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12-02-2009, 12:43 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,526
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Platelet problems
Wondered if anybody has any information or advice.I completed 6 rounds of taxotere and herceptin in August this year having neulasta after each round.
Since then I have had 3 weekly herceptin. My white blood cell count has remained low(around 3) but today the onc was concerned that my platelet count is dropping (128 down to 113). She is reviewing this in 3 weeks and wants to take a bone marrow sample if no improvement.
She said my bone marrow could be stressed ( nothing to how stressed I was when she said it could indicate bone mets!)and I may need to see a haemotologist.My last scans 8 weeks ago were normal and she found nothing on clinical exam.
Any info, experience or advice would be very welcome.
Ellie
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12-02-2009, 01:47 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Owasso, OK
Posts: 185
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Re: Platelet problems
Hi Ellie,
My platelets dropped under 100 towards the end of my treatment. My lowest platelet count was 76. It took five weeks after having my last chemo before they rebounded and were back in normal range. I go back in for bloodwork this next Tuesday and am curious if they remained in normal range, because during my treatments of Carboplatin and Taxotere, they were all over the board. Sorry, I couldn't be of more help, but I think your onc is doing the right thing to closely monitor this and to have your bone marrow checked. Please keep us posted. In the mean time, I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
Hayley
__________________
Hayley
Oklahoma
3/35/2009 - Diagnosed, age 39
5/7/09 - Mastectomy and reconstruction started. Two tumors found. Tumors were side by side. DCIS tumor was 2.8 cm, ER-, PR-, grade 2. Invasive tumor was 1.1 cm, poorly differentiated, grade 3, ER+90%, PR+95%, HER2+3. Thankfully, no node involvement.
5/29/09 - Second surgery resulting from difficulty healing from mastectomy.
6/2/09 - Began Herceptin treatments
6/23/09 - Began Taxotere and Carboplatin treatments along with Herception every 3 weeks.
10/06/09 - Completed Taxotere and Carboplatin - Yeah!!!
10/27/2009 - Herceptin maintenance and began Femara
12/10/2009 - 2nd stage reconstruction surgery
2/2010 - Body rejected saline implant
3/18/2010 - Second stage reconstruction using silicone implant
5/4/10 - Completed Herceptin - YEE-HAA!
May '10 - Body rejects silicone implant...taking a break.
11/29/10 - Hysterectomy
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12-02-2009, 02:36 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Stockton, NJ
Posts: 4,179
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Re: Platelet problems
Explore the use of Melatonin. I know there are many positive studies on its use in boosting platelet counts.
__________________
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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12-02-2009, 04:52 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Central Coast, CA
Posts: 3,207
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Re: Platelet problems
This won't help your question, Ellie, but I think looking at a trend on the platelets is important - your system is still not back to full strength after the chemo. But if things progressively get worse, you want to get it checked out.
I'm dealing with dropping platelets - pretty sure they are drug related to the TDM1 and it's just catching up with me now. I've started taking little bits of melatonin on the basis that Becky notes, too soon to see if that will make a difference.
But, in your case as you don't have a good "excuse" such as current chemo, I'd focus on figuring out the cause...
__________________
Chris in Scotts Valley
June 2002 extensive hi grade DCIS (pre-cancer-stage 0, clean sentinal node) Mastectomy/implant - no chemo, rads. "cured?"
9/2004 Diag: Stage IV extensive liver mets (!) ER/PR- Her2+++
10/04-3/05 Weekly Taxol/Carboplatin/Herceptin , complete response!
04/05 - 4/07 Herception every 3 wks, Continue NED
04/07 - recurrence to liver - 2 spots, starting tykerb/avastin trial
06/07 8/07 10/07 Scans show stable, continue on Tykerb/Avastin
01/08 Progression in liver
02/08 Begin (TDM1) trial
08/08 NED! It's Working! Continue on TDM1
02/09 Continue NED
02/10 Continue NED. 5/10 9/10 Scans NED 10/10 Scans NED
12/10 Scans not clear....4/11 Scans suggest progression 6/11 progression confirmed in liver
07/11 - 11/11 Herceptin/Xeloda -not working:(
12/11 Begin MM302 Phase I trial - bust:(
03/12 3rd times the charm? AKT trial
5/12 Scan shows reduction! 7/12 More reduction!!!!
