changing treatment

livingbyriver

I was originally hoping for mastectomy of right breast for stage 2 invasive ductal carcinoma, but dince I am HER2 positive, I now have to have chemo before surgery. Anyone else been down this road? How long was chemo?

exbrnxgrl

hi,

I have no personal experience with what your proposed tx plan is but if you use the search function, neo adjuvant chemo, you should get several hits for threads on the topic. I would post a link but I am unable to on bco. Take care

moderators

Hi @livingbyriver,

We're so sorry to hear of this update. However, neoadjuvant chemotherapy is a very common treatment. You can read more about it here: When Is Chemotherapy Used for Breast Cancer?

Also, we'd suggest starting a new thread in the Chemotherapy forum where others can join in with their chemo experiences and support you along the way.

We hope this helps!

—The Mods

maggiehopley

Hi livingbyriver. I am stage 2 Her2 positive and had chemo before surgery. There are threads here for Her2 positive patients. One is for ER-PR-Her2+ and the other is for triple positive (ER+,PR+,HER2+). I am triple positive. I had chemo for 12 weeks before surgery- paclitaxol every week with herceptin and perjeta every 3 weeks. If you have positive lymph nodes or a larger tumor you will probably be given TCHP, which is taxotere, carboplatin, herceptin, and perjeta. I believe these are all every 3 weeks.

If you have a pCR (pathologic complete response, which means that there is no sign of cancer when you have surgery), you will continue with herceptin only to finish out a full year. If you do not get pCR, which means there is residual disease at surgery, you will probably switch to T-DM1, also called Kadcyla for 14 infusions (one every three weeks). This is what I did.

I was not a candidate for lumpectomy so I chose BMX without reconstruction and I did not have to do radiation. I am now taking an aromatase inhibitor and getting a Zometa infusion (to protect against osteoporosis) every 6 months.

It is a long treatment process but statistically very effective!

pneuma

I too am her2+. I was given 2 scenarios: Mastectomy or neoadjuvant. I chose neo adjuvant mainly coz I don't want to have drains after surgery.

I finished 6 sessions of TCHP. It was a living nightmare hell. I made a journal about my experience. It's still active, I urge you NOT to read it. My chemo experience was BRUTAL.

I just had a lumpectomy with mastopexy. Thank God, I did not have drains. But just today, my breasts are swelling so drains probably could have helped with that. OH well.

After I finish my chemo, they put me in herceptin/perjeta targeted therapy. And my onco said that can change depending on pathology result which I am waiting for.

And yes she did say I can be put to kadcyla treatment which I now learned is if there's residual disease.