Question re: weekly Herc + chemo

Hello all. My wife, Sandy, was dx with DCIS last month. She had a modified mastectomy. ER & PR -, HER2 FISH positive, 12 of 13 nodes positive. Today she had a liver biopsy for 10 mets that have shown up on CT. Confident they are mets. She was going to be in the AC, herceptin trial until the mets popped up. Now her onc wants to start her on carbo, taxotere (weekly for 3 weeks) and herceptin (weekly). Anyone else on this regimen? Anyone getting the chemo every week? Issues of toxicity? Fighting liver mets? Getting G-CSF for neutropenia?

This is particularly hard for her since we lost our ten year old son to osteosarcoma (bone cancer) three years ago. He fought a brave fight for two years but lost his battle. As a result I went back to school and now work as a clinical trials researcher. I manage the osteosarcoma ACOR ListServ. Recent studies have shown an increased risk for BC in those women who have given birth to kids who developed childhood cancers before the age of 15. Do we have such moms on this list who are HER2 +?

Thanks,
Bill

Hello Bill,
I just want to wish you and Sandy well as you prepare to start Sandy's treatment, I don't have experience with carbo/taxotere, but know that others here have and will no doubt be happy to share the benefit of their experience.
I went to Jimmy's web page; what a beautiful child he was. There were so many loving tributes to him from family and friends. I know you and Sandy will get through this, and will carry on Jimmy's legacy to honor his memory. If this site is a help in that regard, what a blessing for all of us.
Best Wishes,
Lolly

Bill-
This is a wonderful site to come to for support, comfort and information.Please allow us to offer whatever we can to help you and Sandy.
I was dx'd stage IV (liver mets)@ primary dx.We tried 3 different combos, including a clinical trial, and ultimately after 14 weeks of wkly Taxol/Herceptin, I am NED!It has been 4 1/2 mos since my last Taxol.Throughout the 49 weeks of tx, I was on weekly treatment.The toxicity is more manageable and I was fortunate to stay active throughout tx.I continue on weekly herceptin.
RE:TCH, there's an article on the ASCO site from the April 2003 conference regarding this combo.The preliminary data is very positive!Please let me know (you can email me directly at jmalucas4@aol.com)if I can fwd this on to you.
Take good care & keep the faith.You will get through this!
Prayers, faith & courage,
Jessica

Hi Bill
Welcome to this website. You came to the right place. There are many on this board who have done the tax/carb combo. The side effects are maneageable (many women continue to work while on this weekly schedule) and the results for the most part are good. I was on it for almost a year, had bone mets and am now NED. And of course, herceptin is our miracle drug.
We'll keep your family in our prayers.
el

Bill,

I will pray for your wife and all of you as you travel down this road. I am sorry for the loss of your son. I am a mother of three sons and to lose a child is a tremendous blow. Now your wife has another fight. I hope that you use this site often for reference and questions. So many of these ladies are Stage IV and have been successfully fighting this disease for years. There is HOPE. Herceptin is a wonderful drug. I recieved it for 1 year during a clinical trial and all is well. I will pray that the Herceptin in combination with the other drugs will do their thing and erradicate your wife's body of those rotten cancer cells.

I visited your son's web site. What a wonderful tribute. He wrote some beautiful things and loved life. I am sure that he is watching over you all now.

From Footprints:
.....the Lord replied. "My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

May God be with you.

With HOPE,

Cindi.

Dear Bill:

My wife had a 7cm lung tumor and liver mets. We used Herceptin and Gemzar since last March, herceptin only since August. My wife has had a complete response to the drugs. As the tumors were disappearing in her liver our Doctors performed Radio frequency tumor ablation on the remaining tumors and the sites of old tumors. We have been cancer free since August, 2003, but my wife continues weekly herceptin treatments.

Looks like you are getting your arsenol ready for battle. This is the best way - get info = power.

My age is 55 now. I HAD major liver mets, went on a clinical trial for hard to treat mets. Took WEEKLY Taxol, Navebine and Herceptin (my good old "vitamin H") with the G-SCF shots as well. This study was sponsored by Amgen if memory serves. Had ups and downs with my red and white counts. Had to adjust dosage a couple of time to stay on treatment.
Had a COMPLETE response with this combo. Have been off chemo for 19 months now. I am walking proof that you CAN beat down large, fast-growing tumors.
I was pretty tired from the 7 months it took to have a clear PET scan (proving that the spots on the CT scan were just dead tissue). I used glutamine to combat neuropathy and took Milk Thistle and other supplements that act to cleanse my liver. Still drink the Detox teas on a regular basis.
Let your wife get PLENTY of rest so her body can work with the drugs. Shield her from stress. Hire someone to do the housework, or other help. Make sure she uses her energy for some FUN. Keep negative people away from her.
She will be fine.

ummm,ummm, I LOVED that combo. It just cleared my mets up just like that. And it was such a doable combo. Had a few low counts sometimes but we fixed that up with a shot of something. It is more toxic I guess to have it once every 3 weeks, and the weekly is highly recommended in that regard. I had mine though every 3 weeks with herceptin weekly. And that herceptin!!! Your wife is here at the best of times if you have to travel this road at all!!! And the Cure is just around the corner...can't you feel it?? I pray for that all the time. You researchers are our heroes to be sure!! Keep up the good work on our behalf.
I am sorry you lost your little boy. What a treasure he was in just the short amount of time he had. Life is so precious. We live each moment now to the fullest. We have been given a gift in that regard haven't we? We do not take any thing for granted in our lives and in our relationships. We do not lose heart but we trust God to care for us always and look forward to the Home he is preparing for us when this life is through. He has never failed me yet in this difficult journey. May God give your wife all the grace and peace she needs to fight her fight with this monster. She will do great and she will come out of this well, you wait and see!!!
Hugs, Lola

Hi Bill,
So sorry to hear of your wife's dx. In August of last year I was dx'd with a recurrence in same breast as well as a 7cm lesion in my liver. I started taxotere/herceptin, with the taxotere given once every 3 weeks and weekly hercepin. After 3 rounds scans, etc. showed the breast tumor gone and the liver lesion had already at that point shrunk to 3 cm's. My tumor markers last week were down to 20 (they were 255 at dx). I am scheduled for the gamut of scans again the first of next month and hope for another good report. The chemo does have its yukky side effects but....its working and that is the most important thing. I will continue on herceptin every three weeks forever, after my last round of the chemo combo. I wish the best for you and your wife. The right combo is out there.
Linda

I have just completed my 3 round, 1st with Herceptin alone, past 2 with Her/Taxol/Carbo. Work full time and except for the bathroom and I becoming more friendly for about a 24 hour period a day or 2 after chemo, and a little joint pain (helped by Tylenol, 2 capsules) so far I have felt GREAT! Still have hair, counts good, just waiting! As my 16 year old son (track star) told me, mom your down 3 laps 23 to go, you can make it! What a backer upper! I can't tell you all enough how the world is making major breakthroughs daily now and we will be here to see our grandchildren! To all of you #1 keep smiling, praying and above all remember those hugs! Good luck all we'll do fine!!!!!!