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11-05-2007, 05:45 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 24
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Neulasta
Hi! You guys are a wealth of information.
My white blood cell count has been hovering around 2.9-3.1 lately. I was reading an article about Dana Farve(Green Bay Packer's wife) who survived breast cancer. She was saying that everyone gets a shot of Neulasta after chemo. I haven't had this med. Can anyone tell me if they have and what are the side effects you had? Would you recommend it?
Thanks!!!
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11-05-2007, 06:22 AM
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#2
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Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Illinois
Posts: 8
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Hi Joan,
I had the Neulasta but I did dose dense (every 2 weeks) chemo instead of the every 3 weeks. I don't think it's standard with every 3 weeks schedule (if this is what you're on). I had no side effects at all with the shot.
Susan
__________________
Stage I - 1.9 cm, Negative Sentinel Node
Triple Positive ER/PR/HER2
April 2007/dx & lumpectomy
May 2007 re-excision
4 DD A/C
36 Radiation tx - done 11/6/07
Starting Tamoxifen & Herceptin 11/8/07
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11-05-2007, 07:27 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 823
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I had Dose Dense A/C and had the Neulasta Shot. It did give me bone and joint pain for a few day's.
Now when I had the Dose Dense Abraxane I had the Procrit Shot (red Blood) and I have the same side effects with that.
__________________
Vicki
Texas
Biopsy Dx'd 3-23-05 Age 48
MRM 4-5-05 w/ 2 tumor's 5cm, and 6 cm (right side)
IDC (poorly differentiated infiltrating ductual carcinoma)
5+/16 nodes
Stage III A
Grade 3
ER/PR-, Her2/neu ++
Ki67 78%
Begin Chemo 5-2-05 4XAC Dose Dense , 4X Abraxane Dose Dense (ended August 05)
28 Rad's ended October 13 2005
Started Herceptin Weekly August 2005 for one year
Had a Simple mastectomy left side after Mamo showed incresed micro-calcifications. Jan. 17 2006.
Brain MRI Feb.2006--All Clear
August 28, 2006 Last Weekly Herceptin.
October 2006--Colonoscopy, 6 Polyp's removed--all B9
PET Scan July 2007
Abdominal MRI Oct. 2007---2 Right Kidney Cysts
Core Biopsy-- Lump on Scar Line 1-10-08---B9
Brain MRI 6-2008--All Clear
PET/CT Scan 6-2008
Sept. 8 2008, 4CM area removed from mastectomy scar line. Proved to be B9.
PET/CT Scan-- July 2009 --All clear
August 17,2009 ---Had Port Removed
6 Years NED -- April 5,2011
DX'd with Melanoma left arm 10-10-2011
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11-05-2007, 07:59 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Poland Ohio just a little south of Youngstown.
Posts: 473
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Hi Joan
When I did a/c, I always had to go back the next day for a Neulasta shot, they insisted that I go within 24 hours of the chemo. The shot wasn't bad and I didn't get the joint and bone pain until three days later. It was tolerable thanks to my vicodin but it didn't last long.
You'll do fine.
Hugs
__________________
Susan
Age: 61
dx: 5/25/06
2 cm/ 0 nodes
Lumpectomy rt breast on 7/26/06
ER/PR- / Her2+++
A/C x 4
finished taxotere 2/07
finished 33 rads
Herceptin finished 12/07/07 Yippee!
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11-05-2007, 01:22 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Toronto
Posts: 64
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I had dose dense chemo with neulasta. It is very expensive over $2000 per shot if memory serves (and memory often doesn't these days). I don't think it is standard treatment for the 3 week chemo cycle.
I found it rather hard with fairly severe bone pain for several days after. Later I switched to neupogen which is an older form where you have to have a shot every day. That is cheaper and I found it somewhat easier on me.
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11-05-2007, 01:41 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Sheboygan, WI
Posts: 2,582
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Hello,
I, too, did dose dense A/C and Taxol (every other week) and received a Neulasta shot 24 hours after that day's chemo. I never experienced low counts and could always take my chemo on schedule. Also, I stayed healthy throughout. I believe other factors played into that as well, but I believe the Neulasta helped. I did experience shoulder and neck pain from the Neulasta but would still recommend it.
Although, another member of this site (who may post a reply when she sees your post) would recommend Leukine (I think that is the spelling but Becky please correct me if I'm wrong). It works on the same order as Neulasta although better. Becky can further explain.
Good luck to you. God keep you safe and protected throughout chemo.
Mary Jo
__________________
"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
Dx. 6/24/05 age 45 Right Breast IDC ER/PR. Neg., - Her2+++ RB Mast. - 7/28/05 - 4 cm. tumor Margins clear - 1 microscopic cell 1 sent. node No Vasucular Invasion 4 DD A/C - 4 DD Taxol & Herceptin 1 full year of Herceptin received every 3 weeks 28 rads prophylactic Mast. 3/2/06
17 Years NED
<>< Romans 8:28
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11-05-2007, 03:30 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: southern california
Posts: 287
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Hi,
I only had 1 neulasta shot and I don't recall the side effects. I'm not sure that I could have diferentiated them from the chemo at the time anyway. After that I was on a study for Leukine. Both as I recall are expensive and some insurances don't cover the Leukine. After being done with chemo for 2 years my counts still linger between 1.9 and 3.2. My onc says that the chemo was hard on me and this is where I will probably stay. Fortunately I am more often closer to 3.0 than to 1.9.
