Ceesun... Here😎

[dawny]

Cathy, sorry for this news. I had progression in a lymph node right in the middle of my chest. And another in the breast that I had previously had a lumpectomy As it was only one in the chest, I fought to have radiation. I then had a mastectomy to get of the other. That was Dec 2013 and have been NED ever since. Seeing as you have more than one node, chemo sounds like a good option. I had Abraxane when first diagnosed at Stage IV, and that took me to NED also. Do you know which chemo you will be on?
Best wishes, let us know how you are getting on. xxxx

[Ceesun]

Sisters and Brothers, Thank you for responding to me after so many months away. I feel like an old timer here now with many new faces and sadness at the ones we lost, but over the many years you have provided sage advice, comfort and even a laugh or two...for sure! I liked Flori's name of "thriver" and hopefully that can continue. To Update, I have been on Ac cytoxan and taxotere when diagnosed back in 2003. Then in 2006 with a single lung met the list grows: Navelbene Xekoda Tykerb Kadcyla, then Navelbene with Herceptin and perjeta....now Halaven with NO success. The best success I had was Hercep and tykerb combo for 32 months...although not NED I had shrinkage and stable disease. YAY!!! Next Thurs I begin IXempra and I will not be on Herceptin which I do not understand., but will inquire on that! The odd part is my first lung met was on the left side and kadcyla cleared that but not the right one. About one year and one half ago I had cyberknife on the right lung and it resulted in a 2 centimeter ball of dead tissue but came back strong with node involvement. So that is the general recall. Best to each of you, Cathy

[SoCalGal]

Cathy,

I found this...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23559151

A phase II study of ixabepilone and trastuzumab for metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer.
Tolaney SM1, Najita J, Sperinde J, Huang W, Chen WY, Savoie J, Fornier M, Winer EP, Bunnell C, Krop IE.

Abstract
BACKGROUND:
A multicenter NCI-sponsored phase II study was conducted to analyze the safety and efficacy of the combination of ixabepilone with trastuzumab in patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer.
PATIENTS AND METHODS:
Two cohorts were enrolled: cohort 1 had received no prior chemotherapy or trastuzumab for metastatic disease and cohort 2 had received 1-2 prior trastuzumab-containing regimens for metastatic disease. Patients in both cohorts received ixabepilone 40 mg/m(2) as a 3-h infusion and trastuzumab on day 1 of a 21-day cycle. Tumor biomarkers that may predict response to trastuzumab were explored.
RESULTS:
Thirty-nine women entered the study with 15 patients in cohort 1 and 24 patients in cohort 2. Across both cohorts, the overall RR was 44%, with a clinical benefit rate (CR + PR + SD for at least 24 weeks) of 56%. Treatment-related toxic effects included neuropathy (grade ≥2, 56%), leukopenia (grade ≥2, 26%), myalgias (grade ≥2, 21%), neutropenia (grade ≥2, 23%), and anemia (grade ≥2, 18%).
CONCLUSIONS:
This represents the first study of the combination of ixabepilone with trastuzumab for the treatment of metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. These results suggest that the combination has encouraging activity as first and subsequent line therapy for metastatic breast cancer.

[Kim in CA]

Cathy,
Just joining the others to say I hope your next chemo puts a halt to your progression. Herceptin + a taxane seems to be very effective for many. It worked twice for me. Maybe worth revisiting, since it's been awhile for you. I swore I'd never do Taxotere again after the last time, but if nothing else were working, I'd go there again. Just brainstorming here, so don't mind my ramblings!

We old timers really are guinea pigs when it comes to this MBC stuff!

Sending you big hugs!

Kim