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Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin

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Comments

  • cupcake7
    cupcake7 Member Posts: 321
    edited July 2009
    Lisa:  You take it easy girl.  Having the Herceptin is still a pull on you.  Sorry about your friends horse.  15 years?  How does that stack up with dog years?  It is the same thing and that would make him how old human terms?  Anyone who has an animal whether dog, cat, or horse it is hard to see them sick.  Miracle...what a sweet name...
  • Bold
    Bold Member Posts: 306
    edited July 2009

    CONGRATS!!!!!! to all that are graduated and soon to be. It is a wonderful feeling to move passed the biggest challenge. I am in radiation and have only 7 left 2 regular and 5 boost. So far so good.

    I wanted to say yesterday I met with a new Med Onc. She worked in the clinical heceptin trails for early stage cancer. She told me that I do not have to do hormone therapy with only 2%ER+. She said that the most important thing that I could do is to exercise. She then directed me to the New England School of Medicine Journal stating that Herceptin when used for early stage cancer has a 91% effectiveness in curing cancer. HOLY S@#T!!!!!! How huge is that come on! She said most oncs do not know this. I saw the report with my own two eyes. I felt like I got a reprieve from the Governor. I wanted you all to know.

    One more thing I would strongly urge you all to get a Vitamin D test. I have been deficient for years. I finally got a prescription as the 1200 IU I was taking daily was not cutting the mustard. Well if you are deficient in D you can have bone pain and fatigue as well as not absorb Calcium. So I feel like a new person. Wow huh? I hope that lisa1964 reads this. I am also hoping that her horse is going to be OK!!! With a name like Miracle its a good start!

    I want you to know that as you go through chemo that you will return to normal Your energy level comes back. Your taste buds too. Even your hair. Although that seems like forever. I still can not go with out a wig. I am 12 weeks PFC (post fricking chemo)

    Peace and healing to all!!!!

  • Lisa1964
    Lisa1964 Member Posts: 760
    edited July 2009

    Cupcake, I will be careful.  My girlfreind will do all the "loadin' and totin'".  A 15 year old trail horse is at his prime.  They usually outgrow the stupidity around 12 and settle in to be your friend and protector.

    Bold, Good news on the hormone therapy!!  Thanks for the study on herceptin, that is a huge relief!  Thanks too for the tips on calcium and vit D.  I also read that our magnesium could be deficient.

    PS>  Miracle got his name because he was born very premature and was not expected to live. 

  • ccbaby
    ccbaby Member Posts: 503
    edited July 2009

    Thanks again ladies!

    Wendy...So far, so good on the SE's, but they usually hit me hard after day 3.

  • Jaimieh
    Jaimieh Member Posts: 925
    edited July 2009

    I am magnesium deficient and I have to take magnesium pills they are really easy to take after the calcium pills. 

  • ccbaby
    ccbaby Member Posts: 503
    edited July 2009
    Jamieh....have you ever heard of Natural Calm? It is magnesium that comes in a powder form and you mix it with hot water and drink it like hot tea. It absorbs into your body faster and I think it is better than the pill form. You can get it at any health food store.
  • cakelady
    cakelady Member Posts: 176
    edited July 2009

    Lisa 1964  ..I  hope Miracle will be okay. I just love animals and hate to see them hurting or scared.

  • ipohgirl
    ipohgirl Member Posts: 56
    edited July 2009

    Hey Bold,

    Good news indeed about the Herceptin!

    What does 2% in your case translate to for the Allred score? Or what does my 3 on the Allred translate to in percentage terms? My regular onco doc was on holiday yesterday for my seventh herceptin and she was on the fence, asking me to decide whether to start the femara! My regular doc had opined I should take tamoxifen.

    I would really like to find out what's happening without blindly starting the femara. My surgeon thinks the same as your onco, i.e, with the herceptin, the estrogen cannot do much to propel the growth of cancer cells since they block the cells from receiving the estrogen.