8/12 Whoops...progression...trying for Perjeta/Herceptin (plus some more nasty chemo!)
9/12 Start Perjeta/Herceptin, chemo on hold due to infection/wound in leg, added on cycle 2 &3
11/12 Poops! progression in liver, Stop Perjeta/Taxo/Herc
11/12 Navelbine/Herce[ptin - try for a 3 cycles, no go.
2/13 Gemzar/Carbo/Herceptin - no go.
3/13 TACE procedure
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12-02-2009, 06:24 PM
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#5
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Guest
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Re: Platelet problems
Hi Ellie, my plates. have been super low on my Xel/Ty regimen, I would not worry about it. They have been so low for almost a year now I wondered if I should be riding my motorcycle!  Of course, I do ride!
So now I have been off Xeloda for 2 months and my counts are finally climbing back up, so you may be just suffering from cell death from the chemo.
Take care, Beth |
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12-02-2009, 07:30 PM
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#6
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Guest
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Re: Platelet problems
Even before BC I have had platelet problems: something called ITP... anyway, another very effective "home remedy" is taking DHEA... can be bought at any health food place, WAlgreens. It is an enzyme and has stimulated platelet growth for many of my fellow ITP folks.. without BC... best to you all...
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12-03-2009, 02:25 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,526
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Re: Platelet problems
Thanks to you all for your replies.My her2 sisters always come through on dark days.
I will explore the options suggested and hope before I go back in 3 weeks that my wimpy platelets have improved!
Ellie
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12-03-2009, 03:19 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Southern, CA
Posts: 2,511
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Re: Platelet problems
Hi Ellie, Unfortunetly I don't have any answers for you but I can sure say I feel for you. I totally understand the stress things like this cause. When we live in cancerland it always seems to be something!
The one encouraging thing in your post is you said that eight wks ago the scans were all clear. So hopefully when you get your labs again next time things will be back to normal. Hopefully it was a fluke. I just hate that you have to wait all that time to find out anything. (Waiting is so hard.) I will be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers as I always do. Hang in there. Sending lots of positive energy your way.
Chelee
__________________
DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes.
Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs.
Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06
Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07
3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07
9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV.
9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa
9-29-09 Power Port Placement
10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head.
11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed
12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa.
3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed.
4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone.
5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy.
Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time.
7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.
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12-03-2009, 06:38 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: MN
Posts: 731
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Re: Platelet problems
I recently had a similar experience. I'd been on taxol.carbo and my platelets took a dive. For a few weeks they were under 100. The lowest around 80 I think. But then after a month or so they bounced back up for a more normanl range - I think the last lab was around 200. You're likely seeing a brief dip in the count caused by effects of chemo and hopefully will see a better number at your next visit.
__________________
Pam
6/01 IBC er+ her2+stage IIIb; mastecomy
7/01 AC, taxol; radiation
2/02 tamoxifen
9/02 stage IV bone mets femara
1/03 taxotere/herceptin/aredia
6/03 herceptin, aredia & faslodex
1/04 navelbine, herceptin, aredia
2/05 herceptin/aredia
7/05 xeloda/herceptin/aredia
3/07 xeloda/tykerb/aredia
5/08 taxol/avastin/aredia
2/09 gemzar/herceptin/zometa
7/09 Taxol/Carbo/Herceptin, zometa
10/09 navelbine/herceptin & zometa
2/10 herceptin & tykerb & zometa
4/10 add xeloda &aromasin
10/10 dx with dermatomyiositis triggered by cancer
11/10 restart herceptin, tykerb, zometa
12/10 surgery-place rod in R femur to stabilize bone
1/11 radiation to R femur - 20 tx
2/11 2nd surgery - rod in Left femur
2/11 tx eribulen -- suspended dx brain mets
3/11 brain mets wbr 20 tx
4/11 halaven; discontine 8/11 not working
8/11 radiation to left femur 20 tx'
8-9/11 rad to lower spine
9/11 abraxane/herceptin/zometa
9/12 xeloda/herceptin/zometa
12/12 ablation of liver
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