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Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin

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Comments

  • ariatrala
    ariatrala Member Posts: 2
    edited October 2011

    hi there Sunflower 71,we share the same diagnosis date a yr apart mine 9/23/2011.Hope time flies for me.delighted to find this group

    Interesting never herd of weekly sessions

    Have not yet started TCH.Since I am almost 70 was suggested that I do only TH. anyone out there have info on pros cons Does the.carboplatin alter ur taste buds eyc.. Hairloss I can deal with.thanks

  • ariatrala
    ariatrala Member Posts: 2
    edited October 2011

    hi there posted and waiting for reply

    anyone on TH only?  I am yet to start.  Thanks for all of you nightowls.

  • omaz
    omaz Member Posts: 4,218
    edited October 2011

    aritrala - So sorry you have to go through this but welcome!!  There is a study that looked at this issue in metastatic breast cancer - LINK -  they used a higher dose of T in the TH compared to the TCH but they found that both were effective.

    "Adding carboplatin did not enhance TH antitumor activity.TH (docetaxel, 100 mg/m(2)) and TCH (docetaxel, 75 mg/m(2)) demonstrated efficacy with acceptable toxicity in women with HER2-amplified metastatic breast cancer."  Valero, et al

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653
    edited October 2011

    FYI on LE. The exercising is really important. Keep that range of motion and strength going. My LE TP was very impressed yesterday. She say I have been "compliant" with my sleeve wearing. The left arm is so white and has a tan line at the shoulder. I'm not a sun bather. That's just from this summer's 50 minute power walks in the morning.

    My LE doen't bother me much although I have  noticed the tissue has become firmer (not bigger). My PT confirmed. More LE massaging for me but she didn't seem too worried about it.

  • specialk
    specialk Member Posts: 9,262
    edited October 2011

    lago - my problem was that they didn't want me to exercise without sleeves but had problems with sleeves, had to wait for new ones, etc.  Felt like I was chasing my tail. The new ones are excellent - they go on much easier and are more comfortable and I did see improvement yesterday once I wore the sleeve for a while.  I am motivated to exercise and wear the sleeves!

  • nmoss1000
    nmoss1000 Member Posts: 324
    edited October 2011

    Hi ladies funny you should mention I got my first sleeve weds and what a difference the mild swelling in my finger disappeared for the first time in months within hours. I got the LE massage and it spread to other hand though. Good luck SK

  • specialk
    specialk Member Posts: 9,262
    edited October 2011

    nmoss - thanks!  How are you doing otherwise?  You did your exchange, right?

  • nmoss1000
    nmoss1000 Member Posts: 324
    edited October 2011

    Sorry guys just back reading and saw the post about Luekemia and Chemo. Today I am going to the memorial service of one of my best friends of 25 years because she passed from pneumonia while having chemo. She had an auto immune disorder called Harada which is fairly new and no one really knows to much about it. She went blind in one eye a few months ago as a result. The doctor gave her a dose of methotrexate to treat, in turn it sank her WBC and RBC along with platelets. She went to the hospital 2 weeks ago on Friday and they diagnosed her with pneumonia and gave her a blood TX. After running her blood panel after the TX they found her RBC and WBC to be worse, discovering that she had Luekemia . They started her on daily AC that day and after 5 days of AC and 3 days of she passed away because her body just could not handle the chemo and pneumonia. My friend was the most loyal, caring giving person and has always been there for me and through my fight she never left my side. I hate cancer.

  • omaz
    omaz Member Posts: 4,218
    edited October 2011
    nmoss - I am so sorry for your loss.
  • nmoss1000
    nmoss1000 Member Posts: 324
    edited October 2011

    Thanks Omaz, it was a shock and very sudden. I only find comfort Knowing she was spared 5 more rounds of 5 day TX and a very painful bone marrow transplant to top it off.

  • nmoss1000
    nmoss1000 Member Posts: 324
    edited October 2011

    Thanks Omaz, it was a shock and very sudden. I only find comfort Knowing she was spared 5 more rounds of 5 day TX and a very painful bone marrow transplant to top it off.

  • LindaKR
    LindaKR Member Posts: 1,304
    edited October 2011

    imara56 - feeling crabby is totally normal - one day I told my family that I felt like stabbing people with forks - myself and others, and it became kind of a joke around here.  My oldest daughter would call me almost every day to see if the forks needed to be hidden - if they did she recommended I take and Ativan - the Ativan really did help with that feeling.  I have a teenage daughter also, and when her friend would come over the first thing she'd ask when she came to the door was if the forks needed to be hidden.  It's still a joke around here, but the anger was very real, I felt that it was an anger that I couldn't control, even while it was happening I'd realize that it was way over the top, but just couldn't stop it, so then it was Ativan time Yell  It was one of the first side effects to go away, thankfully.

