How to know if Herceptin is "working"

[jpuk]

I am a very new member of this forum; I am in London, UK.

I have been reading some of the discussion threads in some of which contributors state that the drug is apparently "working". My question is: how can you know this? My understanding, from the explanation given to me by my consultant oncologist, is that the effect of Herceptin is statistical only, and cannot be measured objectively by tests such as tumour shrinkage after chemotherapy.

[Lisa]

For 2/3 of the women taking Herceptin, it will work beautifully. Though it tends to be more effective combined with chemo. You can tell that it's working, I suppose, the same way you can tell whether anything is working. With regular blood tests, scans and physical symptoms. YOu might want to read the book, The Making of Herceptin.

The relatively new Bayer serum test is a blood test that checks out the amount of HER2 protein in your blood. If taken periodically, you would see whether the Her2 is staying the same, decreasing or increasing.

I had hoped to be one of the women (and there are many) for whom Herceptin would work alone. But by itself, my tumors kept growing.

Love and light,

Lisa

[Laurie S]

Lisa, when you say that it works for 2/3 of us, does that mean it works by itself for 2/3 and that 1/3 need it with chemo to be effective, such as yourself. Or does it not work at all, whether alone or combined for 1/3 of people?
Laurie

[Lisa]

To be honest, I'm not sure. Joe, can you respond?

Love and light,

Lisa

[Gina]

Hi, over there across the pond...just visited lovely Isle of Skye and other delightful retreats in Scotland...,

Best advice is just to keep reading these posts as I think in many cases, though not all, the CA 27/29 tumor markers in conjunction with the serum Her-2 markers are very useful ways to monitor your progress...also, as the blood tests are not "absolute" back up scans are equally useful. Try to inform yourself about exactly which kind of Her-2 breast cancer you have and then at least get tested to see if any markers show up for you....it is kind of individual. If you do test positive for certain markers...check them on a REGULAR, recurring basis...I have found as a rule of thumb it the markers are going higher, your scans are worse and you are feeling terrible...this is a bad sign...tease...tease...IF however, your markers are staying more or less in range and your scans are more or less clear or spots are decreasing and you are feeling ok, then this is good. IS her-2 something you ever actually GET over???? hmmmmm. Can't speak for every body but I have been wrestling with the her-2 beast for 8 years...and gave up years ago trying to "get rid of it" and decided I would just make lemonade with the lemons I'd been dealt and try to learn to live positively and effectively with it while always, of course, continuing to look for what was at the root, causing the her-2 to go out of whack in the first place...sighh...after 8 years...I can't say I am any closer really to the Aristotelian FIRST cause, but I am still here...hope this encourages you to take up the gauntlet and carry on...smile. Cheers, Gina