    Key is not to take estrogen foods or replacements and plenty,plenty of exercise and supplement with calcium pills.........

    Anyway,  I was given 28 days femara.

    I will start RT on Monday, feeling a bit apprehensive.

    Thanks for sharing, Bold. BTW, I have exactly the same markers as you!

    But i should be decades older......

    Hugs,

    Ipohgirl 

  • kauaicharm
    kauaicharm Member Posts: 21
    edited July 2009

    Thank  you cupcake for all your info.  That's quite a picture you painted with the cancer treatment, it all makes sense when explained that way.  I find out Friday when I start chemo and hope I made the right choice with TCH and Tamoxifen.  Whew, my drug of choice has always been motrin, didn't take vicodin or oxycontin after mastectomy! Actually I am still itching like crazy, put on cortaid daily. And my port hurts so I had to get a seatbelt pad, of course all this will be insignificant compared to next week!

    Will be in touch, thanks to all of you for your strength.

    charm 

  • kauaicharm
    kauaicharm Member Posts: 21
    edited July 2009

    Thank  you cupcake for all your info.  That's quite a picture you painted with the cancer treatment, it all makes sense when explained that way.  I find out Friday when I start chemo and hope I made the right choice with TCH and Tamoxifen.  Whew, my drug of choice has always been motrin, didn't take vicodin or oxycontin after mastectomy! Actually I am still itching like crazy, put on cortaid daily. And my port hurts so I had to get a seatbelt pad, of course all this will be insignificant compared to next week!

    Will be in touch, thanks to all of you for your strength.

    charm 

  • kauaicharm
    kauaicharm Member Posts: 21
    edited July 2009

    Thank  you cupcake for all your info.  That's quite a picture you painted with the cancer treatment, it all makes sense when explained that way.  I find out Friday when I start chemo and hope I made the right choice with TCH and Tamoxifen.  Whew, my drug of choice has always been motrin, didn't take vicodin or oxycontin after mastectomy! Actually I am still itching like crazy, put on cortaid daily. And my port hurts so I had to get a seatbelt pad, of course all this will be insignificant compared to next week!

    Will be in touch, thanks to all of you for your strength.

    charm 

  • Lisa1964
    Lisa1964 Member Posts: 760
    edited July 2009

    Cakelady - Thanks so much.  After a very long day, we are finally in Gainesville and parked at the barn of a good friend (who is also a vet).  We head to the University in the AM.  Other than the protruding eye and a tiny bit of nasal discharge, he is showing no symptoms.  Prayers welcome and fingers crossed.

  • cakelady
    cakelady Member Posts: 176
    edited July 2009
    Ipohgirl...  I have never heard of the Allred score, but I thought it was interesting because that is my maiden name and it is not that common.
  • bluedasher
    bluedasher Member Posts: 350
    edited July 2009

    Bold, can you give me a pointer to that article in the New England School of Medicine Journal? I'd like to read that too.

    Charm, TCH is a very good choice - it will be hard but we will be here to help. It's a very effective treatment with less long term risk than the alternative of AC-TH.

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited July 2009

    Did TCH #5 Tuesday. Keeping my fingers crossed that the se's won't be as bad as with #4.

     Meet with surgeon in 2 weeks to discuss options. Current thought is for double mast. It doesn't look like tha right side is involved, but I want it gone too. Hopefully there aren't too many nodes involved on the left side.

     Hugs to all...swampy

  • Bold
    Bold Member Posts: 306
    edited July 2009
    http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full353/16/1673 This is the websitie that shows actual statistics for HER+. Its a tough read but full of info.
  • jap
    jap Member Posts: 43
    edited July 2009

    Bold,

    I can not access this article.  Could you tell me the month and year of publicaton?

    I have been told very different statistics.

    What do you mean by erly stage?  Stage I and II?  Those without nodes?

