Anyone taking/taken Taxotere and Carboplatin with Herceptin???
 

I just met with the oncologist who is telling me he things the best course is to start together Herceptin with Taxotere and Carboplatin. He discussed length of treatment, side effects, etc. I just like to hear 'real life' information, side effects, results. Please post if you know anything or have any suggestions. I am scheduled to start November 30th.

It's been a hard day. This may have been one of the hardest I've had yet. I don't think I should have gone to this appointment alone. I need to fight. To survive. To be stronger. God has this. All glory to Him because He has saved me from so much more.

Thank you ladies for your help. <3

Re: Anyone taking/taken Taxotere and Carboplatin with Herceptin???
 

My wife took Taxotere , carboplatin with herceptin and perjeta. IT was planned for 6 cycles, but after the 5 cycle, they dropped taxotere because of neuropathy. Taxanes are notorious for that. It is a manageable combo as long as you take the anti nausea meds proactively. Expect, severe constipation, low WBC, which means you have to get a neulasta shot.

Good luck and you will emerge a winner.

Re: Anyone taking/taken Taxotere and Carboplatin with Herceptin???
 

When I was first treated, in 2013, TCH was the standard of care for HER2+ cancers. I believe the standard may now include Perjeta. Perjeta was still in trials when I was initially treated. You may ask about that.

As far as side effects go, they are wide and varied. The first treatment can be difficult with a wide array of side effects but the next couple of treatments were very manageable because I knew what to expect and was better prepared to head off and deal with those side effects. By the time I got to tx 5 and 6, I was pretty expert at handling side effects but was much more worn down and fatigue became a real issue. For the first time in my life, I was asking for help. Walking across a room was fatiguing and left me short of breath but I did manage to work full time all through my treatment. I missed about 18 days of work due to side effect, mostly GI.

Be prepared to handle nausea: start those medications the morning of chemo, put yourself on a schedule and stick to it---even if you feel well. Don't let up on the anti nausea meds. Have meds on hand for both constipation and then severe diarrhea. Start senna a couple of days before chemo and use it daily until you have diarrhea and then switch to Imodium. Don't tough it out, start taking the anti diarrheals at the first symptoms of D-> and take them on schedule until you are feeling pretty regular again.

I can't stress enough, the need to HYDRATE---even if you don't feel like it. At least suck ice chips, it'll make your mouth feel better too. I never developed mouth sores the first time but this time, I have them and they are miserable. I found Peroxyl wash is very helpful.

Eat small amounts frequently. Stick to bland foods, nothing tastes great anyway and they will cause few GI issues. Sleep every moment you can. Your body heals best when you are sleeping.

I wasn't able to focus very well, I thought I would do lots of crocheting and reading but I wasn't able to. TV made me nauseated. Plan to have lots of things to listen to, music, books, people to chat with.

You can do this, it's not a walk in the park but you will get through it. The good thing about chemo, much like childbirth---you forget the misery when it's behind you.

Re: Anyone taking/taken Taxotere and Carboplatin with Herceptin???
 

Hi,

In addition to what had already been said:
- If you are going to wear a wig, get one before you start chemo.
- You can avoid nausea by really following all the instructions from your doctor. Start anti-nausea meds the day of chemo and take them for at least 4 days after. I never experienced nausea
- Food will taste like cardboard, as well as any liquid. Eat what you want (seriously) because it is important to get calories in your body. I pretty much lived on chocolate Danish and turkey and cheese sandwiches. I'm a coffee drinker and it tasted horrible. I switched to tea.
- Have "vitamin water" in the house. As Tracy said, keep hydrated. Water may taste terrible, too
- If you work, schedule your treatments for Thursday or Friday because it will give you time to recover over the weekend. I had chemo on Thursdays, was great on Friday due to the steroids (speedy) and starting to crash on Saturday/Sunday. Went back to the hospital to get a Neulasta shot on the Friday after chemo. That helps with your white blood count. I was never sick during chemo.
- Get Biotene products for dry mouth. Sold everywhere - mouthwash, toothpaste, gel. This will help with mouth sores.
- Baby yourself. Take naps if you need them. It is all about you!
- Get your teeth cleaned because you won't be able to go to the dentist for routine visits until chemo is over in order to avoid any infection. I totally forgot and got my teeth cleaned 2 days before chemo started.
- Expect "teary eyes" and a runny nose. Tearing is thanks to taxotere, runny nose to Herceptin.
- Hate to bring this up but be prepared to lose your hair before your second treatment. I don't know where you live but I started chemo around the same time 3 years ago and it was a cold winter! Get some soft knit caps to wear around the house because your head and neck will be cold.

Finally, you can do this! Hardest part is waiting to get started. The heavy chemo (taxotere and carbo) is just 4 months. By spring, it will be behind you. Herceptin alone is, by comparison, a walk in the park

Best
Janis

Re: Anyone taking/taken Taxotere and Carboplatin with Herceptin???
 

My friend just finished a regime of this and had a complete response, the tumour was almost gone and she just had a bilat mast and is recovering well with some months of herceptin to follow. As has already been said, the anti nausea meds are a preventative so take them even if you feel you don't need them as its easier to prevent than stop once it begins. My friend had major fatigue so do rest when your body tells you to and I wish you well on this regime.

Re: Anyone taking/taken Taxotere and Carboplatin with Herceptin???
 

Re: Anyone taking/taken Taxotere and Carboplatin with Herceptin???
 

