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StephN · 01-23-2007, 11:48 AM

Treatment for breast cancer can be pretty hard, but you say you are getting Herceptin and Tamoxifin. If this is correct, the Tamox is a hormone suppressor that you take in pill form. The Herceptin is a targeted therapy that is not a "hard" chemo and should not make you sick. You will probably have chills due to a little fever the first night, but after that it does not happen. These drugs do not cause nausea or blood counts to drop, except in rare cases.

A couple of questions. Is your Herceptin a one week or 3 week dose?
Where are your bone mets? This can be some cause of the pain.

If you have bone mets, a normal treatment for them is ZOMETA or other bone strengthener. Maybe you should ask what is being done for those bone mets. Also, very often bone mets are radiated with very closely targeted beams and this had good effect.

You are new, but the above questions could be very important in the overall picture. Hang in here and we will help you along the way.

01-23-2007, 11:48 AM	#10
StephN Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Misty woods of WA State Posts: 4,128	Welcome Treatment for breast cancer can be pretty hard, but you say you are getting Herceptin and Tamoxifin. If this is correct, the Tamox is a hormone suppressor that you take in pill form. The Herceptin is a targeted therapy that is not a "hard" chemo and should not make you sick. You will probably have chills due to a little fever the first night, but after that it does not happen. These drugs do not cause nausea or blood counts to drop, except in rare cases. A couple of questions. Is your Herceptin a one week or 3 week dose? Where are your bone mets? This can be some cause of the pain. If you have bone mets, a normal treatment for them is ZOMETA or other bone strengthener. Maybe you should ask what is being done for those bone mets. Also, very often bone mets are radiated with very closely targeted beams and this had good effect. You are new, but the above questions could be very important in the overall picture. Hang in here and we will help you along the way. __________________ "When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest." H.D. Thoreau Live in the moment. MY STORY SO FAR ~~~~ Found suspicious lump 9/2000 Lumpectomy, then node dissection and port placement Stage IIB, 8 pos nodes of 18, Grade 3, ER & PR - Adriamycin 12 weekly, taxotere 4 rounds 36 rads - very little burning 3 mos after rads liver full of tumors, Stage IV Jan 2002, one spot on sternum Weekly Taxol, Navelbine, Herceptin for 27 rounds to NED! 2003 & 2004 no active disease - 3 weekly Herceptin + Zometa Jan 2005 two mets to brain - Gamma Knife on Jan 18 All clear until treated cerebellum spot showing activity on Jan 2006 brain MRI & brain PET Brain surgery on Feb 9, 2006 - no cancer, 100% radiation necrosis - tumor was still dying Continue as NED while on Herceptin & quarterly Zometa Fall-2006 - off Zometa - watching one small brain spot (scar?) 2007 - spot/scar in brain stable - finished anticoagulation therapy for clot along my port-a-catheter - 3 angioplasties to unblock vena cava 2008 - Brain and body still NED! Port removed and scans in Dec. Dec 2008 - stop Herceptin - Vaccine Trial at U of W begun in Oct. of 2011 STILL NED everywhere in Feb 2014 - on wing & prayer 7/14 - Started twice yearly Zometa for my bones Jan. 2015 checkup still shows NED 2015 Neuropathy in feet - otherwise all OK - still NED. Same news for 2016 and all of 2017. Nov of 2017 - had small skin cancer removed from my face. Will have Zometa end of Jan. 2018.