    Thanks,

    Jo Anne

  • Bold
    Bold Member Posts: 306
    edited July 2009
    I am sorry that you could not access the site. If you just go to New England School Journal of Medicine. Then under the search go to herceptin or Trastumab, you will find the artical.
    Volume 353:1673-1684October 20, 2005
    http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/353/16/1673 I copied and pasted incase I made an error.
  • jap
    jap Member Posts: 43
    edited July 2009

    Thanks, Bold.  I did go to the website but there were many articles -- most of them from around 2006-7.  Do you know the year and the date of this article?

    Thanks,

    Jo Anne

  • jap
    jap Member Posts: 43
    edited July 2009

    I found it but it did not distinquish stageI from stage II from what I could glean from the article.

    Jo Anne

  • bluedasher
    bluedasher Member Posts: 350
    edited July 2009

    Figured out the problem with the URL by looking at the URL of another NEJM article. It is missing a backslash between "full" and the number:

    http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/353/16/1673 

  • cupcake7
    cupcake7 Member Posts: 321
    edited July 2009

    Swampy:  I also debated on single or double Mastectomy.  Myself I finally decided on the single, infected breast.  Reason is it leaves one the way it was.  However if you have double and decide on reconstruction they can match them up better with two new ones instead of one.  They will reconstruct the Mastectomy sight, but the other one is...well lets just say I call it one hung low.  That would look pretty stupid, but the Plastic Surgeon told me they would fix one hung low to perk up to match the other one.  Again they won't match perfectly cause as he said it is hard to match the work of the creator, but it will be close.  I thought I would have a lop sided walk, but it is fine.  One good thing that happened to me was I have some scar tissue pain on the surgery sight (hopefully that is what it is) and can't lay on it without it waking me up.  By just having the one at least I have the other side to lay on.  I am having follow up with a scan on Wednesday to make sure that is all it is and will be corrected when I have the reconstruction in a year.  Have you given thought to other questions like Saline vs Gel vs tummy flap or dorsal  implant, nipple tattoo or no tattoo?

    Charm:  I cannot take any pain medication, but Motrin.  Makes me get sick.  Even through the big surgery of Colostomy Take Down. Motrin only.   TCH saved my life so I am a believer in it.  Not saying it is easy, but I wanted the cancer out of my body and that did it.  You will love your port even though it is a nuisance now. 

    Swampy: 

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited July 2009

    Thanks for the replay,Cupcake. It the age of 67, I'm not looking to be perfect or "balanced'. I want the easiest, safest and least complicatd way to get thought surgery without facing more like reconstructive. I just want to get thought the minimum requirements to and settle for a prosthetic device (or two) for the dress up occassions.

  • cupcake7
    cupcake7 Member Posts: 321
    edited July 2009

    swampy:  I agree and if I wasn't married I most likely do the same...many do.  Ok all you liberals don't get your panties in a bunch I am set in the old school ways and my husband is very important to me.  He is a boob man what can I say.  I'm 63 Swampy.  I think you made a good decision for you.  What is it with the Florida weather???  Don't you guys ever dry out?  I'm planing to fly into Miami for a cruise in 37 days...should I bring an umbrella?

    I walked a mile on the treadmill today...hooray for me.  First time in almost a year.  I had lost 67 pounds before dx and had to stop and then put 35 of it back on since Arimidex...drats!  Got to get my diabetic numbers back under control.  Hope you all are having a good day.  I have Herceptin tomorrow so will most likely rest during the weekend. 

  • Lisa1964
    Lisa1964 Member Posts: 760
    edited July 2009

    Momma Cupcake, the Florida weather stinks right now.  Hotter than the devil's den if it is not raining.  We had a terrible winter drought and now Mother Nature is trying to make up for it all at once.  Have a great time on your cruise!

  • kauaicharm
    kauaicharm Member Posts: 21
    edited July 2009

    Lisa, how is Miracle?  Please let us know.

