Is it possible to go back to Herceptin only after a progression?

Rogers525

I've been lurking since 2015 on behalf of my partner and we're at a spot where reading the experiences here seem to differ from her MO's treatment plan.

After her initial de novo stage IV dx with mets to liver and bone, she was on weekly Taxol and every 3rd week Herceptin and Perjeta for one year when she got to NEAD. She then received H&P only for 3 months when her scan showed new, multiple but small lesions on her liver (no symptoms, all blood work still normal). She's restarted the Taxol and we fully expect it to work well again. Her overall health is excellent and she feels great on a daily basis so the progression was a big shock, even to her MO.

My question is--can she ever be off the Taxol and go back to H&P only? From reading these boards, it seems women do go on and off chemo as needed over the years but her MO has said it's too risky to ever get off chemo and he wants her on chemo indefinitely.

We'll certainly be pursuing a second opinion once her next rounds of scans gives us more information about how the treatment is working again but for now, we'd both like to know whether it's true that she'll need indefinite chemo or if we'll ever be able to enjoy that sweet spot of H&P only for a bit longer. I appreciate all the knowledge, hope, and information you all share. It's certainly helped us through this last year and I would love any input, whether it's your own experience or any research based evidence on the protocol.