 |
01-28-2007, 10:23 AM
|
#1
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: france
Posts: 1,648
|
what do you call Herceptin?
This is an unimportant question but so often friends will say "Are you still on chemo" when I tell them I'm off to get my infusion and then I go through a lengthy well not really but....
so wondering if there's a short answer!
no hurry
thanks
sarah
|
|
|
|
01-28-2007, 10:27 AM
|
#2
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 1,516
|
"Target Therapy"...
and tell people it's the way "chemo" is headed...the effects aren't as bad a chemo. Take care and God bless.
Rhonda
__________________
Rhonda
Dx 2/1/05, Stage 1, 0 nodes, Grade 3, ER/PR-, HER2+ (3.16 Fish)
2/7/05, Partial Mastectomy
5/18/05 Finished 6 rounds of dose dense TEC (Taxotere, Epirubicin and Cytoxan)
8/1/05 Finished 33 rads
8/18/05 Started Herceptin, every 3 weeks for a year (last one 8/10/06)
2/1/13...8 year Cancerversary and I am "perfect" (at least where cancer is concerned;)
" And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."- Abraham Lincoln
|
|
|
|
|
01-28-2007, 10:39 AM
|
#3
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Franklin, MA
Posts: 131
|
I tell them it is Targeted Therapy...an IV infusion just like chemo with less harsh side effects.
__________________
Diagnosed 10-03-2005 (34 wks pregnant, 38 yrs old)
Lumpectomy Nov-2005. 10/18 Lymph Nodes impacted
Mets to liver, spine & femurs (thus being stage IV right from the get-go)
ER-, PR-, HER2+
Taxol/Herceptin/Zometa started Dec-2005. 11 cycles of Taxol.
Sept-2006: PET/CT scan of mets to liver, spine and femurs - Stable. Activity in R breast & mediastinum (not seen in prior scans).
Navelbine (3 wks on/1 wk off) as of Oct--2006 & continued Herceptin (every 3 wks) & Zometa (every 6 wks)
Jan-2007: PET/CT Scan - Stable. Continued Nav. through March-2007, then Herc./Zom. only after that.
June-2007: PET/CT Scan - activity in mediastinum. Back on Navelbine as of July-2007.
Scanned Quarterly since Oct-2007 - a few small scares, but otherwise stable due to continuing weekly Navelbine, Herceptin and Quarterly Zometa.
|
|
|
|
|
01-28-2007, 11:31 AM
|
#4
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Stockton, NJ
Posts: 4,179
|
It is actually immunotherapy. I used to tell people it was like a powerful antibiotic that was just for the kind of bc I had.
__________________
Kind regards
Becky
Found lump via BSE
Diagnosed 8/04 at age 45
1.9cm tumor, ER+PR-, Her2 3+(rt side)
2 micromets to sentinel node
Stage 2A
left 3mm DCIS - low grade ER+PR+Her2 neg
lumpectomies 9/7/04
4DD AC followed by 4 DD taxol
Used Leukine instead of Neulasta
35 rads on right side only
4/05 started Tamoxifen
Started Herceptin 4 months after last Taxol due to
trial results and 2005 ASCO meeting & recommendations
Oophorectomy 8/05
Started Arimidex 9/05
Finished Herceptin (16 months) 9/06
Arimidex Only
Prolia every 6 months for osteopenia
NED 18 years!
Said Christopher Robin to Pooh: "You must remember this: You're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think"
|
|
|
|
|
01-28-2007, 08:20 PM
|
#5
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Alexandria, VA
Posts: 1,055
|
I told people it's a preventative therapy. BB
|
|
|
|
|
01-29-2007, 06:07 AM
|
#6
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: france
Posts: 1,648
|
Many thanks for your answers - they're great and very helpful.
all the best wishes for good health for all of you
sarah
|
|
|
|
|
01-29-2007, 12:35 PM
|
#7
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Boise, Idaho
Posts: 758
|
At our house it is called a "miracle Drug".
Marlys
|
|
|
|
|
01-29-2007, 02:31 PM
|
#8
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: California
Posts: 668
|
Hi from San Diego
Is it annoying to have to listen to "ignorant" comments. I have had people say to me: "How come you haven't lost your hair?" as if am lying to them about my treatment. Nowadays if anyone wants to know about Herceptin, I write the name on a piece of paper and tell them to google it...  AMEN!!
__________________
1994 - rt brst, .lump, underarm node dissection,chemo+rad 1.2 cms, Grade 3.
28 nodes neg
Er,Pr, Positive HER2 status unknown
2003- Recur to rt lung.July 16 ( B-Day!)
Her2+++ Er,Pr, Negative
2003 - Aug04--Navelbine + Herceptin
2004- 2007--NED - Herceptin, only
2007 Feb-April Xeloda added to hereceptin
2007-May Back on Navelbine+Herceptin
2008-Feb-Mar 15 Ses Rad to Rt. Lung
2008- Oc 17 Add Tykerb to Herceptin
2009- June-- Discont Tykerb
2009 July 7--Current Taxol + Herceptin
2009 Dec--Discontinued treatment due to progression. Looking into cyberknife.
2010-Aug Accepted to TDM1, no SE, except liver count went up.
