Meeting with the Onc

[Faith in Him]

Met with the Onc today to go over new plan. He wasn't as upbeat as I would have liked but did say that since the cancer is still local we have a shot at it. I have to agree that it is a little disappointing that the cancer came back so quickly.

The new plan is taxotere with herceptin to see if that gets the skin rashes under control. Then the surgeon will remove the breast because I guess the cancer is in the lymph system in the breast clogging things up and making the red rashes on my breast. Then possible radiation. If the taxotere doesn't work than they will try something else.

The onc. wanted to stop herceptin altogether but I convinced him not to just yet based on some of your wonderful suggestions.


Chemo starts tomorrow and I will have a ct scan and brain mri later in the month.

Any thoughts about taxotere?

Thanks. I appreciate all of you so much

Tonya

[tousled1]

Tonya,

I had Taxatore but not for skin mets. I had it neoadjunctly (before surgery) to try and shrink my large tumor. Well, it did it's job and shrank the tumor. I'm on Taxol now and find it easier than Taxatore. With the Taxatore I had a lot of bone/joint pain. Although I think a lot of that could also be attributed to the Neulasta shots I got. Hang in there you'll get through it. You will also loose your hair in most likelihood.

[Mary Jo]

Hi Tonya,

I have no experience with Taxotere, only Taxol. So, I can't give you my experience with that. The reason for my post is to tell you that I have prayed for you and will hold you in prayer tomorrow as you begin chemo again. I ask the Lord to protect your body from the harmful effects of chemo but to allow the chemo to do what it is suppose to do.

Sending love and hugs to you,

Mary Jo

[Becky]

Taxotere is a wonderful drug. Although a taxane like Taxol, most oncs will say that it is more effective than Taxol when given in the same way.

You were wise (IMHO) to keep Herceptin in your plan. It did not fail you - it is too soon to say that at all. Here's to a pothole in the road that you will be paving over soon.

I am sorry that you will be losing your breast after having a lumpectomy with the clean margins etc.

I am still thinking of you and you will make it through this detour just fine.

[Bill]

Hi Tonya! Be thankful. It sounds like you have a great onc., with a "let's get down to business and get this thing knocked out" type attitude. It's good that you're continuing the Herceptin treatments. I'm gonna piggy-back my prayers onto Marejo's because I can't think of any better way to put it. Love and strength to you and your beautiful family, Bill

[caya]

Hi Tonya,

Sorry about your skin rashes and now having a mastectomy, but remember this is part of the plan to rid you of the beast. I had 3 rounds of Taxotere after 3 rounds of FEC ( a commonly used chemo regime in Canada) - I did have alot of bone/joint pain, and was very fatigued, but my onc. told me that Taxotere is one of the best drugs out there - and he is one of the top oncs in Canada.

Good luck, you will get through it.

all the best
caya

[Faith in Him]

I am feeling a little more encouraged after reading all your posts. Thank you for all the prayers and positive thoughts.

I hope Taxotere does the trick once and for all.

[lexigirl]

Alright Tonya, time to kick some cancer butt! Prayers that the taxotere along with the herceptin will clear those skin mets away. I am sorry that you have to endure more chemo, but am hopeful that this will do the trick.

Hugs and Prayers,
Lexi

[Jean]

Dear Tonya,
I am sorry that you will have to have additional treatment. I had taxotere and I experienced bone and muscle pain. I would take Alieve which helped. I found that warm soaking baths helped and placing a pillow under my legs. I often used a heating pad on low under my legs as I slept.
Walking is important. The taxotere will kick out those skin mets.
It is a great drug. I wish all the best for you as you begin treatment.

Kind Regards,
Jean

[kk1]

Hi;

You might ask you onc if you can do the herceptin and taxotere on a weekly basis (H weekly, and tax 3 on 1 off) rather than the standard 3week. I did that and it worked great and I didn't even lose my hair, not to say it was easy....but it was easier to tolerate than the 3week regime. At the time (2004) my onc gave me an article that showed doing the weekly 3 week on 1 week off worked just as well as the 3wk regime with less side effects.

[Mary Anne in TX]

Tonya, I had taxotere with adriamycin so don't know which was the rascal of the two, but like all else, you can do it! It's just as mean to those bc cells and can "do the trick" for you! It's a cancer killer drug that has great results. I'll be praying for you tomorrow and sending strong warrior thoughts your way. Your onc may have been cautious in his attitude, but you be positive and determined to have your way with this situation. Much love, ma

[Linda]

One thing to consider when switching to weekly taxotere (I had weekly taxotere neo adjuvantly...) I asked for it weekly, hearing that side effects were less -- however, know that everytime you have a taxane infusion you have to have a dose of steroids as well. For me, the steroids were the worst, and weekly steroids got really hard on me emotionally. In retrospect, I would have done the taxane every 2 or 3 weeks, just to avoid such frequent doses of dexamethasone.
We're all different, so that's just another piece of info to throw into the mix.
Good luck
Linda

[StephN]

Hope this drug can send those skin mets into orbit.

About the Taxotere. I took that on a 3-weekly basis. It was hard as He[[ on me. It was not the steroid dexamethasone, but the dose itself. I ended up not having nausea, but the other flu-like symptoms were terrible.

On the 3 week dose I had to take the steroid for 2 days prior and at the infusion. Maybe on the weekly you don't need so much??

So keep an option open for more frequent dosing. I did that with Taxol and it was MUCH better.

[Lolly]

Hi Tonya;
I had Taxotere/Herceptin weekly from Sept. to Nov. last year, with Xeloda added at the end of Sept. The side effects were manageable, and I was give IV anti-nausea which really helped. I took Tylenol and sometimes a Tylenol/codein combo called Hydrocodone at night. Really helped.
I did have such hair thinning that I had my husband shave my head!
I did have lots of nail issues, and I eventually lost some of them, but they're growing back now.
I had hand/foot syndrome from the Xeloda, and then started showing progression, so am now on a new plan which includes Taxol, which is also a Taxane like Taxotere, and showing good response, so "keep the faith"!

<3 Lolly

[Lolly]

Tonya, I should add regarding dexamethasone to help with side effects, I've always resisted it because my side effects always seemed manageable without it. However, on Taxotere I did experience significant weight gain, almost 15 pounds. When I started this new triple combo, I agreed to dex as I felt I was in new territory and it was warranted. Amazingly enough, I dropped 10 pounds in the first 2 weeks and the other 5 pounds since. It was all water retention from the Taxotere! My lymphedema arms are so much better, as is my waistline.

My treatments are weekly, and although the first dose of Dex was high(8 mg. I think), the following doses were cut in half and I haven't had any problems with it.

I think the weekly dose is probably easier on us than a 3 weekly. I receive it by IV before my chemo's, along with IV Zofran and Benedryl. Each seperately.

<3 Lolly