    Ok, have my 1st chemo appt tomorrow and have been told to ask for  Femara instead of Tamoxifen, any ideas out there?  I heard Heceptin would cause aches and pains and if I can get relief from menopause on top of that it would be awesome!  Please give me feedback on these 2 drugs that I know nothing about.  I'll search when I leave this page. Also, does anyone have ideas for fake boobs, should I just choose the least heavy, matching from the TLC brochure.  I looked at those prices and decided on Kleenex but I guess the cancer society helps with that.  I so love the support the am can society, they rock.  It's like AA sponsor except you can drink!!

    I'm so glad I found this website.  I'm still healing but plan to put some silicone in place and look normal.  Again I've heard about the weight gain from being forced into menopause with drugs but plan to walk in my new Skecher's shape up tennies that I spent a fortune on.

    Please tell me how your dogs handle chemo cause mine will lay by my side forever and never walk and I know that's not good for them.  My hound dog put on 5 pounds after my hip replacement!  I'm not old really, just had a run of bad luck.  At 56 I should be laying on a beach on Greece with a swarthy man sipping ouzo....Will let you all know how my Q&A period goes with my oncologist tomorrow..Aloha for now

    charm 

  • Lisa1964
    Lisa1964 Member Posts: 760
    edited July 2009

    Charm, I think your are a little confused.  Tamoxifen and Femara are drugs that are prescribed AFTER chemo for usually 5 years.  They are designed to suppress your estrogen/hormone production to prevent the cancer from returning.  Which drug you receive depends on if you were already menapausal before the cancer.  Herceptin will be added to your chemo.  The first to components of your chemo will be 4 or 6 treatments with the herceptin added, then herceptin only for a year.  It is not a pill, it is an infusion.  You are HER+  You MUST MUST MUST take the herceptin.  This is your cancer cure.

    I will have an update on Miracle in a little while, thanks for asking.

    Lisa

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited July 2009

    Cupcake, the rain in Florida is intermittent. It comes in thundershowers. Rains for 10 or 15 minutes then stops till the next thunder cloud rolls by. It does get hot and steamy between showers though. I mostly just hole up in the car or store till the worst of it passes then make a dash to the next stop on my list. :-)

    Since tx#4 hit me so hard, the doc cut my carboplatin back to 75% this time. I really hope this will help get me back on my feet (and off the potty) sooner. I'm trying to dring 2 liters of water a day, but it's not easy. Drink and pee, drink and pee! I'm just totally wiped out today, but know I need to stay awake to eat and drink. Arrrgh... ONE MORE TO GO!

    I have a question about Herceptin only. I've been getting Herceptin all along, but was told that when I stopped the T and C that they would raise the Herceptin back to first a 90 minute infusion the drop it back to 60 minutes then 30 minutes again and continue with 30 minute infusions from then on. Does that sound right?

     

  • AmyIsStrong
    AmyIsStrong Member Posts: 426
    edited July 2009

    Swampy - hang in there! Only one more for us!  Re the Herceptin, they told me about 90 min, didnt' mention running it faster. The nurse DID say that they still order Benedryl as a pre-med, but that you can refuse it after the first few times, if you don't want to be spacy/tired for the rest of the day. I am intending to do that for sure. I hate the Benedryl feeling.

     I had my 5th TCH yesterday. ONLY ONE MORE!!!!!  I know I still have rads to go through, and will start Tamoxifen and continue the H through March, but STILL I feel a huge hurdle will have been crossed when the chemo is done. I feel like I can start to see the finish line (for the chemo) and I am really excited.  I am so proud of what I have accomplished so far (and so should ALL OF US be) and I intend to rejoice the day that last chemo is done.

    Have a good weekend, everyone.

     Amy

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    edited July 2009

    Amy, I don't remember them ever giving me benedryl for any of my treatments. I'll make sure they don't when I start on just Herceptin because I have a 2.5 hour drive home. I sure don't need to be weaving all over the back roads of Florida! LOL

     I do remember that when I first started TCH they began with 90 minutes of Herceptin, but then cut it back to 60 min then 30 min

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