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08-21-2007, 04:08 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 292
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Herceptin Protocol--Steriods Required? RAD ?, too!
Hey!
I wanted to post this separately, as it might be lost in my longer post! When I finish chemo and go to Herceptin ever three weeks, so I still have to take the steriods? Please, please, please someone tell me NO!
Also, has anyone taken a break between chemo and radiation? I just want a little bit to feel better...
Hugs,
Krista
__________________
Krista
Diagnosed 3/29/2007 @ age 34
Stage 1, Node Neg. (SNB), Grade 2, 1.4 cm. IDC
ER/PR 90%+ HER2 +
6 TCH started 5/25/2007, ended after #5 due to steroid "reactions" and neuropathy in feet and hands
BUT--#6 CH w/o Taxotere
Begin Herceptin alone 9/28/2007
30 rads completed 12/19/2007
Finish Herceptin 5/9/2008
Stopped Tamoxifen early--HATED it.
Married 17 years
13-year old son
3 embies on ice (from 1999)
GA, USA
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08-21-2007, 04:20 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Acworth, GA
Posts: 2,104
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The good news is that when you are taking Herceptin only you do not take any premeds. I don't know if anyone has taken a break from chemo before starting rads. I know that I was on Herceptin only and getting my radiation treatments every day. The only side effect of radiation is that it may make you tired -- and that's only because you have to be there everyday, Monday thru Friday. Taking Herceptin and getting radiation at the same time is very doable and you shouldn't have any problems.
__________________
Kate
Stage IIIC Diagnosed Oct 25, 2005 (age 58)
ER/PR-, HER2+++, grade 3, Ploidy/DNA index: Aneuploid/1.61, S-phase: 24.2%
Neoadjunct chemo: 4 A/C; 4 Taxatore
Bilateral mastectomy June 8, 2006
14 of 26 nodes positive
Herceptin June 22, 2006 - April 20, 2007
Radiation (X35) July 24-September 11, 2006
BRCA1/BRCA2 negative
Stage IV lung mets July 13, 2007 - TCH
Single brain met - August 6, 2007 -CyberKnife
Oct 2007 - clear brain MRI and lung mets shrinking.
March 2008 lung met progression, brain still clear - begin Tykerb/Xeloda/Ixempra
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08-21-2007, 05:35 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Stockton, NJ
Posts: 4,179
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Usually there is a three week break between chemo and rads (but that is chemo only not Herceptin alone as that continues).
You do not have to take any premeds for Herceptin alone. The steroid is for the taxane portion of the chemo drugs (the T and C parts are chemo, H - for herceptin is immunotherapy and not considered chemotherapy).
You will feel better after the chemo portions are done and you are almost there! Hang in there
__________________
Kind regards
Becky
Found lump via BSE
Diagnosed 8/04 at age 45
1.9cm tumor, ER+PR-, Her2 3+(rt side)
2 micromets to sentinel node
Stage 2A
left 3mm DCIS - low grade ER+PR+Her2 neg
lumpectomies 9/7/04
4DD AC followed by 4 DD taxol
Used Leukine instead of Neulasta
35 rads on right side only
4/05 started Tamoxifen
Started Herceptin 4 months after last Taxol due to
trial results and 2005 ASCO meeting & recommendations
Oophorectomy 8/05
Started Arimidex 9/05
Finished Herceptin (16 months) 9/06
Arimidex Only
Prolia every 6 months for osteopenia
NED 18 years!
Said Christopher Robin to Pooh: "You must remember this: You're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think"
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08-21-2007, 07:40 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 2,193
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herceptin
I didn't have radiation but I had a year of herceptin. Herceptin is not a "chemo" drug. It is a "joy ride", "cake walk", "walk in the park" COMPARED to the chemo you received. You will need to have muga scans to check your heart because it can cause heart damage. Some people have side effects from it, but many have none. The side effects from Herceptin (for me) were minimal COMPARED to chemo. There are no pre-meds to take unless you are getting Herceptin with another drug that requires them. Good luck with it.
