Weekly Or Once Every 3 Weeks---herceptin

LOPSIDED · 04-16-2006, 05:37 PM

Just wondering why some people do herceptin weekly and others every 3 weeks. I have heard from someone that if it is done every 3 weeks that it is done with chemo and if it is weekly it is only herceptin. Not sure if this info is correct. I'm new at all of this and am still learning. Thanks for any input.

mekasan · 04-16-2006, 06:09 PM

I am post chemo and now receiving Herceptin (only) infusions every 3 weeks. I don't know what determines the schedule, but it is my understanding that the weekly doses are less stressful on the heart b/c you get 1/3 the amount.

mekasan · 04-16-2006, 06:31 PM

I was incorrect before. I just read an article that states that weekly doses are not less stressful on the heart than 1 dose every three weeks. In addition, I found a similar question posted in another site. I hope it helps.

Here is the web address and the Q/A copied and pasted from the site.

http://www.oncolink.com/experts/arti...&ss=22&id=2237
Posting Date: April 2, 2006

Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts,"
I was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer, and am now receiving Taxotere, Cytoxan, and Herceptin every 3 weeks. Is there any benefit to doing Herceptin weekly? I've been given the option of weekly or every 3 weeks for the year I'll be taking it.

Kevin R. Fox, MD, Assistant Director, Clinical Affairs and Associate Professor of Hematology/Oncology at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, responds:

At the present time, we do not have clear evidence on what the "optimal" delivery schedule is for Herceptin, if any, as it is a relatively new drug compared to standard chemotherapy drugs that are employed in breast cancer . Future Herceptin studies may shed light on this and other issues, but for now the consensus is that either schedule is acceptable. We generally favor every three weeks rather than weekly for the sake of patient convenience.

janet/FL · 04-16-2006, 07:10 PM

Hi Lopsided
I have done Herceptin weekly and every three weeks. I went from weekly for convience--just to get away from the doctor thing every week and it was also kinder on my skin. I was having rashes from the tapes they used around my port during the infusion. I make sure they give the Herceptin over a two hour period. That is my choice as I know some here do it in 90 minutes, which I think is standard, and I think some here do it in even less time.
If you are having it with chemo, having the three week dose along with the chemo would make for a long day--but chemo days were always long.
I don't think I have noticed much difference between every week and every three weeks. I have just 3.5 months to go to complete the one year of Herceptin. Yeah!

Janet

Blondey · 04-17-2006, 06:02 PM

I had 12 weekly treatments of Taxol and Herceptin. The Herceptin dosage was 130 mg and now I have been receiving Herceptin once every 3 weeks at 390 mg. They just triple the dosage.

Cathy

karenann · 04-17-2006, 06:10 PM

I receive 300 mg once every three weeks.

Karen

Jackie · 04-18-2006, 01:31 PM

When I was receiving my Herceptin with Taxotere I received it every week. This was due to the protocol on the study I'm in. I then went to every three weeks upon finishing my chemo. I asked my onc if it would be easier on my heart to go back to every week, due to having to come off of Herceptin, because my muga dropped too much. He told me it didn't make any difference.

cherylynnie · 04-18-2006, 03:38 PM

Janet,
Have them use paper tape and you shouldn't have a reaction.

cherylynnie · 04-18-2006, 03:41 PM

Lopsided,

When my doctor first told me I would have to take the herceptin or rather he wanted me to think about taking it, he said he would give it to me like they are doing in Europe, every three weeks.

Michelle · 04-18-2006, 08:07 PM

My onc. told me it did'nt really make a difference. He said it would be more conveinent and just as effective to go with every three weeks.
Michelle

Her2nSue · 04-18-2006, 09:41 PM

Hi Everybody,

Today I finished my 12 weeks of Taxol and Herceptin. Next week I start taking a pill called Femeral (to stop producing estrogen). Then I will be doing 13 cycles of Herceptin once every 3 weeks. I was given the option of weekly, but for convenience I went for the other way.

