I tried sending this last night and it didn't go through. I'll tryagain. This is what Dr. Pegram said to me when I asked him about taking more than a year of Herceptin:
Is there any thought about the possibility of “maintenance” Herceptin after, let’s say 5 years of NED early stage breast cancer, to keep the cancer from returning?
No. One year should be enough. Now the issue is whether you need actually a whole year or not. There is some evidence that you may need as little as 9 weeks even, instead of a whole year. It was a small study. So now they’re doing 6 months vs. 12 months; if that shows no difference ultimately (which will take another few years to get those results) then people will start looking at like three months. But probably a year is plenty. That’s why I don’t recommend any more.
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Blessings and Peace,
Barbara
DX Oct 02 @ age 52 Stage 2B Grade 3 Mastectomy
"at least" 4.5 cm IDC 1+node ER+61% /PR-
Assiciated Intraductual component with Comedo Necrosis
Her2+ FISH8.6 IHC 2+
5 1/2 CEF Arimidex
Celebrex 400mg daily for 13 months
Prophylactic mastectomy
Estradiol #: 13
PTEN positive, "late" Herceptin (26 months after chemo)
Oct 05: Actonel for osteopenia from Arimidex.
May 08: Replaced Actonel with Zometa . Taking every 6
months.
Accepting the gift of life, I give thanks for it and live it in fullness.
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