Herceptin

zahalene
zahalene Member Posts: 670
in Breast Cancer #1

Hello everyone.

I am an 'oldie' here who had been in remission for several years.

However, my cancer has returned in my bones.

I will begin a series of Herceptin treatments soon.

I have not taken this drug before and would very much

appreciate comments from those who have and can

tell me a bit about the side effects, etc.

Thanks, and God bless.

Comments

  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #2
    Sorry to hear your news

    Hi,

     Sorry to hear about bone progression.Youhave been always supportive of others giving everyone hope and inspiration. I hope your treatment will be successul with minimal side effects.

    Good lucki

  • button2
    button2 Member Posts: 421
    #3
    I took it with no probs

    I was on Herceptin for a year and a half. I don't remember many problems on this drug except having fingernails that would split. It was annoying but a very small price to pay. I think I was so grateful to be finished with Taxotere that the Herceptin seemed so easy. One thing you have to be careful of is heart problems. They give you regular Muga scans. I had some difficulty with a heart valve, but not serious enough to stop treatment. It has now fixed itself (I've been off the Herceptin for a year now) Target therapies are usually easier than chemo since they target the cancer cells and not just all new formed cells, I believe. I'm sorry you got bone mets, but I think Herceptin will help you - good luck!

  • zahalene
    zahalene Member Posts: 670
    #4
    button2 said:

    I took it with no probs

    I was on Herceptin for a year and a half. I don't remember many problems on this drug except having fingernails that would split. It was annoying but a very small price to pay. I think I was so grateful to be finished with Taxotere that the Herceptin seemed so easy. One thing you have to be careful of is heart problems. They give you regular Muga scans. I had some difficulty with a heart valve, but not serious enough to stop treatment. It has now fixed itself (I've been off the Herceptin for a year now) Target therapies are usually easier than chemo since they target the cancer cells and not just all new formed cells, I believe. I'm sorry you got bone mets, but I think Herceptin will help you - good luck!

    Thank you, button2!

    That is so encouraging.

    I had lots of chemo with my two breast cancers in 1986 and 1988

    and now, at age 66 I really don't know if I could endure again what

    I did then.

    As far as I know my heart is in good shape but I am glad to know

    they will keep a close eye on it during the Herceptin treatments.

    Thank you also for the good wishes.

    My best to you as well.

  • zahalene
    zahalene Member Posts: 670
    #5
    New Flower said:

    Sorry to hear your news

    Hi,

     Sorry to hear about bone progression.Youhave been always supportive of others giving everyone hope and inspiration. I hope your treatment will be successul with minimal side effects.

    Good lucki

    Thank you, New Flower.

    I haven't been around csn in a few years and did not know if

    anyone would remember me.

    It's good to see some of my old crowd again.

    Take care and best wishes.

  • CypressCynthia
    CypressCynthia Member Posts: 4,014 Member
    #6
    I have been on herceptin

    I have been on herceptin since about May 2013.  I have noticed no side effects.  A MUGA (heart scan) is done every 3 months because herceptin can cause a reversible left-sided heart failure.  My onc says this is treated with a herceptin vacation and then you get back right on it. 

    Recently, for the first time, my MUGA functioning dropped to 47%.  I am on hold now, but I have other things going on that may have contributed more to the heart than just herceptin.  I have a new mass on my pancreas and a small liver recurrence. 

    Herceptin helped knock me into remission fast - from "231 liver lesions" to none just 3 months after starting treatment. 

    I was also put on perjeta, which is a lot like herceptin.  Unfortunately, I am the rare person to react to it (allergic-like).  I was still able to take it ok with the help of steroids, ativan and antihistamines.

    Good luck!

  • camul
    camul Member Posts: 2,537
    #7
    i was on Herceptin for 17 months.

    I was only taken off because I was herceptin undetermined. When insurance realized it was undetermined, they refused to pay! So... I can only say good things about it. I too have mets to most all my bones. It was only after starting Herceptin that the cancer slowed all the way down and my liver lesions disappeared. Tried to get the ins to continue as I was doing well, however, without a positive dx they wouldn't. The lesions in liver were gone, and the bone biopsy is what showed undetermined so there was no where else then to get a biopsy that could show positive.