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PinkGirl
Dx Aug/05 at age 51
2cm. Stage 2A, Grade 3
ER+/PR-
Her2 +++
Sept 7/05 Mastectomy
4 FAC, 4 Taxol, no radiation
1 year of Herceptin
Tamoxifen for approx. 4 months,
Arimidex for 5 years
Prophylactic mastectomy June 22/09
" I yam what I yam." - Popeye
My Photo Album
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08-21-2007, 12:02 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Central Coast, CA
Posts: 3,207
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NO.
You don't need premeds for Herceptin alone. For me, I got the loading dose the week after I stopped chemo I think, then went on the every 3 week protocol. They will infuse the loading dose more slowly, just to be sure you have no reactions. I didn't have any problems and you will probably be fine.
After chemo, herceptin alone felt like AIR!
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Chris in Scotts Valley
June 2002 extensive hi grade DCIS (pre-cancer-stage 0, clean sentinal node) Mastectomy/implant - no chemo, rads. "cured?"
9/2004 Diag: Stage IV extensive liver mets (!) ER/PR- Her2+++
10/04-3/05 Weekly Taxol/Carboplatin/Herceptin , complete response!
04/05 - 4/07 Herception every 3 wks, Continue NED
04/07 - recurrence to liver - 2 spots, starting tykerb/avastin trial
06/07 8/07 10/07 Scans show stable, continue on Tykerb/Avastin
01/08 Progression in liver
02/08 Begin (TDM1) trial
08/08 NED! It's Working! Continue on TDM1
02/09 Continue NED
02/10 Continue NED. 5/10 9/10 Scans NED 10/10 Scans NED
12/10 Scans not clear....4/11 Scans suggest progression 6/11 progression confirmed in liver
07/11 - 11/11 Herceptin/Xeloda -not working:(
12/11 Begin MM302 Phase I trial - bust:(
03/12 3rd times the charm? AKT trial
5/12 Scan shows reduction! 7/12 More reduction!!!!
8/12 Whoops...progression...trying for Perjeta/Herceptin (plus some more nasty chemo!)
9/12 Start Perjeta/Herceptin, chemo on hold due to infection/wound in leg, added on cycle 2 &3
11/12 Poops! progression in liver, Stop Perjeta/Taxo/Herc
11/12 Navelbine/Herce[ptin - try for a 3 cycles, no go.
2/13 Gemzar/Carbo/Herceptin - no go.
3/13 TACE procedure
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08-21-2007, 12:37 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 600
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I was so glad when I didn't have to have the steroids. They still give me the benedryl and some tylenol before the herceptin but that is all. The side effects from carboplatin and taxol are fading away. It does get better. I had been getting the herceptin every week, Monday I got the loading dose, and now I will get herceptin every three weeks. I also started Femora today. I don't know what it will be like yet.
Good luck!
Leslie
__________________
In the world of destiny, there are no statistics.
Jan. 26- mammogram and ultrasound- suspicious lump
Mid-February- lumpectomy, infiltrating ductal carcinoma ~4.5 cm and a 1 cm DCIS, did not get clear margins, did not check lymph nodes
ER+/PR+, her2 +++, nuclear grade 3 of 3
February 20-PET scan showed something on liver. No biopsy.
March- Started carboplatin, herceptin, taxol on a four week cycle
May 3- Pet scan, with intent to do a biopsy, found nothing, liver or breast- no biopsy because there is nothing to biopsy
June 21- new onc, very concerned that there had been no biopsy,
June 18th-CAT scan, bone scan-negative
August 7th - Brain MRI-negative
August 9th- mastectomy, all pathology negative
January 2008 still NED! New oncologist -herceptin for full year after chemo- until July, and tamoxifen---negative scans since May '07
July 2008-Finished Herceptin!
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