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Oh PooP...Herceptin Holiday Over!
First of all, appologies for not being more active on this board as of late. Hubby and I are in the process of selling our home of the last 23 years, and it has been very stressful.
Anyway, just wanted to update you on my Herceptin Holiday. After stopping the Herceptin last year, my markers started to climb again in June of this year. The Her2 Serum was the first to go up, followed by the CA 15-3. My labs drawn last week showed Her2 serum at 26 and CA 15-3 at 49. Since my markers have always been a pretty reliable indicator for me, we decided I should go back on Herceptin ASAP.
I am really frustrated though because the soonest I can get an appointment to get my infusion is in two weeks, and I just remember how fast my cancer spread the last time I had a recurrence to my liver in 2001. I've asked to be notified if there are any cancelations so I can get my infusion sooner, but they've made so many cutbacks in staff at my Oncology center, I'm sure it won't happen.
So, it has been a nice holiday, but I hope I've not opened a can of worms that is going to come back to bite me big time! I know I've been very lucky in my fight with this disease, but if I'd known it would take so long to get back on Herceptin when I need it, I'd have probably never stopped it in the first place.
Sorry for the rant......just makes me so frustrated.
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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...
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