HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Chime in please! Has herceptin (or tykerb)affected your eyebrows/lashes,fingers/toes/

StephN · 01-16-2008, 07:57 PM

Goodness - the chick testing is heartrenching. Hope the researchers have what they need now.

1)were you ever on herceptin alone - YES, almost 6.5 years now

2)how long after chemo were you on herceptin - got Herceptin for mets and stayed on it ever since.

3)was anyone on herceptin without chemo - Began herceptin WITH Taxol and Navelbine for mets, then continued the Herceptin

4)were you also on antihormonals - NO, I am hormone neg/neg

5) a)did you notice any problems with your eyebrows ?b) eyelashes?c) did they preceed herceptin, d)did they get better/worse on herceptin.e) did they get better after herceptin stopped?

Had a lot of chemo and went "manekin" twice. Hair grew back pretty normal on my head, less on my legs and underarms, and lashes and brows are not the same. Lashes are thinner and shorter and left brow is missing back half and they are thinner. Only stopped Herceptin for 3 months last year and nothing changed. Back on indefinitely.

6)a) did you have cracking of your finger tips, heels, toes, ingrown toenails-- b)similarly did they preceed herceptin, c)did they get better/worse on herceptin, d)did they get better after herceptin stopped?

Some cracking of mainly index fingers in the winter or when gardening a lot, heels and toes OK, only have right great toe nail that took forever to grow back and still lifts off its bed. Fingernails are more brittle at times, then grow in OK. These things are all better on Herceptin alone than on chemo or chemo/Herceptin.

01-16-2008, 07:57 PM	#23
StephN Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Misty woods of WA State Posts: 4,128	Yes, interesting thread Goodness - the chick testing is heartrenching. Hope the researchers have what they need now. 1)were you ever on herceptin alone - YES, almost 6.5 years now 2)how long after chemo were you on herceptin - got Herceptin for mets and stayed on it ever since. 3)was anyone on herceptin without chemo - Began herceptin WITH Taxol and Navelbine for mets, then continued the Herceptin 4)were you also on antihormonals - NO, I am hormone neg/neg 5) a)did you notice any problems with your eyebrows ?b) eyelashes?c) did they preceed herceptin, d)did they get better/worse on herceptin.e) did they get better after herceptin stopped? Had a lot of chemo and went "manekin" twice. Hair grew back pretty normal on my head, less on my legs and underarms, and lashes and brows are not the same. Lashes are thinner and shorter and left brow is missing back half and they are thinner. Only stopped Herceptin for 3 months last year and nothing changed. Back on indefinitely. 6)a) did you have cracking of your finger tips, heels, toes, ingrown toenails-- b)similarly did they preceed herceptin, c)did they get better/worse on herceptin, d)did they get better after herceptin stopped? Some cracking of mainly index fingers in the winter or when gardening a lot, heels and toes OK, only have right great toe nail that took forever to grow back and still lifts off its bed. Fingernails are more brittle at times, then grow in OK. These things are all better on Herceptin alone than on chemo or chemo/Herceptin. __________________ "When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest." H.D. Thoreau Live in the moment. MY STORY SO FAR ~~~~ Found suspicious lump 9/2000 Lumpectomy, then node dissection and port placement Stage IIB, 8 pos nodes of 18, Grade 3, ER & PR - Adriamycin 12 weekly, taxotere 4 rounds 36 rads - very little burning 3 mos after rads liver full of tumors, Stage IV Jan 2002, one spot on sternum Weekly Taxol, Navelbine, Herceptin for 27 rounds to NED! 2003 & 2004 no active disease - 3 weekly Herceptin + Zometa Jan 2005 two mets to brain - Gamma Knife on Jan 18 All clear until treated cerebellum spot showing activity on Jan 2006 brain MRI & brain PET Brain surgery on Feb 9, 2006 - no cancer, 100% radiation necrosis - tumor was still dying Continue as NED while on Herceptin & quarterly Zometa Fall-2006 - off Zometa - watching one small brain spot (scar?) 2007 - spot/scar in brain stable - finished anticoagulation therapy for clot along my port-a-catheter - 3 angioplasties to unblock vena cava 2008 - Brain and body still NED! Port removed and scans in Dec. Dec 2008 - stop Herceptin - Vaccine Trial at U of W begun in Oct. of 2011 STILL NED everywhere in Feb 2014 - on wing & prayer 7/14 - Started twice yearly Zometa for my bones Jan. 2015 checkup still shows NED 2015 Neuropathy in feet - otherwise all OK - still NED. Same news for 2016 and all of 2017. Nov of 2017 - had small skin cancer removed from my face. Will have Zometa end of Jan. 2018.