HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post

Kim in CA · 11-15-2012, 10:04 AM

Wow Eileen,

Your history is quite a "story" with the misdiagnosis and all.

The taxotere given every week for 3 weeks, with 1 week off, isn't too hard to tolerate (at least it wasn't back in 2001/2002). It wasn't until I'd been on it for over 6 months that the side effects started wearing on me. It did work really well for me, and my doc feels that it will work better than the abraxane. He is also open to switching to the Abraxane, if I should develope side effects that become problematic.

I am due for an MRI of my brain this month too, so if we should see anything suspicious there, I would definitely want to incorporate the Tykerb. Just been kind of holding off on that one, cause I keep thinking/hoping the taxotere is going to be all I need. Taxotere is an agressive drug, but I like being agressive with this cancer, especially since my tumor burden seems pretty light at this point.

What I am hoping for is that TDM-1 will soon be approved, and that Perjeta will be easier for stage IV to get as a second line treatment.

The level of care at my treatment center has really fallen off since I first started going there in 1997, and it has become really difficult to get things authorized and even just get an appt. with my doc. So, in a way I'm taking the less stressful route by going with the Taxotere. I really didn't feel up to having to jump through any more hoops to get back on to some sort of treatment. I just wanted to do something quick, and then see where things go from there.

To complicate things further, our COBRA continuation coverage will be expiring in Feb. If we want to keep our current Blue Shield coverage, their HIPAA plan would run us almost $3000 a month. That is something we just can't afford, so will probably be switching to a Kaiser HIPAA plan. I have heard lots of good things about Kaiser in our area, so am hoping my level of care may actually improve. I know that many of my favorite, very experienced, oncology nurses have left my current facility, and have gone to Kaiser.

So, the saga continues!
Kim

11-15-2012, 10:04 AM	#15
Kim in CA Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: California's Gold Country Posts: 404	Re: Abraxane VS Taxotere ? Wow Eileen, Your history is quite a "story" with the misdiagnosis and all. The taxotere given every week for 3 weeks, with 1 week off, isn't too hard to tolerate (at least it wasn't back in 2001/2002). It wasn't until I'd been on it for over 6 months that the side effects started wearing on me. It did work really well for me, and my doc feels that it will work better than the abraxane. He is also open to switching to the Abraxane, if I should develope side effects that become problematic. I am due for an MRI of my brain this month too, so if we should see anything suspicious there, I would definitely want to incorporate the Tykerb. Just been kind of holding off on that one, cause I keep thinking/hoping the taxotere is going to be all I need. Taxotere is an agressive drug, but I like being agressive with this cancer, especially since my tumor burden seems pretty light at this point. What I am hoping for is that TDM-1 will soon be approved, and that Perjeta will be easier for stage IV to get as a second line treatment. The level of care at my treatment center has really fallen off since I first started going there in 1997, and it has become really difficult to get things authorized and even just get an appt. with my doc. So, in a way I'm taking the less stressful route by going with the Taxotere. I really didn't feel up to having to jump through any more hoops to get back on to some sort of treatment. I just wanted to do something quick, and then see where things go from there. To complicate things further, our COBRA continuation coverage will be expiring in Feb. If we want to keep our current Blue Shield coverage, their HIPAA plan would run us almost $3000 a month. That is something we just can't afford, so will probably be switching to a Kaiser HIPAA plan. I have heard lots of good things about Kaiser in our area, so am hoping my level of care may actually improve. I know that many of my favorite, very experienced, oncology nurses have left my current facility, and have gone to Kaiser. So, the saga continues! Kim __________________ Diag. Feb 1997 4.5cm IDC <10%ER+, PR-. 5 out of 36 nodes +. Mastectomy followed by 3 rounds Adriamycin/Cytoxin. 5/1997 Hi Dose Chemo w/ Stem cell rescue. Spent 4 weeks in isolation ward. Then 6 weeks radiation. 9/2001 widespread mets to liver. 8 mos Taxotere/Herceptin brought me almost to NED. Stop Taxotere & add Femara . 11/2002 liver resection to remove spot that turned out to be necrosis. Officially NED! 7/2003 Tumor markers rising add Xeloda Disastrous reaction, 8 days hospital, but tumor markers came back to normal! June -Dec 2004 UW Vaccine Trial. 7/2005 MRI single 11mm brain met 8/2005 Gamma Knife. Brain MRI @3 months NED! 2006-2011 brain/body still NED 8/04/11 Taking Herceptin break, will monitor with tumor markers. 6/20/12 Tumor markers begin to rise. CA15-3 is 31.3 and Her2 Serum is at 17.1 Decide to repeat in one month. 7/23/12 CA15-3 now 49.3 Her2 Serum 26.8 8/6/12 Back on Herceptin CA15-3 now 76 Her2 Serum now 49 11/7/12 Add weekly Taxotere for 4 cycles 2/2013 Stopped Taxotere added Perjeta. MRI shows approx. 50% reduction liver mets. CA15-3 still elevated @ 55. Will continue on just Herceptin & Perjeta. November 2014 Continuing on Herceptin, Perjeta, and Femara indefinitely. Guess I'm NED again, but watching those tumor markers carefully! Dec. 2015 PET scan reveals mass in perirectal area of abdomen.biopsy confirms. Still Her2+, but no longer ER+. Bye bye Femara Jan 2016 Begin Kadcyla March 2016 PET scan shows tumor now barely visible, still NED everywhere else. 2016/2017 continue Kadcyla November 2017 brain MRI reveals small focus of T2 hyperintensity with possible 4mm enhancing nodule. Short term follow up MRI suggested. Stay tuned...