but would like to know if other breast ca. survivors have been on this..  I have her2 overexpression and so I know this is the chemo drug of choice for me..  I am sure discouraged about having to have more treatments, I was in so hopes that I would be done for 6 months..but I guess knowing that I have metastatic disease now, I was hoping for to much!  My mets was caught in an early phase and if it cooperates I should be able to have a lengthy remission..  cooperation is the key word here though.. 

I would love to hear from others..

God's Blessings to all who fight this br. cancer fight..

Jodie

 

Dear Jodie,

             I had breast cancer and we did remove the lump first then a lumpectomy and then a mastectomy and i was on herceptin for a year every 3 weeks and now I am fine.

 Do not be afraid., you will be O.K.

 

And I am a 3 years survivor,

May God bless you.

 Norma

 

 

 

 

On 2/14/2008 Giovanna wrote:

 

On 2/14/2008 Jodie wrote:

I had a recent petscan to restage my mets br. ca. and unfortunately it didnt come back as good as I had hoped for.  I have had 4 cycles of Avastin/Taxotere..and the scan showed alot of improvement but still areas of activity in lung lymph nodes and lower bronchial tube area..  now the dr. wants to give herceptin every three weeks for three months..  I would like comments and follow up messages from others out there who have been on this chemo drug..   I am fearful of its known cardiac toxicity.. I was with Avastin and Taxotere, but now this herceptin can also be bad, so with so much of this being slammed at my heart, how much can it take without  bad complications..  I know I have to proceed and try it, but would like to know if other breast ca. survivors have been on this..  I have her2 overexpression and so I know this is the chemo drug of choice for me..  I am sure discouraged about having to have more treatments, I was in so hopes that I would be done for 6 months..but I guess knowing that I have metastatic disease now, I was hoping for to much!  My mets was caught in an early phase and if it cooperates I should be able to have a lengthy remission..  cooperation is the key word here though.. 

I would love to hear from others..

God's Blessings to all who fight this br. cancer fight..

Jodie

 

Dear Jodie,

             I had breast cancer and we did remove the lump first then a lumpectomy and then a mastectomy and i was on herceptin for a year every 3 weeks and now I am fine.

 Do not be afraid., you will be O.K.

 

And I am a 3 years survivor,

May God bless you.

 Norma

 

Norma:

Thankyou for your reply, it does make a differance when a breast cancer fighter is able to speak with others in the same situation..   I am fearful of these chemo meds even though they are supposedly safe for the most part, there is always a small percentage of people who will experience the mentioned side effects, and unfortunately I worry about being in that percentage..  I dont want to have cancer and then compound that illness with heart disease too.. I only have one heart and would like to keep it healthy to help me fight this dreaded cancer disease.. 

I will check out this other website mentioned above.  I am in hopes that my dr. will put me through the necessary heart pretesting to make sure I am up to the challenge.  My heart has already been through alot of toxic chemicals in the past 6 months..  anyway, thankyou for responding so soon, it has helped me alot to feel more at ease.. I'm still not looking forward to more treatments when I was in hopes that there would be a 6 month interval in between them. 

My original cancer in 01 was just stage 1, only a 1.6 ctmetr. tumor, with the usual A/C chemo and radiation.. it took 6 years for it to come back.  When it did it bypassed the axillary lymph nodes and went mets into the medistinum lymph chain.. dr. says it had to have spread before it was treated in 01..  and it having this her2 gene overexpression made it more aggressive in nature. but for some reason it stayed low for 6 years before a chest xray last May showed a lung nodule, and then one thing led to another and I found myself fighting a more serious form of this disease..  it is being stubborn too this time around.. I have had 4 cycles of the avastin/taxotere and still it has survived to start again.  Hopeing the herceptin will keep it in check..

thank you..

Jodie

 

 

 

On 2/14/2008 Jodie wrote:

 

On 2/14/2008 Giovanna wrote:

 

On 2/14/2008 Jodie wrote:

I had a recent petscan to restage my mets br. ca. and unfortunately it didnt come back as good as I had hoped for.  I have had 4 cycles of Avastin/Taxotere..and the scan showed alot of improvement but still areas of activity in lung lymph nodes and lower bronchial tube area..  now the dr. wants to give herceptin every three weeks for three months..  I would like comments and follow up messages from others out there who have been on this chemo drug..   I am fearful of its known cardiac toxicity.. I was with Avastin and Taxotere, but now this herceptin can also be bad, so with so much of this being slammed at my heart, how much can it take without  bad complications..  I know I have to proceed and try it, but would like to know if other breast ca. survivors have been on this..  I have her2 overexpression and so I know this is the chemo drug of choice for me..  I am sure discouraged about having to have more treatments, I was in so hopes that I would be done for 6 months..but I guess knowing that I have metastatic disease now, I was hoping for to much!  My mets was caught in an early phase and if it cooperates I should be able to have a lengthy remission..  cooperation is the key word here though.. 