2010-2011 September got kicked out of the trial, due to a small spot found on lung.
2011- 2012 September thru early 2013 on Herceptin
2013- March Bone density shows small spot on 5th rib.
2013 - April 4th appt with onc. will post after discussing course of treatment.
2013-March-April Cyber knife to brain and radiation to rib. Chest --base line before chemo-CT-Scan stable for lung issue. CA2729 Normal.
2013 April Herceptin- TDMI
2013 Sept Herceptin + Perjeta . CA2729 within normal range. Brain and Pet scans October 31st. will post results.
2013 October Brain MRI- mixed response. Will see Onc/rad on Halloween.
2013 October/November Brain-MRI nothing new. Repeat MRI next year in May.
2013 December Continue Herceptin and Perjeta. Stable at the moment.
2014 February Brain MRI -clear!
2014 January Added Taxotere to Perjeta+Herceptin.
2014 March Stopped chemo-chest ct-scan next.
2014- March Scans shows tumor's larger, CA2729 higher. Discontinue Herceptin.
2014 April Perjeta+ Halaven
2014 April CA2729 went down 60 points after one cycle. Cough does not want to go away.
2014 June Continue on Perjeta + Halaven-- no more cough. Stable
2014 June Back on Herceptin + abraxane
|
|
|
|
|
01-29-2007, 07:11 PM
|
#9
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 3,380
|
I thought it was called biological therapy. Really, I don't care what it's called, as long as it works!
Hopeful
|
|
|
|
|
01-29-2007, 07:30 PM
|
#10
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 4,778
|
my two cents
how about "targetted immunotherapy" which works like a "smart bomb" whereas chemo works like "carpet bombing"
When used in the non-metastatic setting, the word "preventative" seems in order
THE HARD QUESTION OFTEN ASKED TO CANCER PATIENTS IS are you cured?
How about answering either1) I am taking the treatment to make sure it never comes back, but there are no accurate tests yet to be sure that its been entirely effective for pre-metastatic patients or 2)for Stage IVs,this is the most effective treatment ever found for the type of cancer I have with the least side-effects. It is relatively new but people have lived a dozen or so years on it since it was
invented and since those on it are pioneers we are still in the process of learning if this cancer is "curable" or must continued to be "manageable" with
staying on the medicine or newer improvements being developed.
|
|
|
|
|
01-29-2007, 10:45 PM
|
#11
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 430
|
I tell them is a type of chemo that doesn't cause hair to fall out. They stare and say " oh wow" that's great!
Maria ( mcs)
|
|
|
|
|
01-30-2007, 12:29 AM
|
#12
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Acworth, GA
Posts: 2,104
|
I just tell people it's a targeted chemo - just for the type of breast cancer that I have - HER2+.
__________________
Kate
Stage IIIC Diagnosed Oct 25, 2005 (age 58)
ER/PR-, HER2+++, grade 3, Ploidy/DNA index: Aneuploid/1.61, S-phase: 24.2%
Neoadjunct chemo: 4 A/C; 4 Taxatore
Bilateral mastectomy June 8, 2006
14 of 26 nodes positive
Herceptin June 22, 2006 - April 20, 2007
Radiation (X35) July 24-September 11, 2006
BRCA1/BRCA2 negative
Stage IV lung mets July 13, 2007 - TCH
Single brain met - August 6, 2007 -CyberKnife
Oct 2007 - clear brain MRI and lung mets shrinking.
March 2008 lung met progression, brain still clear - begin Tykerb/Xeloda/Ixempra
|
|
|
|
|
01-30-2007, 06:51 AM
|
#13
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: ontario, canada
Posts: 48
|
Sarah,
Here is a quick link to a short answer: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/cancer/herceptin.html
We here in Ontario, Canada are very fortunate to have this treatment covered by our provincial health plans! My BC was discovered late-2005, so I am happy our government had decided earlier that year to include Herceptin in treatment of early-stage BC.
Blessings,
Karen
__________________
Karen
"The Good Lord gave us mountains, so we could learn how to climb!"
|
|
|
|
|
01-30-2007, 11:43 PM
|
#14
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Colorado
Posts: 131
|
Adjuvant therpay
Lisa and I always referred to Herceptin as an adjuvant therapy with chemotherapy - seemed most perople understood this.
Love and Light
Mel
__________________
Mel Gordon, Husband of Lisa Lowe - Queen of Love and Light and the bravest person I know!
|
|
|
|
|
02-01-2007, 06:56 AM
|
#15
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: france
Posts: 1,648
|
thanks for the answers
sarah
|
|
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -7. The time now is 08:17 AM.
|
Linear Mode
