HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Can't do Gemzar...sigh...the only one that ever works

Kim in CA · 04-30-2013, 09:03 PM

Dear Coolbreeze,

Wow, I had never heard of anyone having such a bad reaction to Neulasta etc. I hope your doctor has some answers for you tomorrow.

Like you, I've had alot of chemo, and it's all cumulative on your bone marrow. I did not bounce back after the taxotere this last time, like I did the first time I took it. I was able to go 8 cycles last time, and this time I was crying "uncle" after round 4! I'm still feeling the effects nearly 3 months after stopping it. In fact I've been told this may be my new normal. I would not have even been able to do the 4 rounds if I couldn't havetaken the Neulasta and Procrit.

Are you still having progression while staying on just the Herceptin and Perjeta? I was so hoping that combo would give you some time to bounce back and not let things get growing again.

Hoping your doc is an "out of the box" thinker and comes up with a plan for you.

Hang in there,
Kim

04-30-2013, 09:03 PM	#5
Kim in CA Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: California's Gold Country Posts: 404	Re: Can't do Gemzar...sigh...the only one that ever works Dear Coolbreeze, Wow, I had never heard of anyone having such a bad reaction to Neulasta etc. I hope your doctor has some answers for you tomorrow. Like you, I've had alot of chemo, and it's all cumulative on your bone marrow. I did not bounce back after the taxotere this last time, like I did the first time I took it. I was able to go 8 cycles last time, and this time I was crying "uncle" after round 4! I'm still feeling the effects nearly 3 months after stopping it. In fact I've been told this may be my new normal. I would not have even been able to do the 4 rounds if I couldn't havetaken the Neulasta and Procrit. Are you still having progression while staying on just the Herceptin and Perjeta? I was so hoping that combo would give you some time to bounce back and not let things get growing again. Hoping your doc is an "out of the box" thinker and comes up with a plan for you. Hang in there, 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...