May need to hold off on Herceptin

[Christine Walas]

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post on this site and I hope someone can answer the question below.

Has anyone had treatments stopped because of low neutrophil counts and/or low platelets?

My neutrophil counts today were 1.6 and my platelets were 152,000. I will need labs prior to my next treatment, if my neutrophil count drops below 1.5 or my platelet counts drop down to 100,000, my weekly treatments will be discontinued until the numbers come up.

On 11/24, my neutrophil counts were already on the low side at 2.4, over a 4-week period, they dropped to 1.6.

I am a little concerned about the possibility of stopping treatments.

are the treatments affective if there are intermissions between them?



Christine

[RhondaH]

are you on Herceptin alone or w/ combined chemo? Take care and God bless.

Rhonda

[Christine Walas]

I am taking Herceptin alone. I just completed my radiation treatments.

Christine

<O:p></O:p>

DCIS/IDC/Pagets Disease
Lumpectomy - No clear margins
Mastectomy left breast 6/23/06 – IDC at cauterized margin
Two sentinel Node biopsy - clear
HER/2/Neu +3 over expression
Taxotere/Cytoxan started 8/11/06 -10/13
Radiation 10/30 – 12/8
Herceptin 10/27

[penelope]

It is probably from the radiation not the herceptin. They always gave me herceptin treatment reagardless of my blood because it is an antibody not a chemo. They will not discontinue them unless your heart muscle weakens. This is checked by a Muga scan.

[Christine Walas]

My medical oncologist told me on Friday that if my counts do go any lower that they would hold off on the herceptin until they are back up.

[Heart Sutra]

Hi Christine,

We don't have an answer for you, Sue hasn't started Herceptin yet...starts chemo on Jan 2.

we just wanted to welcome you. This is a great site and you'll certainly find someone who has "been there/done that"

[tricia keegan]

Hi Christine, I have never heard of herceptin being stopped for low blood counts only for low mugga score's and agree this must be from the rads rather than the herceptin but maybe someone else knows more.
As far as I'm aware the herceptin is still effective if stopped for a short time as a lot of people have this happen with low ejection fractions and then continue.
Hopefully it won't be necessary to halt it in your case though.
Tricia

[Margi MacMaster]

If neutrophils are low an injection of Neulastin can be given to boost them....my neutrophils dropped to 0.6- very low and now have these injections after every chemo- 24 hours later...maybe this applies to Herceptin- have not heard of it though
Margi
diagnosed breast cancer-August 2006- 10 positive lymph =gland nodes out of 28 removed....Oestrogen and progesterone negative and Her pos .
A/C treatment 4 cycles three weekly Am now on
Taxotere ( 4 cycles) and Herceptin- 12 months total
with radiotherapy (25 sessions) following three weeks after Taxotere completion