The Length of Herceptin Treatment ?

[Bitten Schiedel]

Dear Sarah


Thanks so much for your very warm reply. I appreciate that. I will look into the matter of Femara as you mention together with my mom. Is it a chemo type?

The best
Bitten

[Lolly]

Dear Bitten, so glad your mom has you to help with the information pipeline, it's so crucial to continued good health to know your options.

Here in the U.S. it's considered "Standard of Care" for metastatic cancer to continue on a maintenance dose of Herceptin after first-line treatment. I myself have been on maintenance Herceptin for metastisis since 2001 with no serious side effects. After my successful (no remaining evidence of disease) first-line treatment of 6 months duration, I continued on weekly maintenance Herceptin for another 6 months, then moved to every-3-week doses. I eventually recurred after 2 and 1/2 years of No Evidence of Disease and my oncologist again added chemo to the Herceptin for 6 months, then I was back on just Herceptin for a little over a year. I just finished 6 months of Navelbine/Herceptin, and am now on Xeloda/Herceptin as I have stable disease with some improvement occuring slowly but surely. Hopefully this will continue and I will eventually be on just Herceptin again.
Long story, but I relate this to you to demonstrate that it's possible to remain on Herceptin for long periods without problems, and in fact many of the Stage IV women on this site have similar stories...

I think there's a lot of evidence showing that Herceptin maintenance therapy for Stage IV women is recommended.

Hope this helps, and I'm sure some others will share their stories too.

<3 Lolly

[sarah]

Dear Bitten,
Femara is an aromatase inhibitor (AI)- there are 3 different ones that I know of. They are given to women who are ER+ (estrogen positive receptors).
this site has some helpful cancer information that isn't HER2 specific: www.breastcancer.org and will explain AIs.
Hoping for continuing improved health for your mother.
sarah