What Chemo/Treatments are you taking?

mssoda101

Hello everyone! I just got my chemo treatment info and wanted to see what everyone’s treatments are (I know every one is different) but I am curious… my Dr said 3 months of weekly Taxol and 12 months of perjeta and herceptin. Just wanted to know how normal this is?? I haven’t had surgery yet and am going to do double mastectomy but that will be after chemo. My diagnosis is in my signature for reference.

iamnobird

So, I think that you, like me, are HER2+. You are receiving the standard of care treatment for stage 1 HER2+ cancer. My tumor is also small at 11mm, but had spread to one lymph node (huge shock at surgery as it wasn’t picked up in MRI, my cancer was originally diagnosed as Stage 0 DCIS and nobody thought there was any IDC or lymph node involvement).

So I had a mastectomy first for 9 cm of DCIS and ended up with these surprises at final pathology. My PET scan confirmed no additional node involvement nor did I have lymphatic invasion so I am hopeful it was confined to the one sentinel node. I really wanted the early stage treatment, but had two opinions that urged me to do the stronger stuff so here I am.

I did 9 weeks of Paclitaxel with Herceptin and Perjeta and am now doing EC chemo for 3 cycles. I have 2 more left. I am in Europe where this is standard of care. In the US, they use 6 cycles of TCHP more commonly (Taxotere, Carboplatin, Hercepta and Perjeta). I will have radiation of my axilla when I finish chemo. Then I will start hormone blockers and complete my year of Herceptin.

Anyways. I found the Paclitaxel very doable and had minimal side effects. My hair thinned a bit (I cold capped) but hung on nicely through that. I think most people have fairly minor side effects and it is very effective for early stage HER2+.

mssoda101

Bird- I’m sorry it was in your node. I’m also wondering that for myself because I know they can’t know that for sure until surgery. I don’t know how accurate the PETSCAN is for one node… I’m hoping it’s not but I found my lump 3 weeks ago and I’m starting Chemo next week. I just want to kind of base it on IF it was in a node, would the treatment be different?? I guess I’ll ask my doctor that.

My cousin was triple positive and had it in 4 nodes. This was almost 5 years ago, she’s still doing great. Though she had the AC chemo plus a few meds that she can’t remember but I’m thinking it was herceptin and one of the monoclonal antibody ones.

iamnobird

Thanks MSSODA. I think the PET is quite accurate so I wouldn’t worry too much. I am just thankful every day that mine was caught at all and is being treated. My little tumor was clearly ready to go rogue and I am very glad to have this chance to eliminate it. It is always a good question for the oncologist. I keep a list of questions that occur to me so we can talk them out. I think finding a metastasis (not a micrometastasis which is still treated as stage 1) in a node would likely bump you to the TCHP chemo instead of just THP. But there are a ton of variables that go into that. Trying to deescalate treatment is a huge thing right now and some doctors might be comfortable with THP if you were only HER2+ and don’t also have any hormone positivity.

lt sounds like you are definitely on the right track and moving along and that always feels really productive. Try not to worry too much about any of the unforeseen things. It sounds like your team has been very thorough and you have a good plan.