***Request for those of you finished with/finishing one year of Herceptin***

[hutchibk]

I just might be the odd-ball out here.... I have been on herc for 15 months now and we intend to keep me on it indefinitely, as long as it continues to work. I started Herc with Taxol/Carbo Aug 05 after a PET and rising tumor markers revealed small spots in my lungs/chest nodes/underarm node. Dropped Taxol/Carbo in January and stayed on Herc. Rising tumor markers and PET revealed again in Aug 06 that I had 3 small spots in chest nodes again, so we added Taxol back in (no Carbo this time because it was beating up my bone marrow too much by the time I finished it in January). At this point I am on Taxol and Herc indefinitely to 'control and suppress' disease. So far since August, CA15.3 tumor markers have stayed stable in the mid 20's - so at least they aren't rising! In the months from Jan - Aug this year when I was on Herc only, I didn't notice any terrible or distinct side effects... but then all I had to compare it to were the side effects that came along with chemo. Luckily I have tolerated all chemos and the herc pretty well. The Taxol/Herc combo is not too bad. Mostly just peripheral neuropathy in toes and fingertips, and no hair/eyelashes/eyebrows, but all in all I handle it really well. Oh, and runny nose with some nasal dryness and scabbing, but I can handle that.

I will be the test case for what Herc does to you after 2,3,5,10 years (I hope!)... I just hope it continues to work for a long time. But hey - I haven't even scratched the surface yet of other chemo drugs that I can try and then there's always Tykerb!! Yippee...


B.Hutch
DX 11/15/03
Right Mastectomy 12/9/03
Stage IIb, 1 positive node
HER2 +
ER+ PR+
2.5 cm tumor
TAC - every 3 weeks x 6, ended 5/30/04
NED

DX Recurrance 8/23/05
8 small spots in Lungs/chest nodes/underarm node
Herceptin/Taxol/Carboplatinum - every 3 weeks x 7, ended 1/30/06
NED

Stayed on herceptin - every 3 wks.

DX Recurrance 8/29/06
3 small spots in chest nodes
Herceptin/Taxol - every 3 weeks indefinitely or until we need to change
to something else.

[sabpri]

I finished my one year of Herceptin on 9/27 and FINALLY, my eyelashes and eyebrows are starting to fill, and my hair is growing at my normal fast pace!! I didn't realize that the Herceptin was affecting my hair growth. I thought it might have been the effects of the chemo. I am SOOO excited to see my eyelashes and eyebrows thickening up, and my hair finally starting to turn the corner. It also feels a lot softer.

I wish I could say I felt a lot more energetic than I did before, but I don't (of course I also have twin 3 year olds and a 5 year old!). I never really had any other problems on Herceptin.

Natalie

[lili7]

I was Dx on 12/05. Surgery ( Mast -left side only -on 2/06. I finished FEC100 ( x6 ) on July/06 and started Herceptin (x 17) 3 weeks after chemo, given every 3 weeks . No aromatose given so far. I was postmenopause -56 yrs old when BC was DX: Stage 1, grade 3, ER+ PR- and HER2 +++ .....
So now I finished my 4th.dosis of Herceptin. Except for very bad headache for 2 days and itchy /dry skin and lots of problems with toe-nails ( losing some of them) can not say that is so bad as I expected. I am usually tired though -on and off. If I move around seems to go away . Short memory stinks and yes dry eyes and like a constant nose cold. Joint pains and sort of electrical shocks on extremities and surgery area. ( maybe due to Chemo and not Herceptin)
Will keep you posted when I finish.
HUGS all and keep moving!! I lost 5 pounds since I started Herceptin..I paint, walk and do lots of house cleaning and laundry Haha
LILI7

PS: Forgot to tell you that right after chemo my hair started to grow fast together with eyebrows and eyelashes. it continues with Herceptin but at a slower rate.

[Becky]

Ended Herceptin 9/29. Runny nose is much better. And, like Natalie - my hair is growing faster - absolutely it is (because I have roots to do so I can really tell). Its nice because it has taken me over a year to get to the style I wanted in a picture (needed about 3 inches of growth) and I am just about there. This should have been a breeze but my stylist said my hair was growing sooooo slow (but at least I have it - my pix on this site is recent (taken at the end of August)).


That's it so far.

Becky