    I think that part of the issue was that during treatment I felt like I had no control over sooooo many things, and the anger would usually be about little, stupid things, I guess it was my way of trying to control something.

  • specialk
    specialk Member Posts: 9,262
    edited October 2011

    nmoss - so sorry about your friend.  It is so hard to understand why bad things happen to good people, isn't it? 

  • dragonfly1
    dragonfly1 Member Posts: 516
    edited October 2011
    Nmoss That's awful news, I'm so sorry.
  • nmoss1000
    nmoss1000 Member Posts: 324
    edited October 2011

    Thanks ladies, it is terrible and it angers me that she was never tested sooner, she broke her foot over a year and a half ago and it never healed, it took 3 additional surgeries . She had the rash in August, she had been to the doctors at least 1 time a week over the last 2 years for now what would be SE from Luekemia. It seems once the uncovered her cancer,the oncologists took over and her pnuemonia took a second seat. I am grateful we get up blood work done with each H. I am going to miss that part.

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653
    edited October 2011

    SpecialK my onc doesn't believe in sleeves. She does support exercise but doing it slowly. She was the first one to diagnose me when I was on chemo. When it got worse I contacted my PS who sent me to a LE  MD. In the state of IL you must get a prescription from an MD for LE to see a PT. (Wow that sentence is alphabet soup Tongue out). He said I should wear the sleeve at least 6 hours a day. I figure once it's on I leave it on. Take it off sometimes early evening and always before I go to bed. If I'm going out to dinner, a party or an interview I don't wear the sleeve.

    So for stage 1 LE it seems there might be some debate on the sleeve issue. In my case it works.

    nmoss sorry about your friend. That really sucks. I know when I had a rash on my legs this summer my onc wanted me to go to the super special dermatologist (specializes in cancer)  but it went away before I could get an appointment. At the time I had checked and saw that it wasn't typical rash for cancer so I wasn't worried.

  • imara56
    imara56 Member Posts: 7
    edited October 2011

    Grimbol, I'm so sorry to hear about your tooth problem and migrane.  I've been having tooth problems too and was told about that release waiver too!  I ended up taking a vicodin once and that seemed to calm it down enough that it doesn't bother me as much as it did.  I'm trying to hold off doing anything until I'm done with chemo.  How are you doing otherwise?  I was just told my MUGA scan showed some heart problems from the Herceptin.  I'm going to be monitored more closely now.  The good news is my MRI showed my lymph nodes have shrunk down to normal and my tumor has also shrunk a whole size.  I'm blessed but wish I felt better.  I have so many SE's that my oncologist lowered my dose of carboplatin this treatment.  I'm going to be taking more days off from work to rest.  Healing thoughts to you...

  • YaYa5
    YaYa5 Member Posts: 532
    edited October 2011
    imara, sorry you have so many se's.  on the good side, though, your lymph nodes and tumor have shrunk.  it's so hard battling this disease ... we have to feel bad in order to get better.  ugh.  taking days off from work might really help.  i hope so.  take good care of yourself.
  • Grimbol
    Grimbol Member Posts: 139
    edited October 2011

    Hi imara, sorry you are not feeling so good.  You had tx yesterday right?   My headache has finally cleared, after 3 days and morphine shots, but it is good today.  My tooth is definitely going to need something I have lost the whole front side of it, so weird, does chemo do that too?  I get my fifth tx on Wednesday and hope they do another echo soon, I'd like to know how my heart is doing, although I have a long way to go with the Herceptin, I hope there's no damage yet.

    How do they decide if it's the Taxol or Carboplatin causing the SEs?  My fingers and toes are still pretty bad, not looking forward to it getting even worse.  I have been at work this past week, well except for Friday, and have coped pretty well.  I take a week off following tx though.

    Enjoy your snow all you East Coasters, it is still warm and sunny here in SoCal.

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653
    edited October 2011
    Grimbol here is the short list of some of the typical SE for Taxotere and Carboplatin. (Click on chemo name for link).
  • zumbagirl
    zumbagirl Member Posts: 250
    edited October 2011

    I haven't been on here in a while. I have worked extra hours at the bank the last few weeks, and I started radiation last week, and this weekend notice the areaola and nipple area already peeling, and the three scars are really red. My tiny bit of hair that was trying to grow back 5 weeks from chemo, for the last three days is falling out again. Is this normal, ? I am so discouraged. when will the hair grow back, and I lost a few more eye lashes this weekend.

