| Herceptin / Tykerb Share your experiences or ask questions about Herceptin or Tykerb |
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08-15-2007, 08:39 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,519
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Took a chance and it's working!! Good News...
Got results from my second MRI today since I was diagnosed with brain mets and started Tykerb/Xeloda. As most of you know, I lobbied my med onc and rads onc to scan me regularly and keep me on watchful waiting to see what kind of response we would get from the T/X crossing the BBB. I wasn't ready for WBR or targeted rads just yet. It was a coordinated decision among the three of us, and a calculated risk that we all agreed would be OK, as long as I stayed well scanned, TMs looked good, had no brain mets symptoms. The minute one of those things indicated otherwise, I was ready to consider targeted rads. Well, TMs (CA15.3) have dropped from 45 to 9 since the middle of May and have stabilized at 9, and the MRI showed today that the five punctate spots are no longer visible and the three bigger spots have shrunk between 1/3 and 1/2 in size in the last six weeks...
My onc is very excited. Says I am a poster child for Tykerb/Xeloda. I wonder if they need one? I could use some mailbox money... LOL.
Just wanted to share! No rads necessary, at least not yet. T/X is still working its magic.
__________________
Brenda
NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary
JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...)
Nov'03~ dX stage 2B
Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive
Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo.
Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only
Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin
Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg
Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin
May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now
June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic!
Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2
Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED
Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone)
Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers
Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion
Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable
June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads
Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors.
Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen.
Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen.
June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen.
Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice.
Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots.
Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011.
Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah.
"I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead."
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08-16-2007, 04:05 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: moved to Lancaster, Pa in June, 2010
Posts: 576
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Brenda,
That is wonderful new!!!! You have my vote for being the poster child! Have a great day.
Debbie in North Carolina
__________________
Debbie in North Carolina
Diag 10/2006-high grade invasive ductal carcinoma- mastectomy L breast
2.5 cm tumor ER/PR pos-Her2+++
4 rounds A/C, 4 rounds Taxol
Herceptin every 3 weeks until Jan. 2008
6/18/07 prophylatic mastectomy R breast
8/2007 started aromasin/stopped arimidex (side effects)
12/07 stopped aromasin due to side effects (now what?)
Finished herceptin 1/8/08
started tamoxifen for 2 years then will switch to femera
allergic to tamoxifen started femera 4/2008
June 20, 2008 portacath removed
Learnig to live life to the fullest!
Stopped Femera due to side effects
July 28, 2008 start trial for breast cancer vaccine
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08-16-2007, 05:29 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: South Florida
Posts: 477
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Excellent News! Congratulations.
Carolyns
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08-16-2007, 07:14 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Northern Michigan
Posts: 68
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Our poster girl!
Wow, great news! Sounds like Tykerb is doing it's magic on you!
You have my vote as their poster child as well.
Congratulations!
Keep up the good work!
Hugs,
Michelle
__________________
Sept. 2003- 5cm tumor in left breast Her2+ Er- Pr- grade 3,
Mastectomy & 11 nodes removed, all negative.
4 rounds A/C + 12 wky Taxol
25 rads
Dec 2006- recurrence Stage IV (diagnosed 3 days before Christmas!) Lymph nodes in chest, liver, 3 ribs
January 2007- 3 tri wkly rounds of Taxol/Herceptin
Response to lymph nodes in chest, but several more bone mets (skull, shoulders, more ribs, femur, several on spine), liver tumors still growing.
March 2007- 8 wkly rounds of Navelbine/Herceptin/ every 4th wk Zometa
Lymph nodes in chest look great, but more bone mets (of course!), Clavicles, hips, and sacrum (above tail bone) to add to the list. Liver mets still growing.
June 5- started Tykerb/Xeloda
Aug 14- Scans are showing great progress! Tumor shrinkage and bones are healing!
Nov 21 CT scan shows tumor growth in liver & bones next Doc appt on 11-27
Dire need of a lot of prayers and a miracle.
Stay at home mom, 5 yr old girl & 8 yr old boy.
Wife of loving husband
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08-16-2007, 12:14 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 329
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Great news, you have my vote as well!
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08-16-2007, 12:57 PM
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#6
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Deceased
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Chadds Ford, Pa
Posts: 206
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Hi Brenda,
YIIIIPPPEEEEEEE! You are my inspiration, girl! That is such fabulous news. I am so fearful of brain mets and am so glad to hear that you were courageous enough to test the hypothesis that crossing the BBB would work. I'm grinning ear to ear just typing this!
I saw my onc today too and liver enzymes are still in the normal range! So we'll check blood work every 3 weeks and get scanned again in mid-September. So far so good! Lovin the magic T/X cocktail!
__________________
Donna
Diagnosed 2/04 - Invasive ductal - no clean margins
node negative - er+pr+, her2++
Mastectomy 4/04 - 4 rounds AC
9/05 - mets to liver treated with carbo/ixabipelone/herceptin
3/06 - complete remission
9/06 - new liver mets, starting Taxotere/Herceptin
1/07 -Liver mets stable, staying on Herceptin
5/07 - Liver, lung progression - starting T/X
12/07 - Liver, lung progression - starting weekly Navilbene/Herceptin
4/08 - Liver progression - started Abraxane, Carbo, Tykerb and Herceptin
7/08 - Liver Progression - started Gemzar, Avastin and Tykerb
10/08 - Liver progression - starting Doxil
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08-16-2007, 09:48 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,519
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Thanks everyone!
Doh2pa - Congrats on the T/X and liver mets! Lets keep it up!!! T/X forever, I say....
__________________
Brenda
NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary
JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...)
Nov'03~ dX stage 2B
Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive
Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo.
Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only
Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin
Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg
Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin
May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now
June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic!
Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2
Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED
Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone)
Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers
Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion
Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable
June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads
Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors.
Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen.
Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen.
June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen.
Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice.
Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots.
Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011.
Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah.
"I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead."
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08-16-2007, 10:17 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Riverside, CA
Posts: 484
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Brenda that is awesome news! We really needed a good option for brain mets, and it is looking like Tykerb/Xeloda may be a winning combination.
I am glad that the side effects are so tolerable too!
I have been on it for about 4 months now, and doing pretty well.
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