Almost 5 years on Herceptin
Hi, CD,
I started on Herceptin in 2/03, when I was first dx'd with bcmets... since then, through 10 cycles of Taxotere along with it, through 8 cycles - TWICE - of Xeloda with it, and most recently, through 6months of Tykerb with it, I have taken Herceptin continuously, and from the neck down, my mets have been shrunk (in my lymph nodes) or kept very indolent (slow growing - in my lungs).
The biggest threat now, for me, is brain mets - I've just been dx'd with my 4th in under 3 years. The first, large tumor, was removed surgically, the others have been/ will be treated with stereotactic radiosurgery (CyberKnife).
My oncologist told me back in 03, that many HER2neu+++ bcmets patients have only a limited time before their cancer cells acquire resistance to the drug - somewhere around 18mos-2years, I think. I've been one of the lucky ones, as has your friend. We're definitely benefitting from an added lease on life, that we'd likely not have had before Herceptin became available!
(((hugs)))
Sandy in Silicon Valley
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1992 - age 44/ ER-/PR+ Stage II dx - mastectomy, CAF x 6 cycles; Tamoxifen
1997 - BRCA1 mutation dx'd
1998 - ovaries removed
1999 - off Tamoxifen, on Arimidex
2003 - dx'd Stage IV - lymph nodes & lungs. ER-/PR-/HER2neu+++.
Tx: Herceptin & Taxotere (6 cycles).
2005 - 2.9cm x 3.6cm brain tumor. Craniotomy, CyberKnife. 9 mo. staph aureus infection at incision site - 2nd craniotomy. Two small brain mets CyberKnife'd.
2006 - revisit Xeloda - dosage lowered to 2500mg/day, 5 cycles.
2007 - "spot" dx'd on qtrly brain MRI - same location as CyberKnife 7/05. > by 2-4mm per quarter - - radiation injury or re-growing cancer? Tykerb added to Herceptin - July, still "watching & waiting". Otherwise, fully functional...
"The majority of people are not only afraid of holding a wrong opinion, they are afraid of holding an opinion alone." Kierkegaard
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