New question about treatment...

[Louise O'Brien]

I had my appointment today with an oncologist and told him I was ready to procede with chemo/Herceptin treatment. I'll start the week of Nov. 15.

When I met him two weeks ago, he told me I'd be on four rounds of adriamycin & cyclophosphomide, followed by four rounds of Taxol combined with Herceptin which I'll take for a year.

I am Stage Two, cell grade 2, tumor 1.5 cm, PR/ER negative, HER2 positive, no lymph or sentinel node involvement, clear margins. I had a left breast mastectomy five weeks ago.

Today he told me the protocol has changed. (This is Canada and while the Ontario Health Plan pays for Herceptin & chemo, it also dictates what drugs are to be taken. Otherwise, they won't fund it.) So I have no choice in terms of drugs.

Today I was told I'll be on three rounds of FEC - Fluorourcil/Epirubicin/Cyclophosphamide, followed by three rounds of Docetaxel. The Herceptin will start with the Docetaxel.

At least it's six rounds compared to eight - so that's good news? Or is it?

Does anyone know anything about this treatment? Side effects? Easier? Harder?

[Becky]

This is an appropriate treatment. Although I had the AC followed by taxol then Herceptin, FEC of which the F is for 5 FU, the e for epirubicin (which is similar to the A or adriamycin) and the C is the same for cytoxan. Docetaxel is taxotere which is a taxane similar to taxol (many oncs think its better than taxol but all the same, a taxane which works well especially combined with herceptin).


This is a fine treatment and really good that your onc is still able to combine a taxane with the herceptin even though you are node negative - you will do very well with this.

Kind regards

Becky

PS - I think this treatment will be the same (as far as how hard it will be in comparison to AC followed by Taxol) EXCEPT there are less of them so it should be easier because of that. Also, epirubicin is supposedly easier on the heart than adriamycin. Taxotere is the same but the premeds are different (decadron for taxotere vs benadryl for taxol) so it depends on you personally as some women think one is a breeze or the other. So I guess for you it is a crap shoot because you don't know how it will be until its over. None the less, chemo isn't as bad as the thought of it in your mind and we are here to help with advice on side effects etc.

[gumoore]

Having just completed my first 4 chemo treatments of AC, I must admit to being envious that you get 6 while I get 8.

I'm out in BC - and I've learned that the choice of chemo is also dependent on the breast cancer type. I'm sure that the ON oncologists are on top of the latest protocols (I know the BC ones are), so don't worry that it's changed!

[tousled1]

I only got 4 rounds of A/C followed by 4 rounds of Taxatore. Now I'm on Herceptin only.

[chrislmelb]

and survived quite well. my worst complaint was constipation!! and a touch of nausea. i am fairly sure that the C stands for cyclophosphamide. is that cytoxan?
Good luck
Christine