What chemo treatments are you on with Herceptin?

I'm having Taxotere & Carboplatin with the Herceptin as well.  I, too, have seen some people here taking Cytoxin instead of the Carboplatin, but I believe the Carboplatin is more common.

Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin.  

I did TCH x6.  It was doable.  The weeks that I received the full TCH and not just Herceptin led to long tiring weekends.  Will share more info if you wish.  Let me know.

same as above Taxotere, Carboplatin, Herceptin

I did the taxatere, herceptrine  and carboplatin for about 6 months every 3 weeks.  Now I am just on the herceptrine every 3 weeks and a bone thing (I have to look up the name sorry)  every 6 weeks... . But so far so good. Last CT scan 3 days ago looked good nothing noticeable. YEAH!!!!

Emster: Yes, 6 cycles of TCH. Like Bluedasher, the effects were cumulative. I became anemic and did not want any drugs or blood transfusions. I finished on July 30, 2008 and went back to work (high school teacher) the next week. My butt was dragging on the ground for a few weeks, but my blood counts were back to normal in a few months.



I took 4 days off each chemo week (Chemo on Tuesday - back to work on Monday.) Felt a little off the second week, then just fine during Week 3. Of course, I was off work during June and July, which was a good thing. I exercised and traveled during chemo - hopefully, you'll also have minimal side effects.

Taxol/Herceptin weekly x 12, and now H alone weekly to finish the year. It was my choice to keep getting it weekly rather than every 3. Stage 2a, node neg. Not part of a trial. Other than the hair loss, no SE worth mentioning.

DD A/Cx4 then DD taxol & herceptin x4,

I had ACx4 every two weeks, although due to low blood counts and a port problem I had 3 weeks b/w 2 of those treatments. Just finished the first of 12 weekly Taxol/Herceptin and will then continue with just Herceptin every 3 weeks until late spring early summer. Then on to radiation for my lymph nodes.

I will be having a transfusion this saturday due to low RBC. Onc says it is probably due to my 4 surgeries and the count has not improved over the last few months. He said I will feel like a new woman after the transfusion. My butt has been dragging for a long time.... 

A/C every 2 weeks x 4 then Taxotere every 3 weeks x 4.  I started Herceptin when I started the Taxotere, but have been getting it every week.  I just finished my 4th and final Taxotere treatment last Thursday, and at some point will go to every 3 weeks for Herceptin for the remainder of the year on it.  My onc hasn't told me when I will go to every 3 weeks yet. 

LizzyAnne:  I had to get a blood transfusion once during my A/C treatments.  My red cells were at 8, and I have never felt more tired in my life.  They gave me Benedry during the transfusion, so I slept almost the whole time and went to bed when I got home.  But when I woke up the next day I really did feel like a new woman.  The difference really does happen that fast.  I hope you feel better soon!

Emster,

I was also hormone negative, HER2+, and no nodes with bilateral BC; 1.8 cm IDC on the left and DCIS on the right side.  I had Taxotere and Cytoxin, for 4 cycles every three weeks and Herceptin for the year.

I was very surprised and upset to read that this course of treatment is in Phase II testing to determine 1. what the DFS (disease free survival) is at 2 years and 2. what the overall safety and cardiac safety is and determine the the overall survival at 2 years.  

The researcher is quoted: "This is a nice little schedule, Dr. Jones said. After 12 weeks, the patient is done with chemotherapy.  He added that to his knowledge, oncologists are already using the regimen-This gives it justification, he said.

Jennifer Eng-Wong, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of the Division of Hematology and Oncology at Georgetown University Hospital, commented, The regimen looks safe.  Now we'll have to wait and see efficacy data." 

http://journals.lww.com/oncology-times/Fulltext/2009/02251/Short_Course_of_Docetaxel_Cyclophosphamide__.10.aspx

For the research study see: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00493649

If this research goes well, probably is a few years they will run a Phase III trial to measure the effectiveness against the known effectiveness of AC+TH and TCH, to see if Taxotere, Cytoxan, and Herceptin are as good and has fewer side effects.  

I wasn't in the trial or informed that it was in Phase II testing.  As a patient with high risk node negative disease, not elderly, no personal or family history of heart disease, no other medical problems, and willing and eager to pursue aggressive treatment, I have lost trust in my oncologist. 

So to answer your question, yes Taxotere, Cytoxan, and Herceptin are being used, but no we don't know if it reduces the rate of recurrence as well as the standard regimes; AC+TH or TCH.

Boo

Boo

I am confused here, Did you not have TCH? Or are you saying because it was only 4 cycles it was not proven?

From my understanding  TCH can be Taxol or Taxotere, Carpbo, or Cytoxin and Herceptin. 

Boo -

I am sorry for the doubts your treatment has left you with.  My onc wanted to give me the regimen you had, and I was just lucky that I caught the difference between the TCHs we were each referring to and insisted on TCH carbo x6.  One thing I have had doubts about since then, that could possibly ease your doubts is to ask him why he recommended TCH - cytoxin x 4.  There must be a rationale that so many oncs give this regimen.  Although not demonstrated equivalent in a study - perhaps there is substancial other information that strongly suggests this is a better approach.  I never asked my onc.  He is not a great communicator and doesn't deal with confrontation well (but very good in some other respects) , so I never will ask him.  But your onc probably has a rationale for the treatment (hopefully other than "thats what others give"), that may make sense.