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Hi Kalford3:
Your diagnosis is very similar to what mine was. (1.7 cm tumour, no nodes, HER2 +) As a treatment I received 4 A/C plus 4 taxol treatments last year. On this trial you are receiving 3 times the regular taxol treatments (unless the protocol has changed very recently). I found the A/C treatments not too bad to take - same as you - mostly tiredness. The taxol treatments caused physical pain in my lower joints somewhat like arthritis as well as numbness and I nearly lost my fingernails. I think that on longer taxol treatment from what I have read on this board that fingernail loss is a real possibility.
As a note: you have described one of your trial arms twice: "4 A/C, 12 Taxol followed by a year of Herceptin" so you should add to your post to describe what the third option is.
My opinion: If you are in good physical shape, I would try to go through with the treatments. I understand that herceptin and taxol together have "synergy" so that you will likely get far superior results than just herceptin or taxol separately. It is possible that the taxol dose that you are getting is less than normal which is why they are giving so many doses to you and therefore it would be physically easier to take. I would check that possibility.
At 60, you have a statistical probability of living into your 80's which is at least 20 years more if you lick this. Although it is horrible going through chemo, it is only a tiny fraction of time compared to all those potential years. If you don't have over-riding health concerns in addition to cancer I would encourage you to brave the trial.
Trials are cutting-edge and particularly phase 3 trials have hopeful stats to back them up from the phase 1 & 2 parts that indicate superior survival chances to conventional treatment. The other thing to consider... your doctor wouldn't have suggested this trial if s/he didn't think you could do it.
Regards,
Merridith
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