Hello and sorry that you had a bad day, it's really good that you found this site :) We all love each other and help one another stay strong. Even God gets busy, so you've got us and we've got you :)

My two cents, well maybe a bit more:
There is nothing worse than the anxiety before your first chemo. No side effect is worse, than where our minds go before infusion #1. So- keep in mind that fear is normal, and as a 19+ year survivor, you can always hear me say that cancer is a mind game. Our bodies want to heal, our treatments will give us the best shot at that healing, but the real work is to learn how to get (and keep) your head on straight.

It's a process...keep logging in here, and updating us, it will help.

The other thing that helps many is Ativan. It is anti-anxiety, anti-nausea (at low doses) and aids in sleep. Similar to valium, it can be used to sleep through the worse days (if you have them, some people really feel okay in a crappy way). Ask your doc how to use the Ativan - especially if they give you decadron in your drip - that can keep one awake and feeling buzzed (some like that and get all their drawers cleaned out, and cabinets sorted). One more thing - if you suffer from a low level chronic acidic feeling in your tummy, you can also ask for an acid blocker - that can help with nausea a bunch as well.

In the olden days, when I was first diagnosed, Herceptin was not yet invented. You will ultimately do fine!!!!

Re: Anyone taking/taken Taxotere and Carboplatin with Herceptin???
 

I did the TCH protocol, overall I had minimal side effects, my hair fell out at 2 weeks, my nails on my hands fell off, but not my toes. Some nausea, a lot of fatigue usually the first week and then you start to recover just in time for your next treatment. The Nuelsta shots to raise your WBC (don't know if I spelled that right) did bother me the first two times, a lot of bone pain but as I went on it didn't bother me. Herceptin only gave me a runny nose, it didn't effect my heart. I still exercised during my treatments but at a much lower intensity. I tried to keep my life and routines as normal as I could, but rested as needed and appreciated any help with cooking and cleaning that friends and family offered. All food tasted bad, I always had a metallic taste in my mouth.

When I look back on the whole experience I realize I was lucky that I made it through fairly easily as compared to others but it isn't a easy ride at all for anyone. You will find your way through that best fits you.

Good luck

Re: Anyone taking/taken Taxotere and Carboplatin with Herceptin???
 

TCH was my protocol and i had no issues with the first infusion whatsoever with the exception of the advent of hot flashes. i lost my hair 2 weeks after the infusion. i did not find it to be difficult, just to give you my own personal experience. the only really bothersome thing that occurred, and this was in the very end, was that one eye began to twitch. it went away when i finished TC so i know it was one of those. my nails got ridges and thin (fingers) and one blackish spot on one nail. runny nose and teary eyes. no nausea ever but i was on a *terrific* anti-nausea called Emend. other than that, i was very active and generally only missed 2 days of work on chemo weeks because i planned chemo for thursdays so i could be recovered by monday. i worked out, walked, did a ton of yard work. i was very fortunate. good luck to you when you start! valerie

Re: Anyone taking/taken Taxotere and Carboplatin with Herceptin???
 

I had TCH in fall, 2014. Had infusions on Wednesdays and SEs started Friday nights. At 1st I was able to work Thursday & Friday plus the next 2 & 1/2 weeks. I started with vomiting & diarrhea after the 1st infusion. Lost hair starting in 3rd or 4th week. Vomiting controlled to nausea with multiple prescription drugs by 3rd infusion. Diarrhea controlled by Imodium. Kept nausea until a few weeks after chemo ended & one day it was suddenly gone. Had vision damage early on and that got progressively worse. I am still dealing with it a year later. Developed anorexia - I liked it but the doctors were really upset - just swallowing 4 potassium pills took me an hour. By the 5th I was so weak I used a wheelchair for getting around. Honestly, I was obese and rarely exercised before all this started so I wasn't in great shape to start. Then I threw 2 blood clots - leg & lung. That caused lymphedema. Now it has been a year. Still see an ophthalmologist at least monthly; use eye drops (Restasis & serum drops made from my blood) 8 times a day. Have to wear compression garments on both legs and one arm almost every day. Neuropathy started around the 3rd infusion - hands, ankles, and fingertips. Barely any left in fingers but have enough left in my feet & ankles to be aware of it constantly but it is not painful. My med oncologist thought my SEs were so severe she lowered the dose for my 5th infusion and cancelled the 6th. Fortunately, very few have such severe complications. 11 months after my last infusion I was able to go on a long vacation - East Coast to Hawaii, walk every day, climb over volcanic trails, revel in the beauty. Choosing to work hard at living paid off for me.

Re: Anyone taking/taken Taxotere and Carboplatin with Herceptin???
 

I had TCHP for six rounds and unfortunately the carboplatin caused a significant hearing loss. I now need to wear hearing aides. It is a very rare but very real side effect. It did not start happening until after my last treatment so I completed the full treatment. It did reduce the size of the tumor dramatically but there were still some signs of cancer so I had a bilateral. Good luck with your treatments :)

Re: Anyone taking/taken Taxotere and Carboplatin with Herceptin???
 

I'm surprised that oncologists are still prescribing TCH without Perjeta (pertuzumab)--as I understand, National Cancer Care Network has been recommending Perjeta as standard of care for first-line HER2-positive MBC treatment for several years. When my partner was diagnosed (HER2+, mets to liver & lymphs) in Dec 2013, her generalist oncologist first treated her with TCH. He agreed to add Perjeta only after we requested he take her case to the hospital tumor board. After 15 months, she transferred to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, where the breast cancer HER2+ specialist oncologists have told us that carboplatin (which made her really sick) was probably unnecessary.