I would love to hear from others..

God's Blessings to all who fight this br. cancer fight..

Jodie

 

Dear Jodie,

             I had breast cancer and we did remove the lump first then a lumpectomy and then a mastectomy and i was on herceptin for a year every 3 weeks and now I am fine.

 Do not be afraid., you will be O.K.

 

And I am a 3 years survivor,

May God bless you.

 Norma

 

Norma:

Thankyou for your reply, it does make a differance when a breast cancer fighter is able to speak with others in the same situation..   I am fearful of these chemo meds even though they are supposedly safe for the most part, there is always a small percentage of people who will experience the mentioned side effects, and unfortunately I worry about being in that percentage..  I dont want to have cancer and then compound that illness with heart disease too.. I only have one heart and would like to keep it healthy to help me fight this dreaded cancer disease.. 

I will check out this other website mentioned above.  I am in hopes that my dr. will put me through the necessary heart pretesting to make sure I am up to the challenge.  My heart has already been through alot of toxic chemicals in the past 6 months..  anyway, thankyou for responding so soon, it has helped me alot to feel more at ease.. I'm still not looking forward to more treatments when I was in hopes that there would be a 6 month interval in between them. 

My original cancer in 01 was just stage 1, only a 1.6 ctmetr. tumor, with the usual A/C chemo and radiation.. it took 6 years for it to come back.  When it did it bypassed the axillary lymph nodes and went mets into the medistinum lymph chain.. dr. says it had to have spread before it was treated in 01..  and it having this her2 gene overexpression made it more aggressive in nature. but for some reason it stayed low for 6 years before a chest xray last May showed a lung nodule, and then one thing led to another and I found myself fighting a more serious form of this disease..  it is being stubborn too this time around.. I have had 4 cycles of the avastin/taxotere and still it has survived to start again.  Hopeing the herceptin will keep it in check..

thank you..

Jodie

 

 

 

Dear Jodie,

            do not be afraid, the side effects are minimal and in the long run very good.

 If you want keep emailing me and let me know your progres.

 Love,

 Norma

 

On 2/14/2008 Jodie wrote:

 

On 2/14/2008 Giovanna wrote:

 

On 2/14/2008 Jodie wrote:

I had a recent petscan to restage my mets br. ca. and unfortunately it didnt come back as good as I had hoped for.  I have had 4 cycles of Avastin/Taxotere..and the scan showed alot of improvement but still areas of activity in lung lymph nodes and lower bronchial tube area..  now the dr. wants to give herceptin every three weeks for three months..  I would like comments and follow up messages from others out there who have been on this chemo drug..   I am fearful of its known cardiac toxicity.. I was with Avastin and Taxotere, but now this herceptin can also be bad, so with so much of this being slammed at my heart, how much can it take without  bad complications..  I know I have to proceed and try it, but would like to know if other breast ca. survivors have been on this..  I have her2 overexpression and so I know this is the chemo drug of choice for me..  I am sure discouraged about having to have more treatments, I was in so hopes that I would be done for 6 months..but I guess knowing that I have metastatic disease now, I was hoping for to much!  My mets was caught in an early phase and if it cooperates I should be able to have a lengthy remission..  cooperation is the key word here though.. 

I would love to hear from others..

God's Blessings to all who fight this br. cancer fight..

Jodie

 

Dear Jodie,

             I had breast cancer and we did remove the lump first then a lumpectomy and then a mastectomy and i was on herceptin for a year every 3 weeks and now I am fine.

 Do not be afraid., you will be O.K.

 

And I am a 3 years survivor,

May God bless you.

 Norma

 

Norma:

Thankyou for your reply, it does make a differance when a breast cancer fighter is able to speak with others in the same situation..   I am fearful of these chemo meds even though they are supposedly safe for the most part, there is always a small percentage of people who will experience the mentioned side effects, and unfortunately I worry about being in that percentage..  I dont want to have cancer and then compound that illness with heart disease too.. I only have one heart and would like to keep it healthy to help me fight this dreaded cancer disease.. 

