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Kim in CA · 11-05-2012, 09:12 AM

Thanks so much for the input ladies. I will be having a PET scan tomorrow, and seeing the doc on Weds. when I get my treatment. We will also do all my labs. My last CA15-3 done 3 weeks ago, was 88 (higher than in 2001 when I had mets to my liver) and my Her2 Serum was 22.

My tumor markers have always been pretty reliable for me. That, coupled with the pressure I've been feeling in my abdomen, was why I went back on Herceptin in August, after almost exactly a one year break.

Taxotere given weekly wasn't too hard for me to tolerate back in 2001/2002, but I was also 10 years younger! It was after being on it for almost 8 months that I really started having problems.

Xeloda, unfortunately isn't an option for me, as it almost did me in, back in 2003.

The Abraxane sounds like something I need to talk with my Doc about, if it works as good or better than Taxotere with out as many side effects. I didn't loose my hair on Taxotere last time, just thinned quite a bit, but permanently messed up my lashes, brows, and fingernails. My hair came back to normal though.

DeenaH and Yanyan, was your Abraxane given weekly or every 3 weeks? I wondering if that can possibly determine if you loose your hair or not.

Let's face it, loosing one's hair is a biggie.

Thanks again for your replies.

Kim

11-05-2012, 09:12 AM	#5
Kim in CA Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: California's Gold Country Posts: 404	Re: Abraxane VS Taxotere ? Thanks so much for the input ladies. I will be having a PET scan tomorrow, and seeing the doc on Weds. when I get my treatment. We will also do all my labs. My last CA15-3 done 3 weeks ago, was 88 (higher than in 2001 when I had mets to my liver) and my Her2 Serum was 22. My tumor markers have always been pretty reliable for me. That, coupled with the pressure I've been feeling in my abdomen, was why I went back on Herceptin in August, after almost exactly a one year break. Taxotere given weekly wasn't too hard for me to tolerate back in 2001/2002, but I was also 10 years younger! It was after being on it for almost 8 months that I really started having problems. Xeloda, unfortunately isn't an option for me, as it almost did me in, back in 2003. The Abraxane sounds like something I need to talk with my Doc about, if it works as good or better than Taxotere with out as many side effects. I didn't loose my hair on Taxotere last time, just thinned quite a bit, but permanently messed up my lashes, brows, and fingernails. My hair came back to normal though. DeenaH and Yanyan, was your Abraxane given weekly or every 3 weeks? I wondering if that can possibly determine if you loose your hair or not. Let's face it, loosing one's hair is a biggie. Thanks again for your replies. 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...