Neo-Adjuvant

Stunned_at_33

Had my ONCO follow up on Tuesday to review test results & finalize a plan of action. All test were normal... meaning no additional cancer outside of the breast tumor & affected lymph node that we were already aware of. Doc suggest doing Neo-adjuvant therapy (consisting of taxotere, perjeta, & herceptin) followed by surgery (likely BMX). The perjeta & herceptin to continue for a full year.

Has anyone had similar treatment? How did/do you feel about it?

I appreciate any feedback.

art133

Hey my mom also had neoadjuvant before the surgery. The benefit is you can see whether the cancer responds well or not to the chemo. And some type of breast cancer must be treated with neo adjuvant first. Good luck for your treatment.

SpecialK

stunned - the addition of Perjeta to the mix is very recently approved for early stage breast cancer, so I don't think you will find a lot of feedback from those who have had this regimen yet.  Perjeta has been approved for neoadjuvent use just since September of 2013, so those getting it for a year combined with their Herceptin have not completed their treatment.  There are many of us who have had the TCH (Taxotere/Carboplatin/Herceptin) combination though - and a few who post on the TCH thread are currently receiving Perjeta.  I will link the thread below - post and ask there and you may get some first hand comments.  Wishing you luck!

http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topic/578284?page=573#idx_17182

Oncearunneralwaysarunner

Hi Stunned. I was diagnosed in June 2013 (I'm 31) and I had three small tumours close together and lymph node involvement. The lymph node looked suspicious during my ultrasound and was biopsied too. We don't know how many lymph nodes where involved as I did chemo before surgery. They tested the biopsy samples for the receptors and I'm triple positive.

I did three rounds of FEC and three rounds of taxotere and started Herceptin with my second taxotere treatment. No Perjeta for me, I'm not even sure if it is approved for use in Canada yet in my situation. What I found really helpful with neo-adjuvant chemo was that I could feel my tumour shrink with every treatment. I could feel my tumour before my first Herceptin treatment. I went for an MRI five days (in preparation for surgery) later and they could not see any evidence of cancer. When I had surgery (lumpectomy) the tissue they took out came back from pathology with a complete pathological response, meaning that they could not find any evidence of cancer in what was taken out. Knowing that chemo was working was helpful for me to deal with the side effects, I knew I was going through the side effects with results.

I know that everyone responds differently to treatment but wanted to share my experience with neo-adjuvant chemo.

Stunned_at_33

Thank you ladies for you insight.  

Oncearunner... - thanks you for your post.  It gives me hope to think that I may be able to actually feel the tumor shrinking... Or at least the one under my arm in my lymph node.  I too can feel it pretty well and it seems to push on everything in that area. Can't wait for that to stop.    Very excited to just get started!

Port's in place & starting Chemo on Thursday. 

Thank you again ladies for you thoughts & support.

God bless!

Kjones13

I know that I am stage 4 so that is different but I started with taxol/herceptin/perjeta in October 2012. After finishing the 18 weeks of taxol I had scans and it showed the 12cm tumor had a complete resolve! I have continued on h/p and will be on it...forever or until it stops working but so far it has kept my liver and spine stable. Good luck to you!

GeriBastian

Hi Stunned, 

 I had the exact same plan of action of Taxotere, Perjeta & Herceptin for 6 treatments every 3 weeks and then mastectomy. I have a couple cancer spot that come up to 5cm in left breast and had a biopsy on my nodes showing positive for cancer. I had my first chemo on Feb 13th, I was ok until the 2nd day and then I feel hard til the 7th day and now I'm much better. I did get a call from my OC nurse telling me that they was going to add carboplatin to the mix, I felt crappy the day she called and didn't ask any questions about why. . .argh so now I will just wait til I see her on the 6th for my next treatment. 

You ask how I anyone felt about it, well I feel confident in my OC and her decisions, I do feel the lump getting smaller so I know this is all worth it.

Hope your doing well

Geri

annika12

geri, call your nurse back with questions !! Mine always said don't wait call! I would write then down , sometimes I would call leave the question with the desk person and she would ask and then call me back !! Hang in there.....soon chemo will be over and you can move on

lakegenevagirl

Hey!

I was also diagnosed with IDC: Stage II, and am young like you (I am actually only 25).  I opted for neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (Taxotere-Cytoxan), and am glad I made that choice.  Even though the scans showed no involvement outside the breast, I still liked the idea of treating systemically first (as opposed to locally w/ surgery).  Moreover, I was able to feel my tumor shrinking (so I knew the chemo was working).  

When I was diagnosed it was around 3 cm.  Now, after five rounds of TC the tumor is basically gone. According to the ultrasound I had yesterday, there are just calcifications left behind where the mass was and a small dark spot only a few millimeters in diameter. 

Even though it's very small now I, like you, am planning a BMX for mid-April. 

Good luck!

Jacey

www.ThatTimeIHadCancer.com

TennisGirl2

Hi, I am on neoadjuvant chemo #4 with carboplatin, Taxotere, Herceptin and Perjeta. 2 to go! I have IDC, stage IIIa, triple positive. I am 45. I had one positive node from biopsy but I don't how many more are involved. I can't feel them. The tumor shrank over time and at my last appointment my doctor thought the tumor was gone however I haven't had any scans. Planning for BMX end of May.

The plan is to continue with Herceptin only for a year. The Perjeta has some unpleasant side effects so if I have a complete response to chemo I will be happy to not deal with Perjeta for a year. 

Right now I feel lucky to be receiving this treatment, especially the Perjeta that was just approved 10/2013. I think this treatment is the best available right now for newly diagnosed HER-2+ and I am hoping to have a full recovery. That being said, this is not easy and I am not looking forward to the next two treatments.

Good luck with your treatment,

Julie

Sunshine36

I was diagnosed stage 2a IDC on 3/25 and my treatment is the same (taxotere Carboplatin herceptin and perjeta) neo-adjuvant.  In fact my 1st round of chemo (5 more to go!) was yesterday. My BMX will be 3-4 wks after last chemo (fingers crossed no complications).

Hugs to all

Xoxo

Jen 

tlj030

I received the same treatment and my tumor was 5cm x 10cm. I finished my chemo in May. My Pet Scan showed complete response to chemo. I will be having a unilateral mastectomy with all lymph nodes removed on my right  side July 9. All the side effects from chemo, and mine were severe, we worth the outcome. Radiation in about 6 weeks. Hang in there!!