HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Drug Combo Tames HER2+ Breast Cancer

DeenaH · 12-15-2010, 12:52 PM

Kirismum - I'm not sure what insurance Kiri has, but the rules about Tykerb aren't hard and fast. It is technically not approved for less than stage IV either, but my doctor got it approved for me in less than 24 hours. I am post chemo, post surgery, NED and will be post radiation by the time I would fill the prescription. I was diagnosed with Stage IIIC, but my doctor pled my case with my insurance that I needed Tykerb with Herceptin for medical reasons. It worked. It certainly is worth a try to see if her doctors can push it through for doing the combo. If it is approved, she can then drop out of the trial. I've heard nothing but good things about the combo lately. I have decided not to add Tykerb at this time (on the advice of Dr. Dennis Slamon who I saw last month) since I am NED. If I have a recurrnance, that is the combo I will be going to for sure though!

Good luck to you and your daughter. It is so hard to decide the best thing to do with treatment. I can only imagine how hard this would be if it were my daughter instead of myself. I just thought I'd share my experience with going around the rules and getting approval for Tykerb with Herceptin.

12-15-2010, 12:52 PM	#8
DeenaH Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 129	Re: Drug Combo Tames HER2+ Breast Cancer - SABCS2010 Kirismum - I'm not sure what insurance Kiri has, but the rules about Tykerb aren't hard and fast. It is technically not approved for less than stage IV either, but my doctor got it approved for me in less than 24 hours. I am post chemo, post surgery, NED and will be post radiation by the time I would fill the prescription. I was diagnosed with Stage IIIC, but my doctor pled my case with my insurance that I needed Tykerb with Herceptin for medical reasons. It worked. It certainly is worth a try to see if her doctors can push it through for doing the combo. If it is approved, she can then drop out of the trial. I've heard nothing but good things about the combo lately. I have decided not to add Tykerb at this time (on the advice of Dr. Dennis Slamon who I saw last month) since I am NED. If I have a recurrnance, that is the combo I will be going to for sure though! Good luck to you and your daughter. It is so hard to decide the best thing to do with treatment. I can only imagine how hard this would be if it were my daughter instead of myself. I just thought I'd share my experience with going around the rules and getting approval for Tykerb with Herceptin. __________________ March 2010: Diagnosed with Stage IIIC IDC with axillary, mammary and suplaclavicular node involvement. ER/PR -, HER2+++. 7cm tumor in right breast. April 2010: Started neoadjuvent chemo. 4 DD A/C every 2 weeks, 4 DD Taxotere every 3 weeks with Herceptin weekly. August 2010: Finished chemo! August 20, 2010: PET/CT showed no cancer in any nodes, and only a little uptake to the breast. September 9, 2010: Bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction with implants and Alloderm. September 16, 2010: Pathology report showed 18/51 positive axillary nodes, 3.2cm tumor. Granual sized cancer found in the fatty tissue between levels 1 and 2. October 19, 2010: CT showed several spots on lungs and 1 spot on liver. Liver spot is 2mm, lung spots range from 2mm to 4mm. We don't know if they are cancer or not. 12/15/10: Brain MRI clear 1/7/11: PET/CT 1/13/11: Recurrence in lungs. Start Tykerb 5/13/11: Progression in lungs 6/3/11: Lung surgery to get tumors for chemosensitivity testing.