I will check out this other website mentioned above.  I am in hopes that my dr. will put me through the necessary heart pretesting to make sure I am up to the challenge.  My heart has already been through alot of toxic chemicals in the past 6 months..  anyway, thankyou for responding so soon, it has helped me alot to feel more at ease.. I'm still not looking forward to more treatments when I was in hopes that there would be a 6 month interval in between them. 

My original cancer in 01 was just stage 1, only a 1.6 ctmetr. tumor, with the usual A/C chemo and radiation.. it took 6 years for it to come back.  When it did it bypassed the axillary lymph nodes and went mets into the medistinum lymph chain.. dr. says it had to have spread before it was treated in 01..  and it having this her2 gene overexpression made it more aggressive in nature. but for some reason it stayed low for 6 years before a chest xray last May showed a lung nodule, and then one thing led to another and I found myself fighting a more serious form of this disease..  it is being stubborn too this time around.. I have had 4 cycles of the avastin/taxotere and still it has survived to start again.  Hopeing the herceptin will keep it in check..

thank you..

Jodie

 

 

 

 

On 2/18/2008 Giovanna wrote:

 

On 2/14/2008 Jodie wrote:

 

On 2/14/2008 Giovanna wrote:

 

On 2/14/2008 Jodie wrote:

I had a recent petscan to restage my mets br. ca. and unfortunately it didnt come back as good as I had hoped for.  I have had 4 cycles of Avastin/Taxotere..and the scan showed alot of improvement but still areas of activity in lung lymph nodes and lower bronchial tube area..  now the dr. wants to give herceptin every three weeks for three months..  I would like comments and follow up messages from others out there who have been on this chemo drug..   I am fearful of its known cardiac toxicity.. I was with Avastin and Taxotere, but now this herceptin can also be bad, so with so much of this being slammed at my heart, how much can it take without  bad complications..  I know I have to proceed and try it, but would like to know if other breast ca. survivors have been on this..  I have her2 overexpression and so I know this is the chemo drug of choice for me..  I am sure discouraged about having to have more treatments, I was in so hopes that I would be done for 6 months..but I guess knowing that I have metastatic disease now, I was hoping for to much!  My mets was caught in an early phase and if it cooperates I should be able to have a lengthy remission..  cooperation is the key word here though.. 

I would love to hear from others..

God's Blessings to all who fight this br. cancer fight..

Jodie

 

Dear Jodie,

             I had breast cancer and we did remove the lump first then a lumpectomy and then a mastectomy and i was on herceptin for a year every 3 weeks and now I am fine.

 Do not be afraid., you will be O.K.

 

And I am a 3 years survivor,

May God bless you.

 Norma

 

Norma:

Thankyou for your reply, it does make a differance when a breast cancer fighter is able to speak with others in the same situation..   I am fearful of these chemo meds even though they are supposedly safe for the most part, there is always a small percentage of people who will experience the mentioned side effects, and unfortunately I worry about being in that percentage..  I dont want to have cancer and then compound that illness with heart disease too.. I only have one heart and would like to keep it healthy to help me fight this dreaded cancer disease.. 

I will check out this other website mentioned above.  I am in hopes that my dr. will put me through the necessary heart pretesting to make sure I am up to the challenge.  My heart has already been through alot of toxic chemicals in the past 6 months..  anyway, thankyou for responding so soon, it has helped me alot to feel more at ease.. I'm still not looking forward to more treatments when I was in hopes that there would be a 6 month interval in between them. 

My original cancer in 01 was just stage 1, only a 1.6 ctmetr. tumor, with the usual A/C chemo and radiation.. it took 6 years for it to come back.  When it did it bypassed the axillary lymph nodes and went mets into the medistinum lymph chain.. dr. says it had to have spread before it was treated in 01..  and it having this her2 gene overexpression made it more aggressive in nature. but for some reason it stayed low for 6 years before a chest xray last May showed a lung nodule, and then one thing led to another and I found myself fighting a more serious form of this disease..  it is being stubborn too this time around.. I have had 4 cycles of the avastin/taxotere and still it has survived to start again.  Hopeing the herceptin will keep it in check..

thank you..

Jodie

 

 

 

 

Dear Jodie,

            do not worry about your hearth, the doctor will give you a test called Mugu or something like that and they will keep everything in chek.

 May God help you in this , I will say a few prayers.

 Lots of love.

