Herceptin questions

[Brenda_D]

How do you suppose that your onc decides whether to give your Herceptin with paclitaxel or alone?

I was treated with A/C, then H alone.

How long does your infusion take?
I get a 3 week dose and it's given over 90 minutes.

[PinkGirl]

Hi Brenda D

One of the "wise ones" will probably have an answer to the Herceptin/Tax.
combo. I don't know why you're getting Herceptin alone.

I also had it every 3 weeks and it took about 90 minutes. As I gained weight, my onc. increased the amount I received, so by the end, it was taking a bit longer to get the infusion. I started Herceptin with Taxol and then carried on with Herceptin only. Hope this helps.

[Sheila]

Brenda
As far as the Herceptin, when I was on 3 week dosing, I received it over 30 minutes and never had a problem.

[Mary Anne in TX]

Hi Brenda!
You can see by my signature what I have had. I go to an onc who listens to me, but far more important is up on everything! He asked to be agressive with my treatment (if my response was good and it didn't ruin my quality of life) and I totally agreed. I figured that 1 year of a goofy life was well worth a longer life. My surgeon, who I also liked very much, said to me that he was sorry that my prognosis wasn't better! That scared me and then made me mad. That probably helped my level of commitment to an agressive program of drugs and radiation. I also know that I go where lots and lots of the phase 1 testing for the drugs we end up taking is done.
I don't know this, but I believe that the combinations that I have taken were designed to work on possible mini mets sights. When I did some research about each of them, I noticed that they targeted areas that BC goes to as mets. I don't know, I just think!
I have learned so much from reading the experiences and shared knowledge of this warrior family. They've taught me to question, to fight for what I want or need, and most of all to have faith and hope in my future.
Best wishes for a very long NED life!
Mary Anne

[PinkGirl]

Hi Brenda D
I'm bumping this up so one of the "wise ones" can possibly answer your first question about herceptin alone or with a taxtane.

Good luck with your scans.....try not to worry about it ;)

[Brenda_D]

Thanks Pink Girl. :)
It's kind of hard not to bounce off the walls right before and after a scan.

My son sent me this today- an article on "what a life is worth".
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21209744/

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

Fabulous article, Brenda! Enlightening and utterly scary. I'm hoping you're doing all right insurance-wise. I am one of the lucky ones in that regard. And, as I've heard Elizabeth Edwards say, she and her husband want the best of medical care for every one! How do we do that? I don't know.

I do know that my Cancer Center is no longer giving Aranesp injections (to boost flagging red blood counts). My insurance company is presently (after 9 months of decision making and stalling and leaving patients *hanging* on...) covering the cost. But I must get a scrip from my doc. Fortunately he is not afraid to prescribe it, w/potential law suits if problems arise w/heart or advanced ca into head and neck area. Then I must take the script to the pharmacy, wait a day for them to get it in and then SELF-INJECT. This system needs fixing. I am broken-hearted over those who can't get important treatment -- even though it is *available*! This is not acceptable.

What is your situation in this regard, Brenda. BTW, you can read my signature about my med history and if you have any questions -- please shoot them over to me. After 12 yrs of I don't know how many doctors appts, infusions, imaging centers and on and on I've been to, and through -- I have accrued a professional patient's awareness. Like being married to a doc (my daughter is married to an OB/GYN and can answer the most amazing panoply of questions re this specialty almost as well as her husband, though not skilled in performing exams and surgery). I have learned a lot about a subject I wish I didn't have to know about, but am empowered all the same (far more than as a newbie, back in the day -- '95).

Andi

[Brenda_D]

Thanks, Andrea.
I'm doing o.k. so far. Thank goodness I have insurance, and they have paid a large part of my medical bills.
I've also been given a small amount of help through our local Cancer Association, and the hospital lets me make payments on what I owe there.
My Onc (bless him), writes off the co-pay on the Herceptin, and I made arrangements with the Rad Onc's office.
My rad bill was over$120,000 alone. Of course, the insurance paid most of that.

It makes me think though, that some women will opt for a mastectomy over a lumpectomy, simply because they can't afford the radiation treatments.

I attended a meeting of our local CA association last night, and was pretty proud when they awarded checks to 3 local hospitals (to be used for CA related patient help) and 3 other checks to some larger CA treatment and research centers.
They donated $10,000 each to St. Judes Childrens Hospital, Siteman Cancer Center (both of St. Louis) and Simmons Cooper Cancer Institute of Springfield, IL.

[dhealey]

The article was rather scary. My insurance has paid for most of my treatments. It took me 6 months of threating to get a lawyer before they finally started paying for my herceptin treatments, they did pay for the nulesta injections and anaresp injections when I was taking chemo. My onc's office wrote off what they didn't pay. I also had help with my co-pays from the patient avacocy program. Onc's office signed me up for that. It was a blessing as it paid for $2000 of co-pays. I don't know what the uninsured or underinsured do, as last year when all this started I had about $10,000 worth of medical bills I was responsible for.