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10-13-2007, 09:55 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: South Dakota.
Posts: 621
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Did you get Taxol? If not, is it now too late?
Drug a New Weapon Against One Form of Breast Cancer
By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter Wednesday, October 10, 2007
<O
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 10 (HealthDay News) -- When added to a standard chemotherapy, the drug paclitaxel (Taxol) cuts the recurrence of breast cancer by 41 percent in women with a particular form of tumor, a new study finds.<O
Those tumors are called "HER2-positive" because their cells produce an excess of the protein human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2).<O
In recent years, cancer specialists have found that breast tumors with different characteristics respond differently to various regimens. The new study adds another piece to that puzzle, experts say...
I wanted and asked for Taxol back in early 2003. At that time, they didn't know (as much about) what is known today about Taxol and Her2+ cancer, and my onc was not too hep on the idea. Then, due to complications with my port, I had to have it removed after finishing the FEC chemo, and the "whether or not to get Taxol" issue came to a close.
When I took herceptin (2 years late), my onc told me I could have Taxol if I wanted it, but that I would have to stop taking the Arimidex, so I turned down the offer. Now it looks like they know for sure, that Taxol is an important part of the cocktail for Her2+breast cancer.
I would suppose it's crazy to think about wanting Taxol now. Plus it would mean stopping Arimidex. Is there anyone else who didn't get Taxol, that is thinking about asking for it "after the fact?"
Here's a link to that whole article:
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Blessings and Peace,
Barbara
DX Oct 02 @ age 52 Stage 2B Grade 3 Mastectomy
"at least" 4.5 cm IDC 1+node ER+61% /PR-
Assiciated Intraductual component with Comedo Necrosis
Her2+ FISH8.6 IHC 2+
5 1/2 CEF Arimidex
Celebrex 400mg daily for 13 months
Prophylactic mastectomy
Estradiol #: 13
PTEN positive, "late" Herceptin (26 months after chemo)
Oct 05: Actonel for osteopenia from Arimidex.
May 08: Replaced Actonel with Zometa . Taking every 6
months.
Accepting the gift of life, I give thanks for it and live it in fullness.
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10-14-2007, 09:36 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: WHITESTOWN IN
Posts: 148
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Well Barbara I was lucky enough to have it right from the begining. But I would make sure to ask your Onc or even e couple. It is up to us to push the envelope. So ask away.
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DX IDC AT 42 12/7/06
2.2CM STAGE I GRADE 2
NODE NEG
PARTIAL 12/18/06
HER2+ /ER+(75%) PR+(5%)
4 DD AC CHEMO STARTING 1/10/07
4 DD Taxol Starting 3/5/07
1year weekly Herceptin starting 3/5/07
finished 2/18/08
changed to every 3 weeks 4/23/07
completed 33 radiation treatments 7/6/07
TAH and BSO 9/24/07
start Femarra 10/8/07
Started Neritinib trial 12/14/09
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10-14-2007, 08:25 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,014
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Is Taxotere a form of Taxol? Aren't they in the same family? Not sure, but I got Taxotere..sherryg
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Sherry
Diagnosed: December , 2005 at age 44
13+ positive lymph nodes
Stage IV , Her2+, 2 small mets to lungsChemo Started: Jan, 2006
4 months Taxotere, Xeloda, Hercepin
NED since April 2006!!
36 Rads to follow with weekly Herceptin indefinately
8 years NED now
Scans every year
Life is not about avoiding the thunderstorms, it's about learning to dance in the rain!
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10-15-2007, 12:45 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 78
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Hi Sherry,
My understanding is Taxol and taxotere are part of the taxane drug family.
I did not get Taxol back in 2004; the onc didn't think it was necessary when he was balancing risks and benefits. I was not aware that you could get it after the fact. I had 1+ year lag time for getting Herceptin, but at least I got it. I see onc in 6 weeks and will ask his opinion now that the new info is out.
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G. Ann
DX 2/04, mastectomy, 2.5 cm tumor, grade 3
Her 2 positive, 60%, 3+/strong, ER/PR-
Stage 2, 0/18 nodes
TX 4 AC (no taxanes, no radiation)
Hysterectomy 10/04
Began Herceptin 1/06, finished 1/07
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10-16-2007, 11:04 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Louisville KY
Naples FL
Posts: 665
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I am one of the women who did not get Taxol. Four A/C,
radiation, and one year of Herceptin only. I am now going
to ask my oncologist why but I believe she will say it is
because I was node negative. Any suggestions?
patb
__________________
patb
Diagnosed June, 06, Stage I, Grade3, ER+PR- Her2positive, No Nodes. A/C X 4. Radiation 33 with boost, Herceptin every two weeks until Nov.
07, Arimedex for 5 years. Mugas and Echo and chest xRay. Bone scan of whole Body, and Back of Brain and spine MRI.
CT scan of Lungs every six months
due to two small places. December
2009, bone scan due to bone pain.
Follow up test in 2010.
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10-16-2007, 11:25 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Alaska
Posts: 2,018
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Distinction
Patb, until now (per my onc at one point several years ago) the reason I think is that taxanes were considered not to work well in the larger group of those who are HR+, so were used primarily for those in the HR- group. Apparently in looking now, they are seeing what they didn't before -- that in the more limited group of bc that is HER2, those who happen to be HR+ DO benefit. (Which means, you and me at least, and perhaps Barbara too...)
correct me if I am wrong, anyone...
A.A.
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10-16-2007, 11:30 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,519
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Barbara, when I started Taxol (with Herc and Carbo... once I was DXed with my first mets), my onc switched me to Aromasin, and I was able to take it while on THC.
__________________
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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10-16-2007, 05:54 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Stockton, NJ
Posts: 4,179
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You are not wrong that you would benefit from Taxol due to your pathology. Patb may have something to go on as she is still using Herceptin and is not far out from initial therapy however....
Barbara - you are at the 5 yr mark - hooray for you!! Your chances of recurrence are very, very low. None of us have a nonexistant chance but as time passes, that chance diminshes greatly. Also, you were able to be on Herceptin with Arimidex together for a whole year. There are studies that that is a great treatment in itself for metastatic Her2+ ER+ women (and you got that in an adjuvant setting).
One of the reasons ASCO drew a line in the sand on late Herceptin (if one was more than 2 years out) is because those folks were already past the time of the greatest chance of recurrence.
At this point, I would not pursue a Taxane drug. You will never need it since your chance of recurrence is so small. The odds are very much in yours (and Alaska Angel's) side.
__________________
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"
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