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Old 10-24-2012, 06:24 AM   #1
newgg
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Parenthood

A TV series on NBC...."Parenthood " ... just revealed that a main character has HER2 positive breast cancer. Sure hope the producers/writers have consults and get this right ......
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Old 10-24-2012, 06:51 AM   #2
phil
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Re: Parenthood

We have been watching it, so far much of it rings true .
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Old 10-24-2012, 09:09 AM   #3
pwiswell
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Re: Parenthood

Maybe it will bring some much needed recognition to this dreadful disease.
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Old 10-26-2012, 10:05 AM   #4
KristinSchwick
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Re: Parenthood

No shit. I hate it when they portray it as anything but honest.
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[B]Kristin
Aug 2010: diagnosed stage 3b, 4 mo. after birth of son. 29 yrs old and breastfeeding, ER/PR-, Her-2+ started Neoadjuvant therapy: 4x FEC, 10x abraxane & Herceptin
Feb 2011: L mx with recon. Path. showed only DCIS but 4/10+ nodes.
March 2011: 6 wks rads.
Mother passed, lower back pain.
Late May 2011: Bone mets but organs clear; Tykerb, Xeloda, Xgeva. Stopped Herceptin. Implant infected: removed implant.
October 2011: Bone progression; Gemzar and Carboplatin & restarted Herceptin.
Jan 2012: Progression, re-classified as ER+; Tykerb, Herceptin, Zoladex & Femara. Anti-E is working!
May 2012: ovaries out, markers stable but elevated. Cont. Herceptin, Tykerb, Xgeva & Femara.
Dec 2012: aromasin
Jan 2013: faslodex, herceptin, tykerb
Jun: Kadcyla
Aug: Rads to hip, then Perjeta, Herceptin & Taxotere
Nov 2013: Perjeta, Herceptin, Halaven
Early 2014: Affinitor, Aromasin, Perjeta, Herceptin.
June 2014: Estradiol, Perjeta, Herceptin
Aug 14: Tamoxofin, H & P
http://kristin-notdying-blog.blogspot.com/
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Old 10-26-2012, 08:21 PM   #5
Mary Jo
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Re: Parenthood

Thanks for posting this. I just went to "On Demand" to watch this episode and will now start recording this show.

Mary Jo
__________________
"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

Dx. 6/24/05 age 45 Right Breast IDC
ER/PR. Neg., - Her2+++
RB Mast. - 7/28/05 - 4 cm. tumor
Margins clear - 1 microscopic cell 1 sent. node
No Vasucular Invasion
4 DD A/C - 4 DD Taxol & Herceptin
1 full year of Herceptin received every 3 weeks
28 rads
prophylactic Mast. 3/2/06

17 Years NED

<>< Romans 8:28

Last edited by Mary Jo; 10-27-2012 at 07:36 PM..
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Old 10-27-2012, 04:28 PM   #6
karen z
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Re: Parenthood

I "found" Parenthood later than some so went on a Parenthood binge sometime back and got caught up. I just watched (a few minutes ago) the show that was aired earlier this week. I was surprised that Kristina has HER2 but I think it will bring much needed attention ("out there") to this type of cancer. We already knew that Kristina had a 1.6 cm tumor and this week we found out that she has one positive node and is HER2 positive. My first thought was that one or more of the writers knows someone (or is someone). Next week Kristina starts chemo so we shall see how this goes. The words targeted therapy or Herceptin have not yet come up (although the breast surgeon mentioned that there was an effective therapy for the disease). I, too, hope for an accurate and detailed portrayal of HER2.
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Old 10-27-2012, 06:02 PM   #7
sassy
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Re: Parenthood

In real life Kristina is a BC survivor DX'd at age 36. Maybe she was HER2+, although I have not found that info anywhere. She has started a foundation--

http://rightactionforwomen.org/about/

Will be interesting to follow the story line.
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Rhonda (Sassy)
dx age 45
DX 2/15/05 Stage IIb (at surgery)restaged IIIa
Left mast .9cm tumor 5 of 14 nodes
Triple Positive
4 DD A/C
12 Taxol/Herceptin
33Rads
Strange infect mast site one year aft surg, hosp 1 wk
Herceptin for total of 18 months
Lupron Monthly 4 yrs
Neurontin for aches, pains and hot flashes(It works!)
Ovaries removed 11/09 stop Lupron and Neurontin
Arimidex 6 yrs (tried Femara, no SE improvement)
Tried Exemestane-hips got so bad could hardly walk
Back to Arimidex for year seven
Zometa 2X Annual for 7years, Lasix
Stop Arimidex 5/13
Stop Zometa 7/13-Bi-lateral Stress Fractures in Femurs from Zometa
5/14 Start Tamoxifen
3/15 Stem cell transplant to stimulate femur bone growth/healing
5/15 Complete fracture of right femur/Titanium rods both femurs
9/16 Start Evista stopTamoxifen
3/17 Stop Evista--unwelcome side effects!
NED and no meds.......
14YEARS NED!
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Old 10-27-2012, 07:07 PM   #8
karen z
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Re: Parenthood

