Perjeta being offered with only 6 Herceptin treatments left

Lilsuzq

Hi all,

I was diagnosed Stage 1 back in March 2017, did surgery (bmx), chemo (TCH). I finished chemo on 10/5 and I have 6 Herceptin treatments remaining. My onc has offered me Perjeta at this stage in the game. It was just approved for adjuvant therapy back in December. Is there anyone else in this same situation? Should I add it on at this point? Thank you for any insight!

Praying for all,

Sue

stephincanada

Hi Lilsuzq,

Check out the results of the Aphinity trial here: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1703643

The early data in this study indicate that because you are node negative and hormone receptor positive, you would not derive any benefit from Perjeta (but please check this with your doc. I am not a medical professional).

As far as the side effects go, I found that Perjeta caused profound muscle ache and bowel issues. I was happy to be done with it when the data from the Aphinity trial came out last June indicating that I wouldn't derive benefit from this drug.

Good luck with this. I found treatment decisions to be inordinately stressful!

Stephanie

LillyDuff

Me. I just posted this question on another thread in this group. I only have two more Herceptin treatments according to the "old" protocol.

My sixth TCHP infusion was in August, 2017, then continued with Herceptin only since. My last Herceptin infusion is due May 8, 2018. What to do now???? (Go back and redo twelve treatments to make it to the "new" eighteen dose recommendation???)

My MO did not tell me about the Perjeta extension. (Maybe he doesn't know?) I read about it here on BCO just the other day and confirmed on the Genetech website. So what to do? I am willing to add it back with both Herceptin and Perjeta treatments to get to the correct number of treatments. Also, I would think insurance could verify the updated change from Genetech to confirm and then approve the additional treatments. I'm also going to call Genetech this next week before my next appointment with the MO.

I fell through the cracks with this BC diagnosis initially because mammography did not detect the 2.8 cm tumor and numerous satellite lesions. I discovered the lump five months after my "normal" mammogram. Ultrasound and then MRI detected the cancer. I would rather not fall through the cracks again in this case!

Please keep us updated what you find out.

(Would like to add that I had positive axilary nodes at initial biopsy, enlarged intramammary nodes, and one chest wall possible lesion diagnosed with MRI prior to treatments, then had a pCR at the time of surgery-0/4 nodes.) Where does that put me in the scale of continue treatments with Perjeta or not? That will be the topic of my next MO visit.

carmstr835

I have had the Perjeta and Herceptin since September. I completed the TCHP in August, they held the Perjeta during my radiation treatment. 7 weeks later they added back the Perjeta as a loading dose in November. My oncologist was going to stop the Perjeta after January of this year so as to be ready for reconstruction surgery in April, but I did not want to compromise my treatment and have opted to complete the Perjeta before my reconstruction. I already missed 2 cycles and that leaves me only 15 of 17 recommended. I don't know what 6 Perjetas would do to impair the cancer coming back, but it certainly can't hurt. I don't have any side effects at all except the runny nose occasionally and bad nails. Probably the herceptin. Lately my left arm is quite itchy at times, but I can handle it I only have 3 more cycles to complete my HP. Perjeta is very expensive, but is covered by my insurance, and the pharmaceutical company has helped with the deductablesand Copay costs; told me only $5 out of pocket for my last 2., so that saved me over $1000.