Herceptin/Timing Question

[DeeUK]

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum, so I'll briefly introduce myself before I launch into my questions!

I'm Dee.. 29 years old and live in the UK.
In July this year, I was diagnosed with 18mm, grade 3, invasive breast cancer. Er- Pr-, HER2+++, vascular invasive, node negative (assumed from sampling).

I'll be having my 5th out of 6 FEC chemos next Wednesday, and have been told by two oncologists that I'd benefit from Herceptin (still waiting to see if local health authority will fund it).

My query is this..

The oncologist I see regularly, says we should wait 6 months between the end of FEC, and the start of Herceptin treament.
The concerns me, as everything I've read and heard, says Herceptin should be started WITHIN 6 months of the end of chemo.
My oncologist says he wants to wait 6 months, because of the effect on the heart, especially after having had Epirubicin.

He doesn't seem to want to listen to anything I say about this (he knows best, and all that).

Would it be reasonable of me to ask about changing to a Taxane, rather than carrying on with FEC, so I can start Herceptin straight after the radiotherapy (which I'll be having when chemo's finished)?

Or should it be ok to start Herceptin sooner than 6 months after my last FEC, if I carry on with this chemo regimen?

I'm verging on going for a second opinion.. especially if my onc maintains that I'll have to wait 6 months.

I'd really appreciate anyones wisdom on this, or any pointers to websites/literature, where I can find any more info on this, and maybe print out things to show my onc.

Love & hope,
Dee
xxx