Xeloda and Herceptin

[Adriana Mangus]

Should I add Tykerb to the above combination?. My tumor is growing and onc suggested to add Xeloda to Herceptin. He mentioned that the tumor is slowly growing, (something I do not quite undersand, since I'm Her2+Receptor-)
Tykerb will be available Feb or March, I think it will help to protect the brain since it does passes through those sensitive and complex cell. Any suggestions, ideas. Thank you.

[heblaj01]

Adriana,
It is possible your onc is keeping you on Herceptin precisely because he has evidence (markers?,scans?) that your cancer is growing slowly. Some small studies have shown that Herceptin is still usefull in slowing down the disease even after progression sets in. (some oncs don't agree with that practice such as Dr Hortobagyi )
Adding Xeloda makes sense since it is an oral chemo with relatively moderate side effects & good response rates: 60% in pretreated patients & 76% in early cancer patients according to this article:
http://theoncologist.alphamedpress.org/cgi/content/full/11/suppl_1/34
HER-2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer: Optimizing Trastuzumab-Based Therapy

Since you have not been previously treated & failed to respond to taxanes & anthracyclines your are not eligible to the EAP program for Tykerb.
But once Tykerb is approved your onc will have the possibility to prescribe it off label as he sees fit to either replace Herceptin or to add it to the combo.