TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP
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@davisd, from what it seems like- Perjeta is what brings about that GI problems .. During my regiment, I would have a good 4/5 days of nausea/vomitting .. & then full blown diarrhea for 3-4 days. It persisted through each treatment. It was hard to leave the house because at any moment you had to use the bathroom and it needed to be quick. I'd recommend stocking up on fluids to help your bodu
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davis - so sorry you have another bout with breast cancer - welcome to this thread! An ER+ mass doesn't morph into a Her2+ mass - you can be 100% ER+, 100% PR+, and Her2+++, all of that can co-exist in the same mass. The percentage of estrogen receptors is what the ER percentage shows, and the level of Her2 positiveness shows is the amount of genetic over expression, but they are not mutually exclusive. Did they do Her2 testing on your DCIS? Most cases of DCIS are Her2+ but they are just learning about the significance of it, and what to do about it.
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ang7894 I didn't get perjeta either because it was still in trials. Tried to get in a trial but the just changed it to node positive only so I was disqualified.
DavisD cancer can and does mutate. It's worse than roaches.
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welcome DavisD. I am sorry for your reoccurrence. I had/have many gI issues with TCHP. I had mostly constipation and nausea with taste and smell changes, fatigue, body aches for at least 10 days after each cycle. I have completed 4 cycles and will now get Herceptin every 3 weeks. I recommend being followed by. Naturapathic doctor if you can. He has helped support my body and soul during this time. Good luck and we are here for you.
Patty
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pikkyljtlu
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Hi, I'm new to the boards. This is my second go round with bc. My first time was 13 years ago rt breast IDC. This time almost identical in my lft breast. I haven't started my tx yet, but my MO says I'll get Taxotere, Carbo, Herceptin & Perjeta. I'll be getting neoadjuvant tx and then surgery and then radiation. I just got my port on 3/19. Will get a muga scan on 3/26 and then can get started. Just flabbergasted to be doing all of this again! So far handling things fairly well, but then these are all new chemo drugs for me. We'll see how it goes... So glad to find this board. I've learned a lot already from you!
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sheshe, welcome to this thread. I too recurred 12 years after my first dx, although mine was on the same side. Things have come a long way since our first dx. There are some very knowledgeable ladies here that can help you get through this!
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sheshe3, I'm sorry you're going through this again, but welcome to the thread. These are some very helpful and knowledgable women. I did TCHP first, then surgery and am currently in the final weeks of radiation. I'm sure hopeful that this will be my only go-round with cancer!
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Bren58 Thanks for the welcome! I definitely have seen lots of changes since my first bc in 2002. I'm just ready to get rolling. My diagnosis was on 2/05/15 and a month and a half later, still waiting for tx! Soon I think....
Cassiecat congrats on being so close to the finish line! I hoping along with you that you'll be done for good!
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Welcome sheshe3. I'm so sorry you have to deal with this again. This is a great thread! You'll find lots of info here.
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Sheshe the changes are amazing. They changed things since I was diagnosed and treated in 2010! We're here for you.
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Bren38-with having a mastectomy, did you find the recurrence?
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SheShe
Glad you found this site. These discussion boards and women have been so supportive and helpful. I am sorry you have a new BC. I just finished 4 rounds of TCHP. Learn all you can to prepare by reading older discussions. They helped me get through it. We are here for you.
Patty
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Hi everyone ... I hope everyone is doing ok considering this journey we are on... I have been dealing with a lot of fatigue again ... The MO reduced the dosage of my 4th and last A/C treatment, but the fatigue is still tough.... Tomorrow I get my echocardiogram done, and next week I go for blood work and a teaching class before starting the next phase of treatments. I am HER2 3+, stage 2a , 2.5 cm. mass. The next medicines are going to be taxol, herceptin, and perjecta. If my blood work stays high enough I hope to finish in late June ... I have been reading some of the post about the SE of herceptin and perjecta. I sure hope it does get to bad ...
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Sophie, I had the same treatment you are getting. AC was much harder for me than THP. The third treatment was the worst. I didn't feel like doing anything. The fatigue seemed to build up over time with the Taxol but nothing like AC. I did get the big D at times from the Perjeta. Overall I thought it was pretty easy...for chemo!
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Things have changed! I didn't get Perjeta because it wasn't released yet. I was also under 2 cm so I might not have gotten it anyway. and had to stop Hercptin due to heart trouble. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
What I want to say is Diarrhea is not just a joke and is not just perjeta. I got a very bad case of it on just TCH. I ended up in the hospital! Dehydration caused kidney failure. Yeah. Don't joke around with this. If you are taking the maximum Immodium you need prescription meds. Oh. And the sleeping pills look just like the diarrhea pills. Ask e how I know that.... LOL
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thanks for some of the clarifications on the her2+. I understand that the world of genetics is going to be playing a big part of this whole BC disease, I had some liver issues a few years back and was worried since it could not be confirmed with what I had, They were talking about hepatitis g,h I, already on the forefront, but no conclusive ideas which are by far worse, other than hep c for now, Luckily mine turned out to be dietary and that cleared my mind a bit. Because cirrhosis was not what I wanted to head for. In the meantime, sorry we are all here, but have lots to discover and share.