Rhonda,
Thanks so much for the information. I had no idea that the actress who plays Kristina had had breast cancer. I am guessing that she is grateful to be drawing attention to what a diagnosis and treatment (and life beyond) are like for so many.
k
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Old 10-28-2012, 11:23 AM   #9
Yorkiegirl
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Re: Parenthood

This is not the same person, as in the show Parenthood.
The actress who plays this role is Monica Potter.



This one you are talking about is Kristina Applegate, she plays in the show called Up All Night.

Quoted:
In real life Kristina is a BC survivor DX'd at age 36. Maybe she was HER2+, although I have not found that info anywhere. She has started a foundation--

http://rightactionforwomen.org/about/

Will be interesting to follow the story line.
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Vicki
Texas
Biopsy Dx'd 3-23-05 Age 48
MRM 4-5-05 w/ 2 tumor's 5cm, and 6 cm (right side)
IDC (poorly differentiated infiltrating ductual carcinoma)
5+/16 nodes
Stage III A
Grade 3
ER/PR-, Her2/neu ++
Ki67 78%
Begin Chemo 5-2-05 4XAC Dose Dense , 4X Abraxane Dose Dense (ended August 05)
28 Rad's ended October 13 2005
Started Herceptin Weekly August 2005 for one year
Had a Simple mastectomy left side after Mamo showed incresed micro-calcifications. Jan. 17 2006.
Brain MRI Feb.2006--All Clear
August 28, 2006 Last Weekly Herceptin.
October 2006--Colonoscopy, 6 Polyp's removed--all B9
PET Scan July 2007
Abdominal MRI Oct. 2007---2 Right Kidney Cysts
Core Biopsy-- Lump on Scar Line 1-10-08---B9
Brain MRI 6-2008--All Clear
PET/CT Scan 6-2008
Sept. 8 2008, 4CM area removed from mastectomy scar line. Proved to be B9.
PET/CT Scan-- July 2009 --All clear
August 17,2009 ---Had Port Removed
6 Years NED -- April 5,2011
DX'd with Melanoma left arm 10-10-2011
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Old 10-28-2012, 08:54 PM   #10
Jean
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Re: Parenthood

How refreshing...for some real reality TV....
Lets hope they portray Her 2 correctly.

Thank you for posting this info.
Jean
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Stage 1, Grade 1, 3/30/05
Lumpectomy 4/15/05 - 6MM IDC
Node Neg. (Sentinel node)
ER+ 90% / PR-, Her2+++ by FISH
Ki-67 40%
Arimidex 5/05
Radiation 32 trt, 5/30/05
Oncotype DX test 4/17/06, 31% high risk
TOPO 11 neg. 4/06
Stopped Arimidex 5/06
TCH 5/06, 6 treatments
Herceptin 5/06 - for 1 yr.
9/06 Completed chemo
Started Femara Sept. 2006
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Old 10-29-2012, 07:29 PM   #11
sassy
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Re: Parenthood

Yorkie, you are right!

I was trying to find a contact for the show Parenthood to see if I could get any info on the HER2 angle and somehow got Kristina Applegate confused as the actress on Parenthood. I guess there is a slight resemblence. I'll keep looking for a contact on the HER2 issue on Parenthood. I think they could benefit from viewing our site!
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Rhonda (Sassy)
dx age 45
DX 2/15/05 Stage IIb (at surgery)restaged IIIa
Left mast .9cm tumor 5 of 14 nodes
Triple Positive
4 DD A/C
12 Taxol/Herceptin
33Rads
Strange infect mast site one year aft surg, hosp 1 wk
Herceptin for total of 18 months
Lupron Monthly 4 yrs
Neurontin for aches, pains and hot flashes(It works!)
Ovaries removed 11/09 stop Lupron and Neurontin
Arimidex 6 yrs (tried Femara, no SE improvement)
Tried Exemestane-hips got so bad could hardly walk
Back to Arimidex for year seven
Zometa 2X Annual for 7years, Lasix
Stop Arimidex 5/13
Stop Zometa 7/13-Bi-lateral Stress Fractures in Femurs from Zometa
5/14 Start Tamoxifen
3/15 Stem cell transplant to stimulate femur bone growth/healing
5/15 Complete fracture of right femur/Titanium rods both femurs
9/16 Start Evista stopTamoxifen
3/17 Stop Evista--unwelcome side effects!
NED and no meds.......
14YEARS NED!
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Old 11-17-2012, 03:35 PM   #12
CoolBreeze
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Re: Parenthood

I've been watching this show all along, and just reviewed it on my blog.

