Herceptin / Tykerb Share your experiences or ask questions about Herceptin or Tykerb |
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09-30-2007, 08:10 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Riverside, CA
Posts: 484
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How many on Tykerb/Herceptin together?
Are there very many women that are on Tykerb and Herceptin together? I had been on Herceptin from Jan 2004-April 2007 for bc mets.
In April 2007 I switched to Tykerb due to a history of dealing with brain mets, not because the Herceptin was not working.
Ever since I've kept wondering about dropping the Herceptin, thinking I should stay on it as well.
Anyone here on Tykerb and Herceptin at the same time? What has your onc told you about doing this? Are there any reasons why you shouldn't be on them both at the same time?
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09-30-2007, 01:18 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: South Florida
Posts: 477
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Hi Esther,
I am on both. I sent you a PM, I think. Please let me know if you did not get it as I am fairly new at this form of communication.
I have been told that Tykerb and Herceptin work in different ways - one on the outside of the cell and the other on the inside. No study data on the two together without chemo although I believe that there are trials running now.
Carolyns
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09-30-2007, 08:40 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,519
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I am also interested in the Tykerb w/ Herceptin info. I am doing good on the Tykerb right now, with it shrinking the brain mets, but I keep wondering when the day will come that I need to push to add the Herc to the Ty... how is everyone doing with the combo?
__________________
Brenda
NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary
JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...)
Nov'03~ dX stage 2B
Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive
Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo.
Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only
Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin
Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg
Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin
May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now
June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic!
Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2
Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED
Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone)
Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers
Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion
Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable
June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads
Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors.
Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen.
Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen.
June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen.
Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice.
Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots.
Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011.
Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah.
"I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead."
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10-01-2007, 04:13 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Northern Michigan
Posts: 68
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Ty/Herceptin
Esther,
I had asked my doc just before switching from Herceptin/Navelbine to Tykerb/Xeloda if I could stay on Herceptin as well ( because it worked on the lymph nodes in the chest ). He said "No, because there is too many side effects." He never elaborated on what side effects he was talking about, but I assumed he was talking about the heart effects, since both of these med are hard on the heart.
Michelle
__________________
Sept. 2003- 5cm tumor in left breast Her2+ Er- Pr- grade 3,
Mastectomy & 11 nodes removed, all negative.
4 rounds A/C + 12 wky Taxol
25 rads
Dec 2006- recurrence Stage IV (diagnosed 3 days before Christmas!) Lymph nodes in chest, liver, 3 ribs
January 2007- 3 tri wkly rounds of Taxol/Herceptin
Response to lymph nodes in chest, but several more bone mets (skull, shoulders, more ribs, femur, several on spine), liver tumors still growing.
March 2007- 8 wkly rounds of Navelbine/Herceptin/ every 4th wk Zometa
Lymph nodes in chest look great, but more bone mets (of course!), Clavicles, hips, and sacrum (above tail bone) to add to the list. Liver mets still growing.
June 5- started Tykerb/Xeloda
Aug 14- Scans are showing great progress! Tumor shrinkage and bones are healing!
Nov 21 CT scan shows tumor growth in liver & bones next Doc appt on 11-27
Dire need of a lot of prayers and a miracle.
Stay at home mom, 5 yr old girl & 8 yr old boy.
Wife of loving husband
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10-01-2007, 07:03 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,519
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My doc has been watching the research about heart effects of Tykerb - and he says he is not seeing that it is very significant... not at all like Herceptin.
__________________
Brenda
NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary
JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...)
Nov'03~ dX stage 2B
Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive
Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo.
Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only
Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin
Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg
Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin
May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now
June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic!
Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2
Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED
Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone)
Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers
Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion
Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable
June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads
Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors.
Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen.
Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen.
June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen.
Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice.
Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots.
Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011.
Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah.
"I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead."
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