Taxol or Taxatere w/Herceptin

I was overjoyed that my new oncologist has agreed to Herceptin. I called today to find out his plans, and his plans are for Taxatere with Herceptin every three weeks. I was expecting Taxol w/ Herceptin every week.
Could any one please comment on this. Should I ask for every week? Every three weeks for the Taxatere and every week for the Herceptin?
Advice and if anyone knows where to point me for the studies to back what I want, please post. I start Monday.
Thanks,

Janet/FL

Hi Janet:

I know that Taxotere has proved to be effective in more women (I think the figure is something like 37%) than Taxol. Im almost sure that a weekly protocol is also more effective - if anything less taxing on the body...My mother went through weekly taxotere and herceptin and in 10 weeks her liver mets had decreased by about 60%...Hope that helps


S

Shahyan

Thanks for the post. If anyone has any studies to back this up, are another regime, please let me know.
Janet

[Lolly]

Janet, here's a link to a page from breastcancer.org which cites a study comparing the two:


Taxotere More Effective than Taxol for Advanced Disease
http://www.breastcancer.org/research...e_000903a.html


...And another link from cancerfacts.com:

New drug approved in Europe for aggressive breast cancer
http://www.cancerfacts.com/Home_News.asp?NewsId=1695

[Lolly]

...and a portion of the cancerfacts article which discusses the dosage schedule:

"...The study involved 188 patients with 94 patients randomly assigned to receive Herceptin plus Taxotere and 94 assigned to receive Taxotere alone. Two patients in the combination arm did not receive study drug and were excluded from the final analysis. Taxotere was scheduled at a dose of 100 mg/m2 every 3 weeks for at least 6 cycles. Herceptin was administered in 2mg/kg weekly doses until disease progression..."

Janet/Fl:

Janet what stage are you? I my oncologist has changed from Taxol to Taxotere this last year due to the recent studies.

[Lolly]

...and yet another link, this one from a somewhat older article but I think it includes valuable information from Dr. Pegram, a leading authority on Herceptin. Here's an excerpt also:


Here's an excerpt:

"Is Taxotere the same as Taxol?"

Dr. Pegram "Taxol and Taxotere are very different drugs. Taxotere is more potent, achieves a higher concentration in tumors, and may be superior to Taxol clinically. Also, the spectrum of side-effects is completely different with the two drugs. Taxol is commonly associated with allergic reactions whereas allergies to Taxotere are less frequent. Taxol causes more troublesome neurologic side effects compared to Taxotere. On the other hand, Taxotere causes lower blood counts in some cases and also can cause fluid accumulation in the body whereas Taxol doesn't do so. Another feature of the two drugs is that Taxotere is synergistic with Herceptin whereas Taxol is not.

Dr. Love If Taxotere is better, why does everyone seem to get Taxol instead?

Dr. Pegram Taxol is the first in this class to be approved. It was discovered first and consequently practicing physicians have the most experience with Taxol. Given time, the newer drug, Taxotere, will likely gain wide acceptance..."



August 4, 2000 : Chat with Mark Pegram, MD. Clinical Trials

http://www.susanlovemd.org/community/libra...peg~1026/a.html

Hello Lolly
Thanks for taking time to post this research. It seems that I will want Taxotere and my onc is OK with that/he suggested it. :-) Thanks for setting my mind at ease on that.
Your studies did give some ammuition for asking for weekly dosages. If any one knows of any other, please post. I will talk to the research nurse tomorrow.
Thanks
Janet

[StephN]

Hi Janet -
I was stage 2, with 8 of 18 nodes positive.
Was given Taxotere as part of adjuvent therapy - I had a very hard time on this. It was the 3-week dose. I had a lot of pains with it and the fluid retention.
There was also a 2-week dose arm of that study and my med onc said those patients did not have as rough a time as most of us on the 3-week dose. You might ask about this more frequent timing.

My last dose had to be cut by 25% as my counts were so borderline by then even with Neupogen and Epo to boost them.

Taxotere did not keep my mets from coming fast and furiously. Taxol did stop them in their tracks and the weekly dose was easier to tolerate. I had Herceptin with Taxol but not with the Taxotere.

All the best - you have hung in there so far, and I think whatever you do will be a good move.

Thanks Steph and Lolly
Everyone is so unique. Interesting for conversations with individuals, but can be frustrating for medical treatment! LOL

I just spoke with the Research Nurse and she said that the doctor will be giving me a smaller does of Taxotere every three weeks than normally given as I, hopefully, do not have mets. That way he will be giving smaller doses of Decadron and feels it will all be gentler on the system. Every three week Hercepin is also thought to be easier on the system, but we will see. If all works out--then great! Better than going once a week. Since I will not have a port, it will mean fewer needle sticks. He seems to be open to changing tx if indicated.
Thanks again, I so appreciate your taking the time to address my concerns.
Janet

Hi Janet;

I did weekly taxotere and herceptin....no breaks for 16 weeks with out too much problem. I did not lose my hair or get neuropathy ect. and my white and red counts stayed within normal range. At the time my onc said that a) taxotere was better than taxol because it was synergistic with herceptin and b) weekly was better than 3-week because on average the baseline dose in your body stays higher than in the 3-week treatment where you get this big spike in week 1 and then little is in your system by the third week.

kk1

I explored use of both Taxol and Taxotere with Herceptin more than 3 years ago. At the time the research suggested that Taxotere was somewhat better. It appeared to have a synergistic approach when given in combo as opposed to the Taxol which was reported to have only had an additive response.

My doctor planned to give me taxotere with Herceptin - 4 doses, 3 weeks apart. She postponed starting my chemo for the results from the ASCO meeting, and decided to give me taxol with Herception - 12 doses,weekly. I just completed #10 today, and have 2 more weeks to go. Side effects have been limited to raised blood pressure (now controlled with medication), and some tingling in feet and hands. I had low white counts, and have to take neupogen shots, one a week, 24 hours after my chemo. I will have Herceptin every 3rd week for a year, after I have completed the taxol. I am being treated after a recurrence in my treated breast, invasive ductal carcinoma and DCIS comedo type (no tumor, microcalcifications), Her2+++, ER/PR-, no nodes, and no mets (did many tests before surgery - had a mastectomy).