Herception

Muschi

I just talked today to my onco and he told me that I can take herception for years if I want to. Is anybody taking herception more than one year and how is she/he doing? I am confused now because I thought that a year having the herception would be for a protection. How do I decide how long I will stay on it? According to him it is up to me.
Please somebody give me some advice and help.....I am sooooooo confused!

Melaniedoingwell

Herceptin
My understanding about Herceptin was you take it for a full year of treatment (I was Taxotere, Carboplatin & Herceptin) and that was the full amount of it. You might want to go to herceptin.com and there you can find out more about it. They will even send you a kit that has information about Herceptin treatment - free.

I wouldn't think you would take Herceptin indefinitely as it does cause damage to the heart. This is recoverable, but for a lifetime??

Now I WAS told at Moffitt Cancer Hospital that I would take Arimidex (or one of several other drugs) for at least 5 years and that new studies indicate that it would be wise to take them for the rest of your life. Arimidex, by the way costs $200 a month and above except at Costco where it is $20.79 a month. You do NOT have to be a Costco member to use their pharmacy.

Good research, girl, and good luck. I finish my Herceptin at the end of March. WOO-HOO!

Muschi

Melaniedoingwell said:

Herceptin
My understanding about Herceptin was you take it for a full year of treatment (I was Taxotere, Carboplatin & Herceptin) and that was the full amount of it. You might want to go to herceptin.com and there you can find out more about it. They will even send you a kit that has information about Herceptin treatment - free.

I wouldn't think you would take Herceptin indefinitely as it does cause damage to the heart. This is recoverable, but for a lifetime??

Now I WAS told at Moffitt Cancer Hospital that I would take Arimidex (or one of several other drugs) for at least 5 years and that new studies indicate that it would be wise to take them for the rest of your life. Arimidex, by the way costs $200 a month and above except at Costco where it is $20.79 a month. You do NOT have to be a Costco member to use their pharmacy.

Good research, girl, and good luck. I finish my Herceptin at the end of March. WOO-HOO!

Herceptin
Thanks for your reply, I also thought that only herception was for breast cancer HER2. It is amazing what I have learned in that short time since I am reading all the good advices on this CSN site.
I will check out herception.com
Thanks again!

Phoenix chick

Hi Muschi,
I'm from Oz. I'm eligable for free Herceptin treatment. This is indeed the lucky country. My doc advised me to take herceptin for a whole year, every 3 weeks. After 5 doses, I developed heart failure( detected via regular gated heart pool scans). This really worried me... both heart failure and exposure to the risk that my cancer could return. I was advised to wait a few months, take heart meds, then return to Herceptin again. She also comforted me with advice that there was a study in Finland which indicated that Herceptin could be effective, if taken with Taxol at the same time after 5 rounds. Apparently there is still debate about exactly how many rounds are necessary. Anyway, I'm now taking heart tablets ( ace inhibitor and a beta blocker) and I'm coping much better with treatmens. I've got energy. I'm not breathless. I'm back to swimming laps at the poolwithout worrying. I've only got a few more to go... due to finish in time for Easter.
Hercptin can be a really nasty drug.... so be careful! Having said all that I fel so fortunate that we are lucky to have targetted therapies to help with HER2 + cancers.
Cheers adn best wishes.

Muschi

Melaniedoingwell said:

Herceptin
My understanding about Herceptin was you take it for a full year of treatment (I was Taxotere, Carboplatin & Herceptin) and that was the full amount of it. You might want to go to herceptin.com and there you can find out more about it. They will even send you a kit that has information about Herceptin treatment - free.

I wouldn't think you would take Herceptin indefinitely as it does cause damage to the heart. This is recoverable, but for a lifetime??

Now I WAS told at Moffitt Cancer Hospital that I would take Arimidex (or one of several other drugs) for at least 5 years and that new studies indicate that it would be wise to take them for the rest of your life. Arimidex, by the way costs $200 a month and above except at Costco where it is $20.79 a month. You do NOT have to be a Costco member to use their pharmacy.

