HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Using old treatments

julierene · 02-10-2009, 06:59 AM

For the first time in 4 months, the scans were finally better. The liver looked significantly better after only one month of this "old" treatment. The only thing they changed was they switched Taxol to Abraxane. There isn't too much difference in that, but it seems to be helping. The bone mets were stable, the liver looked better, and the CA 27/29 was a few points lower. It was only decreased from 132 to like 129... but I hope month 2 will be better. I was just surprised that the liver finally looked better. I had been off Herceptin for a while, so I wasn't willing to give up on it. I was more willing to think that the Navelbine wasn't working. I did feel like I had exhausted the efficacy of Tykerb - at least for a few years.

It was Dec 05 when I first did the Carboplatin/Herceptin/Taxol. It made everything disappear within 3 months. I don't know if that will happen this time, but I am sure hoping so! If not, we will be switching to Avastin + something. I have great hopes for Avastin. Anyway, it gets scary getting down to the point where the oncologist is telling you to look for trials and the drugs are limited.

Julie

02-10-2009, 06:59 AM	#4
julierene Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Illinois Posts: 327	First month scans on new treatment went well For the first time in 4 months, the scans were finally better. The liver looked significantly better after only one month of this "old" treatment. The only thing they changed was they switched Taxol to Abraxane. There isn't too much difference in that, but it seems to be helping. The bone mets were stable, the liver looked better, and the CA 27/29 was a few points lower. It was only decreased from 132 to like 129... but I hope month 2 will be better. I was just surprised that the liver finally looked better. I had been off Herceptin for a while, so I wasn't willing to give up on it. I was more willing to think that the Navelbine wasn't working. I did feel like I had exhausted the efficacy of Tykerb - at least for a few years. It was Dec 05 when I first did the Carboplatin/Herceptin/Taxol. It made everything disappear within 3 months. I don't know if that will happen this time, but I am sure hoping so! If not, we will be switching to Avastin + something. I have great hopes for Avastin. Anyway, it gets scary getting down to the point where the oncologist is telling you to look for trials and the drugs are limited. Julie __________________ Jan04: Bilateral Mastectomy at age 28 Initial DX: Left Breast: IDC 2cm, Grade 3, HER2+3, 0 Nodes +, ER/PR-. Right Breast: Extensive DCIS ER-/PR+; Stage 1-2a Feb04-Apr04: 4 AC, dose dense Aug 04: 4 Taxotere Dec 05: Bone and Liver METS; Stage 4. Carboplatin/Taxol/Herceptin. DX with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Apr 06: NED, maintenance Herceptin Apr 07: CA1503=14; masses in liver; Xeloda/Tykerb Nov 07: NED, Tykerb maintenance Sept 08: Liver mets again, on Tykerb/Xeloda again, CA=19 and 27 Nov 08: Progression, Tykerb/Gemzar, CA=25 Dec 08: Progression, Herceptin/Navelbine, CA=40, 57, and 130 Jan 09: Progression in bone, recession in liver, Herceptin/Carbo/Abraxane CA=135 June 09: CA27/29=24, chemo break Sept 09: Progression, CA=24, waiting on clinical trial (4 weeks no treatment) Nov 09: now have brain mets, trial "on hold", getting 14 WBR treatments starting 11/2/09 Dec 09: possible start on p53 trial