Anyone familiar with Herceptin?

shannalanai
shannalanai Member Posts: 22
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
My moom has stage I breast cancer and stage I lung cancer. She is fixing to start chemo. One of my friends is a survivor of stage IV breast cancer. They gave her 6-12 months to live because it was so aggressive. That was 2 years ago and she is in remission now. She said that they gave her Herceptin towards the end of her treatments and it was called the miracle drug. She believes that it is why she is doing so well now. She is suggesting that my mom and I look into it for her. She even said that if they had given her the Herceptin at the beginning of treatments she probably would not have her hair fall out. Anyone know anything about it or been on it?

Comments

  • seof
    seof Member Posts: 819 Member
    #2
    Herceptin is a drug that works with a particular type of cancer cell. The Oncologist should know whether your Mom's cancer is the right type for Herceptin to be effective. It works by preventing the particular type of cell from reproducing out of control. It is sometimes used in conjuction with other drugs, or alone at the end of a treatment regimen. You can go to chemocare.com to look up more information about it, or ask your Mom's Dr. The most common side effect is nausea, but the website will tell you others. As with all drugs, individual patients react differently, and side effects vary for each person.

    I wish you and your Mom well. She is blessed to have a supportive daughter like you.

    seof
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #3
    I use herceptin. They gave it to me during the second set of chemo drugs. It is supposed to be a miracle drug, but only if your cancer is Her2+. Her2+ cancers used to have a bad prognosis. I don't know if herceptin is so good that people actually want to be her2+ now. Herceptin is not actually a chemo and does not make your hair fall out. love to you and your mother, Joyce
  • Bill.S
    Bill.S Member Posts: 177
    #4
    My ca is HER2,neu Positive so I am on Herceptin. I'm going to have 6 mo of chemo + herceptin and another 6 mo of Herceptin alone. Ask your ONC
    Bill.S 56 yr old MAN with breast cancer.

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