STOPPING Herceptin until after surgery?

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Estepp
Estepp Member Posts: 6,416
edited June 2014 in Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment

Hello all,

I met with my onco again today. I will have my last taxol/herceptin on Nov24th... DONE WITH CHEMO !!! WAHOOOOO...

But, she told me that I will also not have anymore herceptin right now(after the last chemo that is). I will have had 12. She said  I will heal from it all, have surgery in 4-5 weeks after... then 6-whatever weeks later start rads and then back to weekly herceptin during rads, then on my every other three week run with herceptin until finishing the year.

So I will be totally off herceptin for the month of Dec and Jan. She said this was totally normal to let the body regain the health I need for surgery and recovery.

This kinda freaks me out to be off herceptin for this long... so I am asking for my dear sisters of her2, to tell me this is normal...:).. I really adore my onco and the whole breast center staff of doctors. I feel very safe there.. but I sure love the fact we have each other here to bounce things off of!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you!

Laura

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  • henny
    henny Member Posts: 89
    edited November 2008

    Laura, 

    This actually doesn't sound like a bad idea. The herceptin does seem to have a lasting effect so you should be fine being off it for a while. So many of the protocols are arbitrary why 1 year and not 1 year and three weeks?

    Although many say they had no side effects with Herceptin,  and I myself didn't notice that much (especially after chemo) it wasn't until I was off it for a few months that I noticed I had lots more energy, healed faster, and got thicker hair. So I would relax and go with it-I think you may feel better and do well with this program

    Henny 

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  • vhqh
    vhqh Member Posts: 535
    edited November 2008

    I had a mastectomy on Tuesday and got my Herceptin on Friday.  I did have to come off Tamoxifen for the surgury though.

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  • Brenda_R
    Brenda_R Member Posts: 509
    edited November 2008

    My onc had me wait about 6 months or so before my Herceptin.

    I had surgery, then waited 4 weeks to start chemo (A/C) for 12 weeks, then did 7 weeks of rads (with a 2 to 3 week wait between chemo and rads) before I then started Herceptin. 

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  • GramE
    GramE Member Posts: 5,056
    edited November 2008

    My onco said I could do herceptin even the day before surgery.   Oct 30 was my last weekly Taxol and Herceptin, after 4 dose dense A/C.   -- and Nov 20 will be my first of the every 3 weeks of Herceptin I will do until August next year.   Surgery is Dec 6, rads probably the first of the year for 6 weeks unless I qualify for mammosite.   So much helpful info here, thanks for sharing.

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  • cdccpa
    cdccpa Member Posts: 42
    edited November 2008

    Laura,

    Sounds like we are on a very similar plan.  My last of the 12 taxol/herceptin was also supposed to be on 11/24, but I missed a week thanks to bronchitis so my final chemo will now be 12/1.  My onco said basically the exact same thing as yours...surgery about 4 weeks after last chemo, then 4 - 6 week break before rads begin.  I was also told we would start the herceptin weekly during rads and then move to every 3 weeks.  My doc also told me that I would be on herceptin for a full year starting AFTER surgery...so these 12 that I'm doing with chemo don't count for the full year.  Curious if yours said the same?

    Carolyn

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  • Estepp
    Estepp Member Posts: 6,416
    edited November 2008

    NO, mine said these herceptin do count.. and I will have 40 more weeks of herceptin once rads begins. First weekly, then three weeks like you.

    Good Luck to you! This is all closing in around me now... chemo seemed easy.

    God Bless!

    LAura

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  • fightinhrd123
    fightinhrd123 Member Posts: 633
    edited November 2008

    Hang in there Laura, Im a month ahead of you, I just had my surgery last week, they havent even started my herceptin yet, just chemo first and there was no cancer left in my breast or lymph nodes.  Onto radiation and hercepin I go. 

    Laura

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  • coonie
    coonie Member Posts: 7,618
    edited November 2008

    Hi Laura

     I finished up chemo in March and had my surgery 4 weeks later, but I didn't stop Herceptin. I did Herceptin weekly for 6 weeks, then went to every 3 weeks - I'll be done in January. So glad you're finishing up chemo. WAY TO GO!! I remember marking the days off the calendar the closer I got to the end of chemo. I was diagnosed a year ago tomorrow. This Thanksgiving is going to be so much better than last :) Best of luck to you!!!

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited November 2008

    They will have do redo the loading dose when you go back on the Herceptin Laura.

    I had my last of 12 weekly Taxol/Herceptin on 5/8, surgery on 5/29, and the first of the every-3-week Herceptins on 5/22. Never stopped Herceptin. Rads started on 7/14.

    If you trust her, then that's what matters. Since you will continue, it shouldn't make a big difference.

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  • lafera12
    lafera12 Member Posts: 71
    edited November 2008

    I had my last Taxol/Herceptin on Aug.6th--mast on Sept. 10th and started radiation and Herceptin of Oct. 22nd.--every three weeks, I guess it was about 6 weeks after my surgery .

    Angie

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  • Estepp
    Estepp Member Posts: 6,416
    edited November 2008

    Thank you so much everyone for your input! It is so weird how they do us all so different!

    At least, weird to me!

    Gods Love,

    Laura

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  • fightinhrd123
    fightinhrd123 Member Posts: 633
    edited November 2008

    Hey Laura

    Was wondering how you were doing?  Are you done with chemo now?  Will they do an MRI?  I had one 10 days after my last chemo.  Do you have a surgery date yet?  I am still recovering from my surgery November 5th, I'm actually moving my arm pretty well finally!!!  I start hercepin next week and rads december 15th.  I have been thinking of you since we have the almost the same diagnosis!!  Praying for a clean pathology report for you too :)

    Take care,

    Laura

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