Herceptin every week instead of three

Hi: I just started on an every-three week chemotherapy protocol (Taxotere and Carboplatin) but I'm receiving Herceptin weekly. I've been reading that some people receive Herceptin every three weeks along with chemo every three weeks. I'm wondering what the reasons might be. Would appreciate any information on this. Thank you.

When I was having carboplatin and taxotere every three weeks, I had Herceptin weekly. Once I finished the carboplatin and taxotere, I had Herceptin every three weeks. I finished my year of Herceptin in Jan. 2005 so don't know if they've changed their thinking about getting Herceptin weekly when you're getting chemo.

Bonnie

Hi Cookie

I don't know what their reasoning would be however; all research has show that because of herceptin's very long half life, every 3 weeks works just as well as every week. There is research going on about increasing the loading dose of the 3 week cycle because it takes around 6 weeks (at the current loading dose regime) to achieve maximum plasma levels.

Regards,
Al

That does sound a little backwards...if you're going in for Herceptin every week, why don't they give you the taxol & carbo too? Doing your chemo+Herceptin on a weekly schedule (3wks TCH, 4th wk Herceptin, only)is called "dose-dense" or metronomic therapy. They give you a smaller dose, but more frequently. They've found that following a dose-dense regimen there's less toxicity, so the side effects are more manageable and marginally greater efficacy. They've also found that more frequent exposure to chemo interrupts angiogenesis, preventing those tumor cells from sprouting its own blood vessels & maintaining the blood supply so the cells can continue to divide & grow.
"The anti-angiogenic efficacy of chemotherapy seems to be optimized by administering comparatively low doses of drug on a frequent or continuous schedule, with no extended interruptions — sometimes referred to as 'metronomic' chemotherapy..."
If you want to read the full article, cut & paste this link: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/480745
I did 12 weeks of TCH, dose-dense, and after ~week 8, the side effects started to really get to me-feeling yucky, awful taste in my mouth, etc. I can't imagine what I would have felt like with the triple dose!
Hang in there & keep the faith!

I had the triple dose of all three drugs every three weeks for 6 cycles. I couldn't stand the way my mouth felt either. I was pretty much flat out for at least a week after. I started feeling better just in time to do it again. That's probably the same for most people on that same treatment. We do what we gotta do and move on. Best of luck. Sally

If we use common sense, then 3 weeks dose means 3 times the dose and that measn all the side effects should be 3 times like the impact to the heart as u r pumping in 3 times the medication at once. Its like giving a punch to the heart 3 times as severe.
If you have a weekly dose then u give a light punch and then give 6 days to recover.
Plus in all American trials it was given as weekly. Only in HERA trial it was given 3 weekly and the HERA Trial is relatively new.
I was initially on weekly dose and then went onto 3 weekly dose but now with 3 weekly I have had a drop in LVEF.
I am asking my onc to move me back to weekly once my LVEF returns.
This is again my view point.