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Needing expert advice on Herceptin
Hello everyone,
I am relatively new to posting, but have learned much from this web site and from reading what all of you have posted before. I was initially diagnosed in January of 2005. I started chemo in March with 4 rounds of dense dose EC. Then I started Taxol and Herceptin for 12 weeks. I ended up having 1 liver met, which was not a recurrence, but was there from the beginning. My onc ran and PET/CT (which I am thankful for). This then helped us identify the 1 cancerous liver met. I had a liver resection, which went great. An inter-operational sono revealed that the liver looked good and my liver function continues to be great to this day. I believe this will continue and that the cancer is gone.
I am doing six rounds of Taxotere and Carboplatin as an extra precaution and am continuing to do Herceptin through June of 2006. As my chemo winds down, I am beginning to wonder what other options I have in terms of treatment. I am looking into the Herceptin vaccine trials, but some of you have really piqued my interest in your posts because of the length of time you have been on Herceptin. The plan is for me to be on Herceptin for the total of a year, but I am wondering if I should question whether I should be on it for longer? Since I am technically Stage IV, should I ask about this?
My onc has been really helpful and aggressive with my treatment plan because he knows that is what I want. I know that the HERA trials have not published results so it is unknown whether 1 year or 2 years of treatment is ideal. So, I am wondering how all of you have gathered information or resources to determine the right approach. If you have any insight in this regard, I would appreciate it. Like I said, I have learned much from all of you so I look forward to gaining more knowledge.
God bless,
Laura
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Diagnosed January 2005 at 32
Dx: Stage IV IDC with DCIS surrounding tumor, ER-, PR- HER2+, 1.6 cm primary tumor, grade III, 1/5 + nodes (.3mm focal point), 1 tumor on liver (1cm)
Surgery: Bilateral mastectomy with TRAM flap reconstruction
Treatment: 4 rounds dense dose EC, 12 rounds Taxol + Herceptin, indefinitely
Restaging in August 2005 at 33
Dx: Stage IV, 1 liver met (1cm),
Surgery: Liver resection as tumor was small enough to remove, interoperational sonogram identified no other liver lesions.
Treatment: 6 rounds of taxotere, carboplatin completed in January 2006.
Restaging in July 2007:
Dx: 2 lung lesions approx 1cm each
Surgery/treatment: in discussion with tumor board an oncology team.
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