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Old 11-04-2007, 11:19 AM   #2
Joe
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Michelle,

Take a deep breath and relax. The side effects of the drugs given for HER2 positive patients are less severe. In all likelyhood initially you will be treated with a taxane and Herceptin.

Herceptin has few side effects and is very tolerable. Taxanes on the other hand do have side effects but generally are only administered for the first few months.

Side effects from Taxanes:

The taxanes Taxol and Abraxane can cause more discomfort in the hands and feet from nerve damage than Taxotere. This can be temporary or permanent. Your doctor may refer to this as neuropathy. Lowering the dosage of Abraxane improves the neuropathy in most women.
Taxotere has also been found to irritate tear ducts and cause excess tearing. If it persists and bothers you, it can usually be treated by inserting tiny silicone tubes into the "pipes" that drain the tears.


Please feel free to post any questions or concerns that you have here.

Regards
Joe
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