Alice
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11-05-2007, 05:10 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Stockton, NJ
Posts: 4,179
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I took Leukine instead of Neulasta but had to go every day for 10 days as Leukine doesn't lasta 
__________________
Kind regards
Becky
Found lump via BSE
Diagnosed 8/04 at age 45
1.9cm tumor, ER+PR-, Her2 3+(rt side)
2 micromets to sentinel node
Stage 2A
left 3mm DCIS - low grade ER+PR+Her2 neg
lumpectomies 9/7/04
4DD AC followed by 4 DD taxol
Used Leukine instead of Neulasta
35 rads on right side only
4/05 started Tamoxifen
Started Herceptin 4 months after last Taxol due to
trial results and 2005 ASCO meeting & recommendations
Oophorectomy 8/05
Started Arimidex 9/05
Finished Herceptin (16 months) 9/06
Arimidex Only
Prolia every 6 months for osteopenia
NED 18 years!
Said Christopher Robin to Pooh: "You must remember this: You're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think"
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11-05-2007, 06:21 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: moved to Lancaster, Pa in June, 2010
Posts: 576
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I had nuelasta shots when I did A/C treatments. My white count would get as low as .6. I never had any side effects from it, but my counts never really rose until the day before the next chemo ( I was on an every 2 week schdule). My shots cost $6000 per shot and were paid for by my insurance.
__________________
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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11-05-2007, 08:43 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mountains of Virginia
Posts: 2,267
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I had dose dense A/C and Neulasta. Had some bone pain--mostly in my sternum and upper legs, but it was tolerable. It certainly kept my white counts high.
__________________
Rhonda (Sassy)
dx age 45
DX 2/15/05 Stage IIb (at surgery)restaged IIIa
Left mast .9cm tumor 5 of 14 nodes
Triple Positive
4 DD A/C
12 Taxol/Herceptin
33Rads
Strange infect mast site one year aft surg, hosp 1 wk
Herceptin for total of 18 months
Lupron Monthly 4 yrs
Neurontin for aches, pains and hot flashes(It works!)
Ovaries removed 11/09 stop Lupron and Neurontin
Arimidex 6 yrs (tried Femara, no SE improvement)
Tried Exemestane-hips got so bad could hardly walk
Back to Arimidex for year seven
Zometa 2X Annual for 7years, Lasix
Stop Arimidex 5/13
Stop Zometa 7/13-Bi-lateral Stress Fractures in Femurs from Zometa
5/14 Start Tamoxifen
3/15 Stem cell transplant to stimulate femur bone growth/healing
5/15 Complete fracture of right femur/Titanium rods both femurs
9/16 Start Evista stopTamoxifen
3/17 Stop Evista--unwelcome side effects!
NED and no meds.......
14 YEARS NED!
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11-05-2007, 09:13 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,014
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My white counts got as low as .4 one time on chemo and would usually be around .5 after the second week. My oncologist never gave me a shot for this. He wanted them to increase on their own on the week I was off of Xeloda, which they always did. So no, I never had one. I had the one for red count several times and found they didn't give me any more energy at all, they didn't work too well for me..sherryg
__________________
Sherry
Diagnosed: December , 2005 at age 44
13+ positive lymph nodes
Stage IV , Her2+, 2 small mets to lungsChemo Started: Jan, 2006
4 months Taxotere, Xeloda, Hercepin
NED since April 2006!!
36 Rads to follow with weekly Herceptin indefinately
8 years NED now
Scans every year
Life is not about avoiding the thunderstorms, it's about learning to dance in the rain!
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11-05-2007, 09:20 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Bedford, Virginia
Posts: 134
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I too had the Neulasta following the AC/Cytoxin cocktails. I had some joint pain which I compared to "charley horses," but they were tolerable. I had very low white and red counts so I needed the boost. Only missed one chemo treatment due to illness, so I would say it was worth it.
Louise
__________________
- Diagnosis 06/06 - Stage II-A BC; BC was 2.5 cm, grade 2; ER/PR negative & HER-2/neu positive;
- Mastectomy w/ reconstruction (implant) in 09/06;lymph nodes - negative;
- AC/Cytoxin combo - 4 treatments (dose dense);
- Taxol/Herceptin combo- 12 weekly treatments;
- Completed chemo - 2/07; completed restruction 02/07; reduction of left breast.
- BRCA 1 and 2 negative - 6/15/07;DX high risk for distant recurrence
- MRI, 08/02/07 - NED
- 1 year Anniversary - 09/07; completed Herceptin 11/07.
- Mammo 02/14/08 - NED; MRI - 08/2008 - NED
- 2 year Anniversary - 09/08
- Mammo 02/09 - NED; MRI - 08/09 - NED
- 3rd year Anniversary - 09/09
- 5th Annivery - 09/2011 - NED
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11-07-2007, 06:25 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Acworth, GA
Posts: 2,104
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Joan,
When I was on A/C I got the Neulasta shot the day after chemo. I experienced a lot of bone pain as a side effect. I'm now on Taxol, Carboplatin weekly with 3 weeks on 1 week off so I can't get the Neulasta shot. I now do the Neupogen shots. I give myself the injection starting the day after chemo for 3 days. I don't have as much bone pain with the Neupogen as I did with the Neulasta.
__________________
Kate
Stage IIIC Diagnosed Oct 25, 2005 (age 58)
ER/PR-, HER2+++, grade 3, Ploidy/DNA index: Aneuploid/1.61, S-phase: 24.2%
Neoadjunct chemo: 4 A/C; 4 Taxatore
Bilateral mastectomy June 8, 2006
14 of 26 nodes positive
Herceptin June 22, 2006 - April 20, 2007
Radiation (X35) July 24-September 11, 2006
BRCA1/BRCA2 negative
Stage IV lung mets July 13, 2007 - TCH
Single brain met - August 6, 2007 -CyberKnife
Oct 2007 - clear brain MRI and lung mets shrinking.
March 2008 lung met progression, brain still clear - begin Tykerb/Xeloda/Ixempra
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