Help regarding chosing between Herceptin and Tamoxifen

nitas

Hi Everyone,

I'm new here. I am finished my first 4 chemo and now due for 5 th one, My Onco advised me to go with Herceptin in combo with Docetaxel as mine is a triple positive case. But I am worried about the side effects and the length of the treatment (54 weeks).I would like to know is there anyone around here who completed treatment with Herception? And also I would like to know what will be the quality of life after treatment? 

Thanks

The1toC

Nitas I had Herceptin every 3rd week for a year. For the first 6infusions was with docetaxol and carboplatin which are both nasty slash and burn type of chemotgherpay. Herceptin is so worth it. It is a different type of drug. It would jot be given instead of tamoxifen since they are such different drugs. It is like an antibody (like what your body does naturally when trying to fight off a flu) side effects are feeling a hit flu-y starting 24 hours after and lasts a day or two. There is a risk of heart failure nut they monitor you. I started exercising at my 2nd chemo doing Livestrong And my heart function sctually improvrd on Herceptin! Personally I believe that the Herceptin is the most effective.of anything. I believe that I wouldn't be here today if not for Herceptin. There is a good movie about it called Living Proof.

After the year of herceptin reatment QoL is great!

chrissyb

Hi Nitas, I'm not triple positive but I do know a lot of women who have used Herceptin.  Before Herceptin triple positive BC women didn't have a good prognosis as Her2+ is very aggressive.  When Herceptin was introduced it became the 'magic bullet' for Her2+ giving them a far better prognosis for a longer life.

Yes, like all the drugs we take, there are SE that need to be dealt with and if the heart one is the SE that is worrying you most let me put your mind at rest, while you are taking Herceptin you are monitored regularly for any heart problems and if they are found then the Herceptin will be stopped.

Tamoxifen is a totally different drug and is used as a preventative for the return of BC.  This is given to all women who have not yet reached menopause and works by attaching itself to the BC cell and prevents it from feeding on the estrogen and eventually killing the cancer cell by starving it. 

For triple positive the treatment that has been recommended for you is standard of care and has proven very effective over the years.

I know all of this is very confusing and it's good that you are asking questions............information is power and that power is the power to know what your treatment is meant to do and why and the ability to discuss with your onc your fears of the SE and why the drugs are being recommended for you.

I wish you well and I hope this has given you a little more insight as to why these drugs are being recommended.

Love n hugs.   Chrissy

Oncearunneralwaysarunner

Hi  nitas,

I'm triple positive also and I had the FEC-D chemo regimen and started Herceptin with my second docetaxel treatment. I only have four more Herceptin treatments to do. I know that having a treatment every three weeks for over a year seems like a lot but my quality of life is not greatly impacted. As I'm sure you know, we are all different when it comes to side effects but I want to share my experiences for your information.

The largest side effect that I have from Herceptin is a runny nose. It's not stuffy like when you have a cold but rather just starts to run at random times. I just keep tissues around. I too also feel like I'm coming down with the flu for about a day after my treatment. This symptom is very mild though.

I have a MUGA scan or echocardiogram every 3-4 months to check my heart's function and the nurses always ask if I have any new heart related issues/symptoms before my treatment. So far no problems. 

Melrosemelrose

I finished my year of Herceptin March 2013 that I received via a clinical trial.  Yes, there is an ongoing clinical trial to see if the Herceptin should be given to those who are HER2 +1 and HER2 +2 which are considered negative for standard Herceptin protocal.  I was given an inch thick reading material about the clinical trial and Herceptin before I signed off to volunteer for the trial.   Before I was randomized in the study, I didn't know whether I would receive the Herceptin or not.  However, after reading all of the material and asking the research coordinator questions I had about Herceptin, I began to understand what Herceptin does and how one's body can react to it.    I am also taking Tamoxifen and in September will have completed my 2nd year.  If you wonder if I would do it again ( take the Herceptin and do the Tamoxifen), the answer is yes.  

I was monitored with quarterly echocardiograms while on the Herceptin and fortunately, did not have any side effects  ( not heart issues) from the Herceptin infusions. I never noticed any side effects ( ie aches/pains, feeling not so good) while being on the Herceptin.  I always had the Herceptin run slow and asked for it to run over an hour.    As for the Tamoxifen, yes, I have do have side effects from the drug ( hot flashes, leg/foot cramps.  Again, I gladly take that daily dose of Tamoxifen because despite the side effects, it is one powerful little pill that help me.  I take it for me, my family, for my friends and in honor of those triple negative people who would do anything to have one more drug/treatment in their bc arsenal.  

I know that when someone says one year of treatment, it just sounds so very long.  The reality is a year goes by very quickly.  Those 3 week intervals have a way of going by quickly.  As for how I feel now, I feel just fine.  I have no real complaints and have accepted that my body does what it does when it comes to the Tamoxifen side effects.  I know I want to keep moving forward and have wanted to do that from the moment I got diagnosed.  As I have told my family and friends, I just don't want to miss a day of my life.  Wishing the best.

Quasi

I am also triple positive and started herceptin with taxotere 100mg/m2 which is the highest taxotere dose in any of the protocols I came across, I won't lie taxotere was difficult for me and still is I was dine on may15 but continue with my herceptin, I don't have anything negative to say about it except the heart issues, it did cause my ejection fraction to drop from 67 to 55 wit just 6 doses but I am not "feeling" any other side effects, you can get your herceptin and go out to lunch or go shopping or travel, quality of life is as close to normal as can be and if it works then it does keep your cancer in check. I am scheduled for my 7th herceptin in 4 days.