Good research, girl, and good luck. I finish my Herceptin at the end of March. WOO-HOO!

Herceptin for how long?
I asked my onco and he told me since I have breastcancer stage 4 I have to have more than just one year the herceptin. He had a patient who took it for 7 years and she is fine. I am scared to quit too early and the cancer is coming back. Anybody have an answere?

camul

I have Herceptin
every week along with Navalbene. I wonder why if it causes heart damage. I have already had one echo to check it, but it sounds like everyone is getting in every 3 weeks. I am going to have to ask why?

I don't know about longer than a year, so far I have only been on each of the chemo's for 3-4 months weekly now, and the rest were 3x a month and the bone shot on the 4th week.

I will have to ask some questions on Wednesday.

Carol

stayingstrongfortoday

herceptin
I have been on and off of it for 3 years. There is a new drug which is a super herceptin. It can be found in St. Louis but I am still doing Herceptin and it works for me. I also take taxol and this pill Tykerkp...spelling.

Muschi

stayingstrongfortoday said:

herceptin
I have been on and off of it for 3 years. There is a new drug which is a super herceptin. It can be found in St. Louis but I am still doing Herceptin and it works for me. I also take taxol and this pill Tykerkp...spelling.

Herceptin
My Dr said something about a pill to take after I am finished with this treatment or if I the cancer is comimg back. If the pill is better than Herceptin why not take them right away. Sometimes I am puzzled also. How long are you on Herceptin if I may ask?

Fitzpatrick

Herceptin
Several months ago, I had a question regarding Herceptin that my oncologist could not answer. I wrote to the Dr. Dennis Slamon,the inventor of Herceptin, at UCLA. He wrote me back with a response. Go into UCLA's website, look for his e-mail address & write to him.

Muschi

Fitzpatrick said:

Herceptin
Several months ago, I had a question regarding Herceptin that my oncologist could not answer. I wrote to the Dr. Dennis Slamon,the inventor of Herceptin, at UCLA. He wrote me back with a response. Go into UCLA's website, look for his e-mail address & write to him.

Herceptin
Please let me know what he answered, you can write me in my e-mail
Muschi9@comcast.net
I am not good in calling, because I have a hard time to express myself oraly. Please, please understand!!!!!!
Thanks

Fitzpatrick

Muschi said:

Herceptin
Please let me know what he answered, you can write me in my e-mail
Muschi9@comcast.net
I am not good in calling, because I have a hard time to express myself oraly. Please, please understand!!!!!!
Thanks

Herceptin
I just wrote to you through your regular e-mail address.

Muschi

Fitzpatrick said:

Herceptin
I just wrote to you through your regular e-mail address.

Herceptin
thank you and I did reply to your e-mail. I did write also an e-mail to the Dr. hope I get an answere to my question.

jnl

Melaniedoingwell said:

Herceptin
My understanding about Herceptin was you take it for a full year of treatment (I was Taxotere, Carboplatin & Herceptin) and that was the full amount of it. You might want to go to herceptin.com and there you can find out more about it. They will even send you a kit that has information about Herceptin treatment - free.

I wouldn't think you would take Herceptin indefinitely as it does cause damage to the heart. This is recoverable, but for a lifetime??

Now I WAS told at Moffitt Cancer Hospital that I would take Arimidex (or one of several other drugs) for at least 5 years and that new studies indicate that it would be wise to take them for the rest of your life. Arimidex, by the way costs $200 a month and above except at Costco where it is $20.79 a month. You do NOT have to be a Costco member to use their pharmacy.

Good research, girl, and good luck. I finish my Herceptin at the end of March. WOO-HOO!

I thought you only took
I thought you only took herceptin for one year. I didn't know you took it longer than that.


Hugs, Leeza

Muschi

jnl said:

I thought you only took
I thought you only took herceptin for one year. I didn't know you took it longer than that.


Hugs, Leeza

only 6 month now
I am having herceptin now for 6 month for every 3 weeks but I have to have herceptin more than a year I was told. I guess for protection so the cancer won't come back.
Ilona