Port Removal

Lj061197

Hello,

I began Herception August 24th last year. My oncologist wants me to leave port in till I'm done with Herception. I have 2 questions,

1. Will I be done in July or August?

2. Has anyone had port out before finished?

Thank you

Mommato3

I had my port taken out with about 7 Herceptin treatments left. My PS said I needed it out to do a reduction on my left breast along with my exchange. The port would have been more convenient but I was tired of the TE. I believe you get 52 Herceptin treatments. I believe that should put you into August.

Lj061197

Thank you for the response. Appreciate it. I think I can handle in my arm every 3 weeks.

SpecialK

I received 17 infusions - 6 with chemo and 11 without. There are different schools of thought regarding port removal with Her2+ disease - my MO wanted me to keep it at least two years after finishing infusions, but I actually still have it almost five years later. If you feel ok to have the remaining Herceptin infusions by IV, and your MO concurs, it should be no problem. It is important to wait 4-6 weeks from last chemo so that the port removal incision heals well, but I assume you are past that point now. Good luck!

Tresjoli2

Specialk do you mind if I ask why you decided to keep.yours? I have to make that decision for myself in June.

SpecialK

tres - lol! It I a long story... My port is a subclavian, very tiny, and it was installed during my BMX since we already knew I was Her2+ and would need chemo. It was put in utilizing the breast skin flap so I have no incision where it is and it is quite high - right under the clavicle on the left side so it is seen in any neckline. My cancer was right side. My MO wanted me to keep it for at least two years from last infusion, so that would have put me at Feb of 2014. By then I had already had nine surgeries - most of them on the left side and the PS did not want to disturb anything other than the problem area, which is not all that far from where the port removal incision would be. I was not really wanting to have a visible incision for removal either so I just kept getting flushes and we left it alone. Since then I have had another six surgeries, three of which were back to back in Mar/Apr/May of 2014, same problem area and PS did not want to disturb anything. Interestingly, at my last MO appt in December I let him know that I would have my newly installed TE swapped for an implant in the late spring of this year and he said go ahead and have my new PS remove the port. I have had BCI testing in the meantime to determine whether to continue on anti-hormonals beyond five years (which ends in June of this year) and the result was that I am high risk for recurrence, but will not benefit from continuing on Femara. So, I will check with him again prior to exchange surgery to see if he really wants me to remove the port now that we know this.

DSW1976

What is BCI Testing If you Don't Mind Me asking.? My oncologist fist said I would keep my port a year after herceptin was finished then he said maybe soon it can come out. Every time I see him things are never the same. I'm lost and scared. Sorry.. I just had my last infusion Monday

Diane.

JeninMichigan

I am stage IV so I get Herceptin infusions every three weeks for life. I had my port taken out in 2010 - two years after my initial chemo was complete. I have been getting Herceptin via IV stick to my hand for over six years now with no trouble. In fact, my left hand was "used up" and they moved to my surgical arm with no issue. I personally hated my port. It was uncomfortable. If my cancer comes back and I need to go to something other than Herceptin, then I will get another one in. The infusion is easier with a port and less painful. Sometimes they have to stick my 2-3 times to get a good vein for the IV. I am not ready to go back to a port though.

Jennifer

SpecialK

DSW - it is the Breast Cancer Index test from Biotheranostics (link below), and is a genetic assay that measures effectiveness of continued anti-hormonal therapy after the five-year mark for ER+ patients.

http://www.answersbeyond5.com/when-is-bci-used

DSW1976

Special k thanks .. It's amazing just when you think you have it all figured out and know what you need you dont. This Web site is priceless.

MargaretEleanor

I hated my port. It never worked right and it was uncomfortable. In the beginning, I used obscene adjectives when referring to it; "is this f-ing thing going to work today?", "useless piece of $h!+." Then, I tried embracing it. My family chose a name for it. They named her Violet. Violet was blessed by a Rabbi, a Franciscan Friar, an LDS Bishop, and a Southern Baptist Minister. The d@#€ thing still didn't work right. By the time my last Herceptin rolled around, we, meaning every nurse in infusion, my entire oncology team, and of course, me, were so finished with Violet, I had her evicted from my body exactly two hours and twenty four minutes BEFORE my last Herceptin. That was about five years ago. I think my last words to Violet were, good riddance.