Anyone in their 70s with High Blood Pressure taking Herceptin treatments?

[Bob B]

Hello All:

I have returned to ask a few more questions for my mother, who is trying to determine if Herceptin should be started. Any help/opinions are quite welcome and I thank you in advance.

In 2006, my mother (78 at the time) had a lumpectomy. The results were ductal carcinoma in situ (1.1 cm) with moderate to differentiated invasive ductal carcinoma (1.2 cm). Histolic, Nuclear and Mitotic grades were all II. Her margins were tumor free. Vascular invasion was not identified and the Scarf Bloom Richardson was moderately differentiated (I do not know what the S-B-R means).

She then 4 chemo treatments of Adriamycin and Cytoxan (which completely wiped her out/she ended up in intensive care), followed by 30 or so radiation sessions. She ended up with pneumonitis (plueral lung thickening, etc.) from the radiaton, which left her short-winded, tired. She has recovered fairly well from that now.

She is hormone receptor ER/PR negative, Her-2/neu was 3+ positive, Ki-67 was 18% positive. She has had about 4 blood tests since where the Chiron(?) level in her blood (CA 27-29) was 57-81-77-67 (normal something like under 30?). These tests were done by her original oncologist.

We were not satisfied with her oncologist's explanations/ideas concerning possible follow-up treatment. We finally convinced my mother to go to the Rena Rowan Breast Cancer Center in the Abramson Cancer Center at the Univ. Of Penn. Hospital for a second opinion.

While the doctor there spent about an hour with us (!) we still came away a bit bewildered as to whether she should try Herceptin, despite asking pretty definitive questions.

We were told that women over 65 with high blood pressure fare worse (about twice the possible incidence of heart failure) than the average patient without the age and BP concerns. It has been about a year since chemo was completed and seven months since radiation was completed.

My reading, research here and elsewhere, etc., had told me that the type of cancer my mother had can often return in the other breast; that it was an agressive cancer. The doctor we spoke with seemed to indicate otherwise, leaving us confused. She would not recommend whether my mother should try Herceptin but when asked what she would do under the same circumstances, she replied that she would try it (1 year/ 3 week intervals).

The doctor also told us they do not use the CA 27-29 markers at the Rena Rowan Center..

She also minimized possible side effects (other than the heart threat) but I have read many posts tonight with complaints about side effects. I have also read in other postings that many women seem to have trouble with the 3 week triple doses being a bit much.

So...my questions are:

1 - Are any of you in your 70s with high BP taking Herceptin?
2 - If so, how are you handling it?
3 - How has your Ejection Fraction held up?
4 - Have you had any problems with your blood pressure dropping to dangerous levels?
5 - Is the 3-week triple dosing a bit much for you at that age?
6 - Have any of you started Herceptin therapy so long after chemo/radiation?
7 - How is it determined whether MRI should be used to keep a watchful eye on things?

Sorry this is such a long post. Any advice will be welcome. If my mother is to start the Herceptin treatments, it must be very soon.

Thanks so much for your time,
Bob B