Maura Tierney was going to play the role of Sarah Braverman, but she was diagnosed with HER2+ breast cancer and had to drop out, leaving the role to Lauren Graham. So, I have been hoping they would be honest about it - maybe talk to Maura, who has been very active in saying chemo is not that hard.

Spoiler alert: This weeks episode was really good. Some of it was accurate and some was not, but they got all the swirling emotions right. And, how some people say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing, and how dysfunctional families get worse, not better. The scenes from next week show here getting her first chemo and getting really sick though, and I don't know about you, but I've been in that infusion room weekly for 3 years - I've never gotten sick and I've seen almost nobody complain about getting sick, so they are going to do the cancer chemo cliche.

It has been one of my favorite shows and it makes me kind of sick to have to watch it - no more escapism into this family for me. But, they are handling it okay - I would give it a B.
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http://butdoctorihatepink.com

08/17/09 Dx'd.
Multifocal/multicentric IDC, largest 3.4 cm, associated ADH, LCIS, DCIS
HER2+ ER+/PR- Grade 3, Node Negative

10/20/2009: Right mastectomy, reconstruction with TE
12/02/2009: Six rounds TCH, switched to Taxol halfway through due to neuropathy
03/31/2010: Finished chemo
05/01/2010: Began tamoxifen, the worst drug ever
11/18/2010: Reconstruction completed
12/02/2010: Finished herceptin
05/21/2011: Liver Mets. Quit Tamoxifen
06/22/2011: Navelbine/Zometa/Herceptin
10/03/2011: Liver Resection, left lobe. Microwave ablation, right lobe - going for cure!
11/26/2011: C-Diff Superbug Infection, "worst case doctor had seen in 20 years"
03/28/2012: Progression in ablated section of the liver - no more cure. Started Abraxane, continue herceptin/zometa
10/10/2012: Progression continues, started Halaven, along with herceptin and zometa.
01/15/2013: Progression continues, started Gemzar and Perjeta, an unusual combo, continuing with herceptin and zometa
03/13/2013: Quit Gemzar, body just won't handle it. Staying on herceptin, zometa and perjeta.
04/03/2013: CT shows 50% regression in tumor, so am starting back on Gemzar with dose reduction, staying with perjeta/herceptin/zometa. Can't argue with success!
05/09/2013: Discussing SBRT with Radiology due to inability of bone marrow to recover from chemo.
06/07/2013: Fiducial placement for SBRT
07/03/2013: Chemo discontinued, on Perjeta, Herceptin and Zometa alone
07/25/2013: SBRT (gamma knife) begins
08/01/2013: SBRT completed
08/15/2013: STABLE! continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin, Zometa
06/18/2014: ***** NED!!!!***** continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin, Zometa
01/29/2014: Still NED. continuing with Perjeta, Herceptin. Zometa lowered to every 3 months instead of monthly.
11/08/2015: Progression throughout abdomen and lungs. Started TDM-1, aka Kadcyla. Other meds discontinued. Remission was nice while it lasted.

5/27/18: Stable. Kadcyla put me right back in the barn. I have two teeny spots on my lungs that are metabolically inactive, and liver is clean.

I’m beating this MFer. I was 51 when this started and had two kids, 22 and 12. Now I’m 60. My oldest got married and trying to start s family. My youngesg graduates from Caltech this June. My stepdaughter gave me grandkids. Life is fantastic.
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Old 11-17-2012, 04:43 PM   #13
karen z
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Re: Parenthood

It would really be nice if the show could truly show the reality of a diagnosis and treatment for many of us. In past episodes chemo was not discussed with a tumor significantly over 1 cm and, as I expected, the positive node involvement seemed to be the explanation for chemo (along with the type of cancer). I guess it is because the writers/producers think that audiences will be more likely to understand (ditto with the chemo sickness) but it would be "nice" (strange word in this case) to show folks that one can really get chemo with a very small tumor, without node involvement, and that all cancers can not be treated the same- and that this character has a rather unique situation and type of cancer. On the other hand, somewhat surprised that the term HER2 came up at all.
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Old 11-18-2012, 05:03 AM   #14
vballmom
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Re: Parenthood

I love this show. I had the same tumor size plus one positive node...and also shipped a daughter off to college this year. We all have different chemo experiences - I was pretty darn sick throughout most of my treatment, although rarely threw up. My first reaction was, "What, no port?"
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Old 11-18-2012, 06:54 AM   #15
Mary Jo
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Re: Parenthood

Exactly Karen. I think the writers (and even they themselves) know that most of the audience would not understand if it became to technical. They would lose the audience. We get it. We know all the technical aspects of the disease because we lived it. The average TV viewer is only touched by the emotion of it all.

