other than herceptin??????

mickey · 09-28-2005, 04:05 PM

I may be done with Abrazane soon. I would be NED from the neck down. My doctor does not think herceptin is working . Would you request it anyway or is there something else out there. I will feel very vulnerable to the cancer coming back.
Mickey

Sandy H · 09-28-2005, 06:42 PM

Mickey I use to go on and off the herceptin depending if I was in or out of chemo. Now, I stay on it because it takes 3 to 4 months for it to work in the body. I was told at New England Tufts that there is no way to know if it is working. It may not prevent a recurrence however, it may slow the cancer down and keep it stable. I would stay on it but that is me. hugs, Sandy

09-29-2005, 04:38 AM

Mickey I Am Also On Abraxane And Have Been Taken Off Of Herceptin (which I Have Been Taking For The Last 6 1/2 Years) Everytime I See My Onc (which Is Monthly) I Speak To Her About Restarting The Herceptin. Her Thinking Is That It Seems To No Longer Be Working Since I Have Had So Many Recurrences While On It.

My Thinking Is That I Have Had Recurrences But They Have Always Been Controlled So I Want Back On If Nothing Else Comes Around. She Wants To Wait Until I Complete All My Courses Of Abraxane And Then Re-address.

I Just Started My Third Course Of Abraxane And My Tumor Markers Have Reduced Considerably I Am Pretty Sensitive To The Marker Test (i Am Not Sure How Long I Will Be On Abraxane) I Think We Will Try To Get Them In Normal Range And Then Rescan.

Mickey - How Are You Coming Along. I Think I Remember You Saying You Were Around The Same Time In As Me On Abraxane. How Have You Felt?

Hope Everything Goes Well For You Take Care

Keep Me Posted On How You Are Coming Along. I Can't Find Many People Out There On Abraxane Since It Is So New But Have Heard Good Things About It.

Irene From Tampa

mickey · 09-29-2005, 07:30 AM

Irene- My first Abraxane was awful. I wasn't expecting it get sick, since I never had any reactions to taxotere. WRONG!! I was sick for a week. Next time I knew better and took anti-nausea meds on schedule. This last one, I did not take anything and managed to fight it. I do not like the headaches and constipation associated with anti nausea stuff. I am taking glutamine to prevent neuopathy but that is all and I feel great. I have finished 3. How are you doing?

jojo · 09-30-2005, 09:25 AM

I am a little confused... I thought you had some supraclav node involvement?? Did you just have a scan recently that showed NED? If the nodes are negative, why does your onc think that Herceptin is not working? Maybe he was thinking of something else to work on your brain mets, since Herceptin does not go through the BBB, huh?

I hope your Abraxane gets easier as we go.

Keep us posted.