her-2 positive statistics/? for Hilliary

Hi Hillary, I am 39 also dx IV w/mets to liver & bones. What are your mets? Did you have surgery? Chemo for 10 months seems like a long time...Did your scans show growth or stabalization? I just wonder how long I will be on chemo.

I was dx with mets to bones and liver in January. Am now taking Navelbine (and Zometa every 4 weeks).

I kept wanting Herceptin during original treatment (dx in Nov. '02), but it wasn't approved for that. So when I was dx with mets, I said, Now I get Herceptin, right? That was right - except I became extremely short of breath a couple of weeks after my loading dose and 1 regular treatment and had to call 911 early one morning! Scary.

I had been short of breath a couple of weeks before, and even had some fluid drained (this was just after my mets dx), so I'm thinking the Herceptin made it that much worsel.

The docs seem to think it was Herceptin that caused it, but since I did have some SOBreath before, I'm a little confused. Now under the care of a cardiologist, too.

One never knows what will come next!

Sue

Hi Beth - lots of answers to your questions. Hope it's not too much info. Started Herceptin and Taxatere in May 2003 on a weekly dose. After the first 3 months the scans came back very possitive and both the liver tumors (that's were it met to - two of them) and breast tumor shrunk significantly. The second 3 months of the same treatment - no change to the scans. The third set of treatments- it grew again. No surgery as of yet they don't think they will gain anything from surgery with it being on the liver. I am now on a new chemo program that is every 3 weeks which is herceptin (weekly still) taxatere and carbo. Have been through 3 of 6 treatments and had VERY positive results on the last scan. The breast tumor had grown significantly in about 3 weeks when I was still in the weekly of herceptin and taxatere. Once they put me on the new treatment with carboplanin (spelling??) the tumor has shrunk in my breast 80% and one of the tumors on my liver is undectable.

When did you get diganosed? Are the talkig about surgery?

Hi Hilliary,

Sounds like you have the same case I do! They told me since 2 mets to liver why surgically remove the breast unless it starts spreading locally in the chest area? I am going into 8th weekly treatment Friday w/Taxol & Herceptin. HER +3 and ER+. I was just wondering if I will have to stay on chemo as long as 10 months. Herceptin as maintenance I know, but the chemo is draining, don't you think? And I am working 4 days a week. How about you? I am glad the Carbo is working for you. Maybe you can get off chemo awhile. I won't have my first scan utill March...I bet the waiting is hard. How old are you and are you ER+?
My onc isn't giving me anything for the ER+, just herceptin. Makes me wonder.

Hugs,

Beth

Just to give you a little different story. My wife was diagnosed in December 1991 with er+/pr- interductile BC, 4 of 20 nodes positive. Had 6 CAF treatments, 36 radiation, lumpectomy and 5 years of tamoxifin. At that point her/neu tests and herceptin did not exist.

Recurrance diagnosed May 27, 2002 7cm tumor in lung and 3 liver mets. Biopsy showed er+/pr-, her/neu 3+ tumors. She had 6 treatments of Taxotere/Navilbene to which she reacted well. Liver mets resolved, lung tumor shrunk to 3cm. New tumor appeared in liver that was er-/pr-. Wife was treated with herceptin and the tumors literaly evaporated in eights weeks, both lung and liver. Dr's hurried to ablate tumors in liver before they completely diappeared. She is now NED for 9months.

Onc says that there are no studies dealing with how long to give herceptin, but for those that achieve a good response he says that herceptin seems to have a preventative effect for a long term. Discussing this with nurses in cancer center in Pgh, they indicate that they have numerous BC patients (generally NED patients) that are on weekly herceptin for in excess of 3 years.

Wow!! shoulds like you both have been through a lot but it's paying off!! Can't wait to be able to tell a story like that!! Thanks.