Suspension of herceptin during radiation, please advice

christie · 01-22-2009, 10:16 PM

hi,

I am starting my cobalt radiation next week, my oncologist wants to stop the herceptin during these 6 weeks of rads and then resume afterwards. Is it ok? please advice. Can herceptin be stopped this way and then resumed later on? I have finished 5 cycles of herceptin. please advice. thanks so much

love
christie

Faith in Him · 01-23-2009, 09:25 AM

Hi Christie,

I did not have to stop herceptin during radiation. I have had radiation twice and both times I was given herceptin straight through. Has your dr given you a reason to stop?

Tonya

bonnie · 01-23-2009, 09:29 AM

I didn't stop Herceptin treatment during radiation. However, I don't know if the type of radiation I had was cobalt. Maybe that's standard radiation but I never knew.

Bonnie

schoolteacher · 01-23-2009, 10:07 AM

Glad to hear from you Christie,

I did not stop Herceptin during radiation either. I had my Herceptin weekly at the time or radiation. I did not have cobalt radiation.

Amelia

Joan M · 01-23-2009, 12:34 PM

Christie,

Radiation and Herceptin go well together, but I didn't ahve cobalt radiation and perhaps that requires you to stop taking Herceptin.

Good luck with your treatment!

Joan

Becky · 01-23-2009, 06:30 PM

http://www.yana.org/herceptininteractions.htm

Attached is a paper that shows the synergy of Herceptin with chemo. At the bottom of the chart states Herceptin is HIGHLY synergistic with radiation. This article should help you in your fight to continue Herceptin through your radiation treatments.

Bill · 01-23-2009, 09:58 PM

Hi Christie! Nicola had to halt chemo. during her rads., but always continued her Herceptin. Some chemotherapies intensify the radiation treatments, that's why they halt them during radiation, but Herceptin can continue. Maybe check again with your doc. Thanks for keeping in touch.

christie · 01-24-2009, 01:38 AM

hi

thanks to all of you for writing in. i will ask my onc once more as to why he is stopping my herceptin, maybe its because i am on cobalt radiation, but its better to check it out once more.. Is there a problem if herceptin is stopped for 6 weeks? please tell me about that. thanks.

webmum · 01-24-2009, 03:09 AM

Hi Christie

just wanted to say to you that I had to stop herceptin as I was having it with pre-surgery chemo, so when I had surgery they stopped all treatments for about 4-5 weeks, inc herceptin, which I then resumed after the surgery to complete a year of it.

I did not interrupt it through radiotherapy though.

Let us know what your drs say about it.

GemmaG · 01-24-2009, 05:33 AM

Hi Christie,
I didn't have to stop Herceptin during my WBRT. I had it on a weekly basis but Gemzar was stopped during the WBRT.
Maybe it's different with cobalt.
Keep us updated.

Hugs,
Gemma

BarbM · 01-24-2009, 09:08 AM

Christie, I didn't stop Herceptin with my first round of radiation for skin mets, but I had to stop with the 2nd round in which I also had hyperthermia tx. My personal opinion is that I shouldn't have stopped H because I had progression outside of the radiation area. Thank goodness it's clearing up with Abraxane. I didn't have cobalt either.
~Barb

Becky · 01-24-2009, 03:01 PM

Dear Christie

If you have no choice and your doctor stops the Herceptin during rads, you might have to have the loading dose again when you start back up. I am not sure about this though but it is food for thought because you might.

Lien · 01-24-2009, 05:25 PM

Hmm. that's a tough decision. Perhaps, if your onc won't listen to you, you can keep in mind that I never got herceptin at all and am doing ok 5 years later. So if you have to stop, you've already had quite a bit of herceptin, and you will get more later.

But it seems as if you should be able to get herceptin during rads, so go and fight for that.

Love

Jacqueline

PS. How are you doing with chemo?

Paty · 01-25-2009, 05:08 PM

Christi,

Any news on why do you have to stop Herceptin? I received chemo first and then radiation, after that came Herceptin for a year. I could not stand the combination chemo-Herceptin, so my doctor had to wait till I finished everything to re-start with Herceptin. So far seems like I am doing fine. I will have my 3-month check up this coming February, I am getting anxious. Best of luck,

Paty

Alice · 01-25-2009, 08:41 PM

I had chemo which included Herceptin before surgery. I had to stop all treatemnt before surgery and then after surgery I started Herceptin and Radiation. I continued Herceptin until it affected my heart function. I am now 3 years out of treatment and I'm doing great. My surgeon told me that they did not know if Herceptin would increase any problems with blood clotting factors at the time of surgery and it would be best to not have it during that time. I think that there is just so much that they don't know that they don't want to take a chance. All I know is that being off Herceptin and then going back on did not seem to be a risk or a problem.
Alice