  • zahalene
    zahalene Member Posts: 670
    #8
    CypressCynthia said:

    I have been on herceptin

    I have been on herceptin since about May 2013.  I have noticed no side effects.  A MUGA (heart scan) is done every 3 months because herceptin can cause a reversible left-sided heart failure.  My onc says this is treated with a herceptin vacation and then you get back right on it. 

    Recently, for the first time, my MUGA functioning dropped to 47%.  I am on hold now, but I have other things going on that may have contributed more to the heart than just herceptin.  I have a new mass on my pancreas and a small liver recurrence. 

    Herceptin helped knock me into remission fast - from "231 liver lesions" to none just 3 months after starting treatment. 

    I was also put on perjeta, which is a lot like herceptin.  Unfortunately, I am the rare person to react to it (allergic-like).  I was still able to take it ok with the help of steroids, ativan and antihistamines.

    Good luck!

    Thanks, CC

    As I stated in another post in this thread, I had tons of chemo years ago

    and am a bit nervous about this because chemo did such a number on me.

    You guys are really making me feel so much better.

    It is so good to know that Herceptin was so successful for you.  I have a

    number of bone lesions and hopefully it will blow them out of the water

    as well. 

    Good luck and God bless.

  • zahalene
    zahalene Member Posts: 670
    #9
    camul said:

    i was on Herceptin for 17 months.

    I was only taken off because I was herceptin undetermined. When insurance realized it was undetermined, they refused to pay! So... I can only say good things about it. I too have mets to most all my bones. It was only after starting Herceptin that the cancer slowed all the way down and my liver lesions disappeared. Tried to get the ins to continue as I was doing well, however, without a positive dx they wouldn't. The lesions in liver were gone, and the bone biopsy is what showed undetermined so there was no where else then to get a biopsy that could show positive.

    camul, thanks for your reply.

    Sorry about your insurance issues.  I am on Medicare and hoping for

    the best.

    Great to know Herceptin helped you so much.  I wish you continued

    success. 

  • Christmas Girl
    Christmas Girl Member Posts: 3,682 Member
    #10
    Dear zah...

    I'm not here nearly as often as I once was; but, still visit regularly.

    Am so very sorry to learn of your bone mets, old friend. :-(

    Have no personal experience with Herceptin. Though I've learned much about it via others.

    Hoping it will be 'gentle' for you - most importantly, that it will be of maximum effectiveness.

    With best wishes, and...

    Kind regards, Susan

  • zahalene
    zahalene Member Posts: 670
    #11
    Christmas Girl said:

    Dear zah...

    I'm not here nearly as often as I once was; but, still visit regularly.

    Am so very sorry to learn of your bone mets, old friend. :-(

    Have no personal experience with Herceptin. Though I've learned much about it via others.

    Hoping it will be 'gentle' for you - most importantly, that it will be of maximum effectiveness.

    With best wishes, and...

    Kind regards, Susan

    Thank you Susan

    I was not thrilled to be dx again either, but so thankful for the 13 years I was NED. 

    And really thankful for all the support I have gotten here again in the last month.

    Good to see 'old' friends and make new ones.

    Best of luck to you Susan.

    Zah

  • confused123
    confused123 Member Posts: 251
    #12
    I am also an oldie here and

    I am also an oldie here and check in once in a while.  Sorry to hear about your reoccurence.  I was on Herceptin in 2009 and had no side effects.  I had to heve my heart checked( I think with echocardiogram, it was like an ultrasound) every three months to make sure that my heart was doing ok on it.

  • zahalene
    zahalene Member Posts: 670
    #13
    confused123 said:

    I am also an oldie here and

    I am also an oldie here and check in once in a while.  Sorry to hear about your reoccurence.  I was on Herceptin in 2009 and had no side effects.  I had to heve my heart checked( I think with echocardiogram, it was like an ultrasound) every three months to make sure that my heart was doing ok on it.

    That is so good to hear.

    I get a port on Oct 7 and start Herceptin on Oct 15.

    I am also diabetic now and just can't imagine how I could handle all the nausea, etc that I had with chemo years ago.

    So am hoping to 'sail through' this.

    Thanks for your support.

    Zah

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