 Norma

Hi! I had Herceptin for a year because my cancer was Her2+. I did really well in the Herceptin until right at the end. They did not give me my last treatment because I was having some issues with my heart, but they said that it was reversible heart damage and i am fine now. It has been quite a few months since I stopped the Herceptin. I do think that the good that this medicine can do outweighs the bad. One other question, How did the find your lung nodules. I had a CT scan of my heart the other day and they just happened to pick up 4 small nodules on my lungs. They are telling me to wait 4 months and then have another CT scan. I am not sure that I really want to wait.

 

On 2/19/2008 donnalynn wrote:

Hi! I had Herceptin for a year because my cancer was Her2+. I did really well in the Herceptin until right at the end. They did not give me my last treatment because I was having some issues with my heart, but they said that it was reversible heart damage and i am fine now. It has been quite a few months since I stopped the Herceptin. I do think that the good that this medicine can do outweighs the bad. One other question, How did the find your lung nodules. I had a CT scan of my heart the other day and they just happened to pick up 4 small nodules on my lungs. They are telling me to wait 4 months and then have another CT scan. I am not sure that I really want to wait.

Hi Donnalynn:

Thankyou for the reply.  Hearing that someone else has been on this medicine really helps calm my fears.  Sounds like though you have suffered some damage to your heart from the herceptin, which is exactly why I was asking others to let me know their exprience..  for some reason this fears me more than the cancer itself.  But, the consequences of not trying it is not really an option at this point, as the dr. said if we sit back and do nothing I will lose what ground I have made since being on the avastin/taxotere regimen.. I wouldnt want to repeat that..or anything like it right now.. so I guess all I can do is tredge ahead and hope that they will watch me close for signs of it doing damage to my heart.. my father had a bad heart from the age of 36, and I know there is significant history in that side of my family for people to not live past a certain age because of heart disease.  My Dad died in 03 of bladder cancer.. we always thought it would be his heart that would take his life..although it was because of his bad heart that he couldnt fight the cancer as agressively as he might of could if he didnt have a bad heart.. so i guess this is what is in the back of my mind. 

They found the lung nodule after an orthopedic dr. ordered pre surgical xray, the lung nodule showed up on the xray.. then it led to one thing and another till they discovered the cancer going wild in my medistinum and lung, and up in the right side of my throat.. it was by accident.. I dont blame you for not wanting to wait 4 months...that is a long time to wait and see.. I pressed my primary to continue on with a regular ct scan of my lung, which still showed the nodule, then he sent me to a pulmonary dr. which then led me to a surgeon to biopsy the lymph nodes in the lung area to discover the active cancer.. I hope you can get them to reconsider and do more studies on your lung nodules.. it does sound suspicious.  How long were you on herceptin?  I was not offered that stuff when the cancer was just a stage 1 in 01..  dont know why?  Anyway, I hope things work out for the better for you..

thanks for your reply..

Best wishes..

Jodie

Hi, Jodie,

I too am HER2 positve and have been receiving Herceptin treatments since the beginning of my breast cancer treatments. I finished the toxic part of the chemo in June 2008 and am still receiving the Herceptin every 3 weeks until April this year, 2008. 

Herceptin was originally given weekly but further testing told the doctors they can give 3 treatments in one session without further complications. Be advised, it is your choice to go weekly or every 3 weeks. Every 3 weeks saves me $120 a month as I do not have to pay the co-pay every week, which is great if your income is limited.

I receive a MUGA scan every 3 months and so far have had no problems arise from the Herceptin and I used to be a heavy smoker. In fact, your doctor may recommend a MUGA before starting the Herceptin so that they have a starting point with the condition of your heart. Keep in mind that this is all precautionary. Herceptin may cause congestive heart failure, but the numbers are extremely low. Other than adding to your tiredness, I have had no other side effects. Be sure to tell your doctor is there is a family history of heart problems - mom, dad, siblings, etc. They will be extra cautious and on notice to watch more closely.

This is the complication of being HER2 positive, your body creates a protein that allows cancer cells to grow and the cancer can appear anywhere, not just your breast. The Herceptin is supposed to block that protein in order to prevent the cancer cells from growing. I am also on Arimidex that is supposed to kill of any cells that may be left in my body after all the previous treatments. This is all layman terms, as I have been told and read about.

Talk to your doctor and ask as many questions as you need to. Talk to the nurses that administer the infusions, they are very helpful and can sometimes give you a more down to earth explanation of the pros and cons. After a year of receiving Herceptin, I am fine. The alternative I'm told would be to risk other cancers and I definitely don't want to go through this again.

Good Luck and God Bless, Ruth