Herceptin side effects signs of benefit?

[Rich66]

Just wondering if things like initial fever or ongoing cold sores mean anything other than the body not liking the stuff.

[Becky]

Side effects like fever, aches, runny nose - these are effects of an immune response and in my opinion (my opinion here and I am not a medical doctor) these are good things.

Herceptin works in two ways. First, it blocks the cross talk between the Her2 receptors (to each other and to other receptors it might like to talk with such as estrogen or progesterone receptors). This helps prevent excitation of the cell to begin the reproductive process. It slows the tumor growth down and hopefully faciliates cell death (apoptosis). Secondly, with Herceptin sitting there on the top of these receptors - it is an antibody that is not "self" but made via a non self initiator (chinese hamster or mouse). The body is made to respond to non self by destroying it AND the cancer cell it is attached to.

Any response to Herceptin like fever, runny nose etc is (to me - remember, my opinion) is good. It is stimulating the immune response and hopefully making more killer T-cells that will kill stray cancer cells in the process.

Of course we all know that a mega response can be bad - swelling tongue, the throat closing but no one on this board has gotten that response and I think it is rare.

My opinion only again.

[Rich66]

Well...I sure hope the H is helpful..it's all mom's on at the moment. You would think "they" would know whether Herceptin side effects are signs but look how long it took for endocrine therapy side effects to be recognized as an indication. my concern is that xelod ahas been removed completely, leaving Herceptin to carry the entire load. If it doesn't, it will be considered a failed therapy when in fact it might have been na incremental positive over what Xeloda had been doing. Clearly there needs to be better early determination of efficacy with all these approaches.