Hormonal / Chemo Combo or Chemo alone?

Hello everybody,

I had been on hormonal therapy (with Herceptin only) for a year & half. Since a new mass has appreared next to my cancerous supraclavicular nodes last month, my onc then has decided to plug out the hormonals and put me on Xeloda alone. She doesn't believe that hormonals & chemo should go together (anti-synergistic).

Of course, I am still on maintenance Herceptin every week indefinitely.

I am really confused because, as you know, my hormonals had been quite successful in keeping my cancer at bay, even for a short time ~6 months each time. They say 6 months at length is very common, anyway, for people with weak hormone positives, like me (ER+ 40% / PR+ 20%).

If the hormonals HAD worked for me, why should my onc take me off the hormonals and prescribe me the Xeloda only? What if the Xeloda (or any other chemo, for that matter) would help on the hormonal aspect of breast cancer (like a part of components)??

I am really very unsettled on this particular topic -- especially when it comes to life-threatening diseases!!! I don't like having this crazy 'limbo' feeling. Actually, I think I am feeling a little bit desperate.

So, if you'd find any resources that supported the chemo/hormonals combo did or did not work together, would you please kindly direct me to them??

Some of you are SO knowledgable that you guys should be MD's or RN's, instead!!! :-) And not to mention your BRILLIANT research skills. I had tried the Google & Yahoo search engines, but I couldn't seem to find any good resources. I had attempted about 3 times on different days, but I just about gave up now.

I have the next appt w/ my onc at the end of Sept, so I would really like to bring printouts if possible, should the combo to be expected successful together.

Thanks in advance ~ JO.