My biggest advise is the hydrate, hydrate, hydrate days before and all thru the days, this is saving mefrom a horrible repeat of round 1 so far of chemo. I am praying for all of us here and in the past and future, as we are the explorers in this up down world of breast cancer with only some answers and future hopes of success.
Maryann
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yes chrissie, I found a small lump under my arm along the scar tissue that turned out to be a cancerous lymph node. Most people that have a BMX for early stage DCIS do not go on to recur. It is only about 1-2% that do.
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Welcome all you new ladies! For those in chemo, get on your starting chemo MONTH page also. I found it a wonderful resource, as you learned what was working for others and sometimes it helped you too. As to TCHP, for me, it was bad taste, constipation, nausea, diarrhea,heartburn; then the other things, neuropothy, runny eyes and nose, fatigue, etc. Get the constipation under control before the 'big D, as we called it' comes. My chemo day was Wed, my best rounds were when I took Miralax Wed, drank Mag Citrate Thurs night and/or Friday night. Magnesium Citrate is AWFUL, I drank 1/2 bottle with same amount of red gaterade. My MO says, drink your constipation meds as fast as you can, it helps them work better. Normally around 8 the morning after mag citrate, would be liquid coming out, with some cramping, but not much. If you get that first batch out of you, when the 'D' kicks in, it can come out, so although bad, not TERRIFYING. If imodium isn't working, ask for an Rx for lomotil. Always have reading material, it takes your mind off the amount of time on the comode. Raise your feet, by placing each one on a roll of TP, it will improve your circulation. If you have 'heartburn', get meds for that. I was on Rx 40mg Protonix morning and night and some days would still drink the Rx Carafate and eat tums. Now only on 20mg in the morning, and probably will be able to stop soon, although tomato sauce is still an issue. Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate. I told my MO I was drinking Gaterade, although I hated it, on big D days. He said, drink water and eat potato chips instead, if that is better for you. So water and salt. Listen to your body. I had days I craved spinach, and would eat 1/2 a package of cooked frozen spinach (get much more than a spinach salad), I had days I'd eat a banana, I had days I craved roast beef. My numbers were always good, in my MOs opinion. You can do it, we are the warriors. Oh, and most importantly something someone said to me 1 month in. BC is NOT a sprint, it is a MARATHON. Therefore, your expectsations are in the right place.
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Moonflwr912 - Looks like you and I are in the same boat. I was taken off Herceptin after about 4 months due to heart damage - LVEF dropped from 56 to 35 in a short period of time. My original onco wanted me to do 6 rounds of TCH but that was stopped after 4 rounds by my new (much younger) onco who decided I wasn't doing very well, based on blood work and my side effects. It's worrisome to hear so much about Herceptin being the wonder drug for HER2+++ and not being able to complete the recommended year. At this point, I feel great. My treatment has been over since before Thanksgiving. My yearly mammo is scheduled for late April and I admit to some nervousness since I didn't completely finish anything except the 36 rads that was part of my original regimen.
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I just finished 14 rounds of herceptin. My MO asked if I wanted to stop. I'm not having any bad SE's so I said I'd like to finish the full year. He said ok, but added a full year isn't really necessary. By now the herceptin has either done its job or it isn't working and another couple rounds won't make a difference. So for those of you not completing the full year, you likely got all you need.
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Yeah but I only got 7 rounds of Herceptin before it damaged my heart.
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BlownAway, was that 7 total or 7 after having it alongside chemo?
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Ladies on Tamoxifin... does it cause insomnia??? I'm thinking their must be a 'topic' on the board, so I'll go look there too.
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Count me in the triple positive!! Just went and seen the oncologist today for the first time. I go next week for my port. But my MO wants to speak one more time. He explained everything so well, but when you get home it all goes away. I even have a notebook and didn't write in it. I know I will be doing herceptin and taxol. The way I took it is I will be doing it a year. Only the herceptin?? Any advice ladies??
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JustDiagnosedToday,
You probably won't get more than 12 infusions of Taxol. But, typically, MOs will have HER2+ patients do Herceptin for a year (If your heart can take it). At first, you would get the Herceptin with the Taxol. But, then you'd get the Herceptin alone. I'm currently doing Herceptin every three weeks alone.
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That's what he was saying. But I didn't understand. So it will be taxol once a week and one week of that month will be taxol and herceptin?? He also said 9 weeks versus 12 weeks?? Thank you so much for giving me this information
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When I did Taxol, I did it weekly for twelve weeks with Herceptin. After my surgery, I began Herceptin again alone, once every three weeks. Because your lump was relatively small (1 cm), maybe he's considering nine infusions rather than twelve (?). I'm not sure; my lump was pretty big and I did my chemo before surgery.
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On my path report it says progesterone receptor :positive(strong. 77%). HER2: positive for amplification by FISH. Estrogen receptor: positive (strong, 70%). He was making it seem like my cancer was rare. Because +++ ,small tumor, age. Maybe??
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Oh ok. You did yours before surgery. Plus yours was bigger.
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