When I saw the previews last week for this weeks upcoming show I was like..........yup, the DREADED chemo experience is what they will show. I, too, wished they wouldn't make it look quite that bad. I remember when I was told I needed chemo, that is the kind of stuff that scared the CRAP out of me.

Oh well......sadly, in all reality, it is just a TV show where ratings are the ultimate goal. That being said, I love the show and it's story line. I've cried many tears watching and those so called buried emotions come to life when I view.

Mary Jo
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"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

Dx. 6/24/05 age 45 Right Breast IDC
ER/PR. Neg., - Her2+++
RB Mast. - 7/28/05 - 4 cm. tumor
Margins clear - 1 microscopic cell 1 sent. node
No Vasucular Invasion
4 DD A/C - 4 DD Taxol & Herceptin
1 full year of Herceptin received every 3 weeks
28 rads
prophylactic Mast. 3/2/06

17 Years NED

<>< Romans 8:28
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Old 11-18-2012, 08:12 AM   #16
karen z
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Re: Parenthood

Yes, I was crying and will cry again.
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Old 11-19-2012, 01:38 PM   #17
DeenaH
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Re: Parenthood

I think they are doing a great job. And some people do get that sick from chemo. I was during A/C and T/H. No anti nausea meds worked for me, so I was incapacitated for the majority of 6 months. So bad that my mother had to bathe me. My husband had to squat and hold me up from behind as I puked in the toilet. I know I'm not the norm, but it does happen.
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March 2010: Diagnosed with Stage IIIC IDC with axillary, mammary and suplaclavicular node involvement. ER/PR -, HER2+++. 7cm tumor in right breast.
April 2010: Started neoadjuvent chemo. 4 DD A/C every 2 weeks, 4 DD Taxotere every 3 weeks with Herceptin weekly.
August 2010: Finished chemo!
August 20, 2010: PET/CT showed no cancer in any nodes, and only a little uptake to the breast.
September 9, 2010: Bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction with implants and Alloderm.
September 16, 2010: Pathology report showed 18/51 positive axillary nodes, 3.2cm tumor. Granual sized cancer found in the fatty tissue between levels 1 and 2.
October 19, 2010: CT showed several spots on lungs and 1 spot on liver. Liver spot is 2mm, lung spots range from 2mm to 4mm. We don't know if they are cancer or not.
12/15/10: Brain MRI clear
1/7/11: PET/CT
1/13/11: Recurrence in lungs. Start Tykerb
5/13/11: Progression in lungs
6/3/11: Lung surgery to get tumors for chemosensitivity testing.
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Old 11-19-2012, 08:03 PM   #18
karen z
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Re: Parenthood

More crying with the chemo sweater as someone gave me a chemo shawl.
I did get anxious (really) seeing veins used and no port. I just feel like saying......."don't do it"........."insist on a port. This really is not going to work out too well".
So unbelievable that we are seeing HER2 discussed on a popular TV show.
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Old 11-19-2012, 08:14 PM   #19
Mary Jo
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Re: Parenthood

Believe it or not, I did 8 rounds of chemo, bi-weekly and 1 year of herceptin with no port, using only my left arm. Call me stubborn (with a capital S) but I didn't want a port. I felt like I was giving in by getting one and told my onc. that although I was fighting chemo, I'd do that but would not do the port. She agreed and said some women do that and the chemo nurses would let me know if I'd need one. I never did. Although, looking back, I realize how much easier and less stressful having a port would have been. As you can see, I had a hard time accepting what I was about to go through back then.
__________________
"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

Dx. 6/24/05 age 45 Right Breast IDC
ER/PR. Neg., - Her2+++
RB Mast. - 7/28/05 - 4 cm. tumor
Margins clear - 1 microscopic cell 1 sent. node
No Vasucular Invasion
4 DD A/C - 4 DD Taxol & Herceptin
1 full year of Herceptin received every 3 weeks
28 rads
prophylactic Mast. 3/2/06

17 Years NED

<>< Romans 8:28
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Old 11-19-2012, 08:20 PM   #20
karen z
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Re: Parenthood

Hi Mary Jo,
Two oncology offices (rather the people in the know in them) took one look at my arms and just shook their heads!! People have trouble finding veins for my lab work!! So I was a lost cause for sure. I would have loved to not have a port. I didn't like it at all- I know many people are fine with theirs. Mine always grated on me (I didn't have troubles with it but it was like a constant reminder to me- not that my hair falling out and not feeling well were not........but for some reason I hated my port) but there was no way for me to go without. Good to know it is very possible.
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