Informal Poll - Where were you treated and what was your chemo?

I'm on the Northern Plains and was outsourced by VA to the local Cancer Care Center that is attached to our local hospital. I don't know of any other Centers closer than 300+ miles away. This was in 2009.



I had 4 A/C 2 weeks apart followed 2 weeks ater by a Mod. Rad. Mast.. 3 weeks after surgery started 12 weekly Taxol and a week after last one started 25 rads. Have been on Femara for a bit over 2 yrs.

I got FEC100 x 4 and Taxol weekly x 12 + Tykerb one year (ALTTO trial). FEC seems to be the European and Canadian preference instead of A/C. I asked my onc about it and he said that Epirubicin (the "E" in FEC) is less hard on  the heart than the "A" in A/C, and that this was especially a consideration for HER2+, women because Herceptin is also hard on the heart. I also read somewhere that Epirubicin is more expensive than the "A" in A/C, but I don't really know if  that is true. I figure there must be other factors to consider, since it seems most Americans use A/C instead of FEC.

I have understood that FEC100 is a kind of "dose dense" type of treatment. HER2+ women get FEC100 x 4 plus a taxane with Herceptin, while HER2- women get FEC60 x 6. The difference is the amount of Epirubicin- 100 mg/m² compared to 60 mg/mmg/m² each time. But the total amount is nearly the same.

I do think that in the end it doesn't matter much which we got. They are always trying to find something a little bit better, but the differences are small.

Edited to say that I got treatment in Norway.

GeorgiaRal, my head is spinning too!  

Now I'm worried that I might have been better off with DD ac x 4 & DD T x 4, as opposed to the TAC x 8 every three weeks that I'm doing...  now that I'm on the 5th of 8, I guess there's no changing it.

the clinical trial i was in back in 2002 was this:  one arm:  TAC x 6 every three weeks OR AC-T

i got the TAC

there are studies comparing the results.  it was BIRG clincial trial but i can't remember if it was BIRG 5 or BIRG 6.  i think both showed good promise for people with lots of lymph node positive.  that is how i qualified for the clinical trial because of all the pos nodes . 

my treatment in rancho mirage californa.  (southern california) 

 best

I had neoadjuvant TAC x 4, BMX, and an additional adjuvant TAC x 2. My onc said he liked to split it up...how's THAT for personal style?

Chemo and surgery were at my local community hospital which has a small cancer center, but being in a NYC suburb they confer with oncs all over the tri-state area.

Rads at New York University Hospital for five weeks because it was within walking distance of work. Recon at Beth Israel in NYC.

Arimidex for 3-1/2 years at this point.

I am being treated at UCSF in San Francisco.  Did BMX, DD AC x 4 and weekly Taxol x 12, started Tamoxifen as soon as I finished chemo, currently in the middle of 25 rads.

I was part of a clinical trial (E5103). That trial protocol was DD ACx4 Taxolx12 with/without Avastin. I was only able to do the AC half and 1 Taxol due to an allergic reaction to either Taxol or Avastin. I had my treatment at Kimmel Cancer at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia. 

I was treated at Emory University Winship Cancer Institute. Had 3 FEC and 3 Taxotere. They do use this protocol in the US as well, though not as commonly as in Europe/Canada. Treatment protocol seems to vary more by cancer center/doctor, not so much by geography, it seems.

Arlington Cancer Center....

I had TAC every 16 days (dose dense) which wasn't even done.... I had started with second of the TAC and then the dose dense study came out so I convinced my oncologist to dose dense the TAC.  Put me in the hospital twice. Had two blood transfusions.  After 6 TAC I was given 3 FUMEP to sop up any remaining cancer cells every 3 weeks.  I had BMX prior to chemo.. rads wtih boosts after chemo... ooph after rads so I could go on Femara.

Jacqueline

Surgery in Greenville, SC and treatments at the Cancer Center of the Carolinas.  I had a BMX in May, chemo started in June TAC x 6, then 28 radiation visits followed by 8 boosts. I am 59 and just starting to feel good again.

Had right mast first (later diagnosed w/ IBC and surgery usually after chemo) followed by 4 DD A/C, 4 Taxol and Herceptin. Had Herceptin started with my 2nd Taxol infusion, than Herceptin for about a year. I was treated in Northern Calif.

I was treated at Maine Center for Cancer Medicine in Scarborough, ME.  

I had 4 DD AC followed by 4 DD taxol as neoadjuvant treatment.  Then mastectomy, radiation, and reconstruction.  Now am on tamoxifen.   

Hi

had a lumpectomy at Mass General, 4 AC treatments at Dana Farber, radiation, now on AI/lupron.

Both Dana and MGH oncologists told me that the A/C treatment was state of the art for my kind of situation (slow growing medium grade, no nodes kind of tumor).  

I am now in negoitations to end the lupron and perhaps take a femara vacation this summer!!!!! 

Great Thread!  Found lump myself,  went to Gyno who immediately sent me for diagnostic mamand biopsy at Bette Toriccellie Breast Center Hackensack University Hospital, Treatment began as follows  Left breast mastectomy, with immediate "Free Tram" reconstruction, CT, MRI,Pet, Bone, Muga Scans prior to Chemo.  6 X AC DD every other week  4 X Taxol slow all day Drip DD,  Meds added to Chemo were Emend, Benedry., Ativan  Treatment at John Theurer Cancer Ctr @ Hackensack University Med. CTR.  Zometa, after 6 weeks 3 months 6 months and yearly, Arimidex,  changed to Tomox, changed again to Aromasin.

Barb