    In answer to an earlier question. I never did ice my nails, because I didn't realize to do it until too late,. my nail troubles really started after my 6th and final chemo, on Sept 21. soaking them twice daily in half vinegar and half listerine original, has helped with the pain, but I will still lose all ten of them, they are ugly, and cut half way down, and what half is left  is lifting Frown My white counts were up last week, but I ended up catching the terrible chest cold going through my house, so I just finished up my 5 day antibiotic,, and I am starting to feel better.

  • omaz
    omaz Member Posts: 4,218
    edited October 2011
    zumbagirl - What are you using for your skin?  I used aloe vera gel right after rads, miaderm 2 hours later, Essentials vitamine E next, Progressive emu oil (wonderful stuff), aquaphor before bed.  I applied LOTS of goo, everywhere!!  I then put on a tank top and then a larger bra. 
  • zumbagirl
    zumbagirl Member Posts: 250
    edited October 2011

    I have only been using the aquaphor right after rads, then going straight to work. It is kind of greasy and seems to get on the work tops a little. I got a sample jar of the miaderm, that I tried a few times, and I have aloe vera plants for when the skin starts to get really irritated.

  • imara56
    imara56 Member Posts: 7
    edited October 2011

    Grimbol, I'm feeling like hell.  I've been sleep most of today.  I just wish I could get past the icky feeling part.  I hate it.  I was having so many SE's from the chemo.  I would give my oncologist a list and she/he will decide whether or not to lower your dosage.  I also have numbness in my fingers and feet.  I was told to start taking B complex once a day.  You should be having another MUGA scan pretty soon to check on the effects of the Herceptin.  Oh, and there is quite a few sites online about tooth problems with chemo.  I didn't realize it was so common.  I'm going to have to have my teeth checked once I get through with all this.  Take care of yourself...

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653
    edited October 2011
    zumbagirl every single one of my fingernails and toenails lifted. Fingernails started to hurt after tx3. Toe issues started after tx2. I never lost any fingernails. Did lose 2 toenails and one had to be removed. They really got bad after tx6. I was told I got this really bad. I still have a few fingernails that are lifted and a little tender. When I wear polish no one notices. Bad ridges too. I don't even want to talk about my toenails. One large toenail grew in bumpy and will not go back to normal according to my podiatrist. Small price to pay for no cancer IMO. I didn't do Rads so I can't comment on those issues.
  • specialk
    specialk Member Posts: 9,262
    edited October 2011

    lago - I also needed an Rx from the MO to get a LE PT, ha!  My PT is at Moffitt Cancer Center and they require a Rx, even if the state of FL does not.  I tried an experiment today.  I walked (not too hot outside, nice breeze) without the sleeve to see what would happen - definitely swelled.  I think I will most likely do what you do - put it on in the a.m. (before it can swell) and wear it to do most things and then take it off in the evening.  My LE is mild enough that I think I can also go without the sleeve if I go out or get dressed up, etc.  I did get two sets because I had 2 nodes removed on the prophy side, but will only wear both for weights or flying.  Did your onc explain why she doesn't believe in sleeves?  Just curious.

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653
    edited October 2011

    No I never discussed this with her. It was my NP that told me this but I can find out. I know another gal here that also sees her.

  • Grimbol
    Grimbol Member Posts: 139
    edited October 2011

    Thanks Lago, I checked them out.  So I guess if I have both Taxol and Carboplatin I'm pretty sure of getting the neuroapthy - oh well, I can live with that as long as it takes care of the cancer genes too.

    Imara hope you start to feel better soon, having had a pretty good week I am so not looking forward to feeling so yucky again.  My friend from Maine is coming again though so that helps, she is good to help take my mind of how bad I feel, and there's always the chance it wont be so bad?!?  I must research teeth problems and what to do.

  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 11,653
    edited October 2011
    Grimbol I only had a little neuropathy in my left foot. It's getting better now too.  Don't assume the worst. Everyone is different. I never had any nausea… How many folks do you know that had every finger & toe nail lift but no nausea. I assumed I would get every SE especially nausea since general anesthesia makes me nauseous. They just can't predict who gets what but you won't get everything.
  • specialk
    specialk Member Posts: 9,262
    edited October 2011

    grimbol - I did not have any neuropathy until after #5 and it was very slight.  Increased a little after #6, but now is almost completely gone, I am 19 weeks PFC.  I did take 30g of L-Glutamine powder, B-6 cap and Acetyl L-Carnitine pretty faithfully through the first 4 tx, slacked at #5 & #6 because I felt pretty bad after #5, couldn't handle even more meds - and that is what happened, but really it was pretty mild.  I only notice it (bottoms of feet only, fingertips resolved after every tx) in certain shoes or if I am on my feet for a pretty extended period.

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