For those of you who have already started this triple dose of Herceptin, have you experienced any ill affects from it? Currently, I don't have any reaction to the single dose I was given with the benedryl, but I was just curious on how it might affect the body when the dosage gets increased like that. Currently, I seem to "crash" by day 3 after enfusion of taxol and feel extremely tired. Was wondering if the tiredness still persists with the Herceptin only enfusion.
Thanks for any opinions that could be helpful to lessen my anxiety.

Sue - er+, pr+, her2neu 3+, 1cn, no node activity, mastectomy in Oct.

p.s. can anyone give me an answer to what the FISH test results mean? I asked the onc. today and he couldn't give me a definite answer other than I rated 15 on the test. Left me very unsettled on not getting an answer.

Lolly · 04-19-2006, 08:43 AM

Hi Sue;

You should ask for a copy of the report on you FISH test, then on this site go to the Home page, click on Index, then on Her2 Tests, then IHC & FISH Tests.

I think you have to have Adobe to open the page, so if you don't you could also just Google it. Good luck!

<3 Lolly

Blondey · 04-19-2006, 04:13 PM

From what my oncologist told me, the once a week Hereceptin is given with the chemo drug (Taxol or Taxatere) and then you go to once every 3 weeks. It's also a matter of insurance coverage. Some insurance companies will not cover once a week treatments for one year. They will cover once every 3 weeks though.

Cathy

08-25-2009, 09:21 PM

I took it once a week. Let the common sense guide you. If you had a prolonged headache, would you take 10 aspirins at once or perhaps one every 4 hours????

tricia keegan · 08-26-2009, 05:40 AM

I also had it weekly with taxol but then every three weeks for convenience.
I did'nt have any adverse reaction to the triple dose either other than feeling a little tired the following day which was probably only because the hospital is a two hour commute each way!

pffida · 08-27-2009, 06:31 PM

I started out with taking Herceptin every three weeks. After I developed Herceptin-induced cariomyopathy, I took a rest for 6 weeks, then resumed weekly Herceptin. My onc had had good results with this change, although I don't believe there are any studies that back it up. Anyway, it did the trick for me and for the next six months, I had no more problems with my heart. So, I was another success story for the onc.

Diane H · 08-27-2009, 06:44 PM

I started out every week and got so fed up with it that I asked to go to the three week dosing and had no problems and it was so much more convenient. So I think either way is fine, whatever works for you.

DianneS · 08-29-2009, 07:42 PM

I have been on Herceptin since November 2008 every 3 weeks and will finish Oct. 2009. It's inconvenient anyway you look at it.

Also my infusion lasts 30 minutes.

I read here some people are getting 90 minutes of Herceptin. I thought that was just for the initial infusion. The protocol in B.C. Canada is if the patient does not experience any problems after 'x' amount of infusions then 30 minutes is ok, and another 30 minutes of observation.

I have a friend who was doing chemo every week along with Herceptin and now that she's finished with all of it she has major issues with fatigue and joint/muscle pain. I wonder if weekly doses don't give the body time to repair?

Diannes

Cannon · 08-30-2009, 06:41 AM

I posted this info a while ago - I had my Herceptin weekly for the entire year (continuing weekly after the 12 weeks with Taxol).

I asked my onc about every three weeks, and he said he preffered I take it every week, as he had anecdotal evidence that it was more effective. Anecdotal means some stories, no studies.

It was not convenient, but my whole attitude was - go with the best possibility, and why not keep going after all the other stuff I had done.

Rebecca

Sandra in GA · 08-30-2009, 11:59 AM

I too am taking Herceptin every three weeks now after taking it weekly with Taxol for 12 weeks. My onc said that they have had less cardiac toxicity giving it every week and that if I had any problems I could switch to that. So far my heart function has held steady after I finished the Taxol. It went down slightly then and the last one I had a couple of weeks age, it actually improved a little bit. I have not had any problems with the larger dose. They will monitor you very closely and you can make adjustments then. Good luck! I will get my last dose of Herceptin Nov. 18th!! I am almost three houre away, so the three week works best for me. If I lived closer, I probably would have chosen the weekly option.
Sandra