Perjeta/Herceptin/Taxotere

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  • kingcour
    kingcour Member Posts: 93
    edited November 2012

    Thank you ladies for your support!



    LL- also celebrating with you over your insurance!!

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  • lilylady
    lilylady Member Posts: 1,079
    edited November 2012

    kingcour-so glad for your results. Every positive bit of news is good news for all of us.

    I did neo-adj chemo last year before having my breasts removed. it was never a question for us that we were going to take them out. My breast tumor was in the chest wall behind the breast-it was huge but not quite as big as my liver tumor. After 6 TCH the liver tumor was gone but the breast tumor still showed. When they removed it it turned out to be a big old hollow shell with no middle so it was dead. I am glad those things are gone and won;t betray me again.

     I was 3 weeks off chemo before the surgery and started back 3 weeks after. I didn't do any recon-also knew from the start I wasn't going to pursue that. I also did Rads a few months after that-pretty sure I would never agree to that again!! I still say that was the worst part of my entire tx. The rads were a deal we cut because I refused to have any nodes removed when I had the BMX. I was scared to death of LE-I knew it was a risk with the rads but not as much as having a bunch removed. Saw no sense in it since we already knew I had cancer lots of other places. The surgery was a breeze except for the drains made me insane.

      Hope everyone has a great weekend.

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  • Shaysmom
    Shaysmom Member Posts: 25
    edited November 2012

    Kingcor so glad you got great news. Good to know tx is working. Talk to surgeon and see.



    Aic praying you get good results.



    Held the taxotere this cycle so I could take a break. OMG, I feel like I won the lottery. Granted pain is still up there but stomach is much better controlled. I'm eating food. Not living in bathroom with. BIG D . Granted its only been three days. But I got out last night and did errands, went to lunch with hubby today . Normally starting day 7 and 8 GI kicks in bad so we will see.



    I also added a powder medicine that starts with a C, it's to lower cholesterol but they use it for the BIG D. Used it end of last cycle and it helped a bit. Will start it again this week. Took a break bc I wasn't having BIG D. Also my probiotic came in.



    My pain is still 5-8 out of 10 and I'm tired but being able to eat and not spending days in bathroom. Even just having the gift of these few days has been so great.



    My 12 so is taking cooking in school. He wants to make a bacon covered pork roast for thanksgiving and a trifle for dessert. I was able to get a new roasting pan and trifle bowls at bed bath beyond last night. Felt so good to be out and able to get something to help make his Thankagiving nice. Plus I used my coupons and rebate and spent less than 15 dollars!!!



    Thanks for all your support with this tx bc I wanted to quit



    It's back to reduced dose taxotere next cycle but I've enjoyed the last few days. Scans maybe in mid Dec.



    Hope you all are well

    Kelly

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  • fujiimama
    fujiimama Member Posts: 800
    edited November 2012

    Wow, so many great results. Just had a second with per/her and they stuck zometa back in the mix. Overall I'm feeling so much better. I now have noticeable hair regrowth :-) . Taste buds are back in time for holidays, still craving sugary, but that's OK. Was having issues with energy. My Dr gave me retalin. I'm zooming in the morning and crash at night. With 3 kids it's perfect. Glad to hear everybody's good news. Praying for the long struggles. Night all-

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  • aic
    aic Member Posts: 417
    edited November 2012

    Shaysmom and fujiimama , so glad you are feeling better!



    Ladies, I go this afternoon for my first scan since I have started treatment. Nervous! Hope I will be reporting back on Wednesday with good news. I would love any goodness that you can send my way.



    Hope everyone has a great day!

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  • pearlady
    pearlady Member Posts: 882
    edited November 2012

    Glad so many are feeling better.  AIC senidng positive energy and thoughts your way today.  Looking forward to hearing the good news.

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  • Formymomal
    Formymomal Member Posts: 10
    edited November 2012

    Just wanted to report another positive result. My mom had mets in trachea , lung, left adrenal and rib (along with brain). She has been on this regimen for 4 cycles and had her first scan which is essentially almost clean after 4 treatments of perjecta,taxotere, herceptin and arimidex! I am glad to hear you guys are all getting positive results. It provides us with hope. Mom has postponed her #5 2 weeks so she can attend a family friends wedding without being in the bathroom all night. Quality of life! Thanks for listening... :)

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  • kingcour
    kingcour Member Posts: 93
    edited November 2012

    Praying for a great scan, aic!



    So glad to hear all of the good news!

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  • raccoony
    raccoony Member Posts: 72
    edited November 2012

    Mom got scan results back today. First scans since starting this treatment. Doctor said there's an 80% reduction in tumors in liver.

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  • Bondgirl
    Bondgirl Member Posts: 140
    edited November 2012

    Hi ladies. My MD Anderson doc has recommended this protocol for me. Recently diagnosed with recurrence in lungs and liver. Meet with local oncologist this afternoon to discuss when treatment will start. I'm a little nervous about insurance approval. However my only chemo treatment (TCH) was at stage 3 over 2 years ago. Based on your experiences do you think insurance will balk at this? This would be my first line drug at stage IV. I'm a little nervous about SE of this treatment based on this thread. I tolerated TCH well the first time. Usually 2 days after infusion I entered chemo fog/fatigue lasting about 3 days followed by about 3 days of stomach issues and the taste bud problems. I usually got about 10 good days between cycles. I'm taking leave from work but I have an active 4 year old so just want to get through this without being miserable the entire time.



    Good luck to you all and praying for NED for all of us.



    Tera

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  • aic
    aic Member Posts: 417
    edited November 2012

    Ladies, after three tx, I am NED!!! I am in shock and so was my onc. Thank you for your supportive words! May we all continue to have success on this! Happy Thanksgiving! :)

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  • formygirls
    formygirls Member Posts: 916
    edited November 2012

    Aic,

    Very happy to read this. Many congratulations!

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  • JillThut
    JillThut Member Posts: 1,470
    edited November 2012

    Great news, aic!



    And, Bondgirl, it sounds like insurance should pay for his treatment since its first line for you. Hope you fare well with it

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  • Bondgirl
    Bondgirl Member Posts: 140
    edited November 2012

    My onc's office got the pre-certification from insurance so I start next Thursday. So happy to hear all the positive recent results! On another note, my onc said she thinks there will be an announcement in 2 weeks at the San Antonio conference and TDM1 will be approved sooner rather than later (for those of us that may need to add to the aresenal eventually).



    Happy Thanksgiving ladies.



    Tera

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  • Shaysmom
    Shaysmom Member Posts: 25
    edited November 2012

    Aic awesome news . So glad that its NED. amazing.



    I'm tired a touch of GI issues on p and H some pain but took steroids last two days and feel good for holiday!!



    So happy so many have good results. Hope it continues. Will have scans in mid December. Next tx Dec 4. Back on taxotere bit at 50 mcg I think which is as low as she will go. Can try Abraxane but failed that once so will try this dose of taxotere. Then scan. Hope it is working.



    Bond girl, glad you got insurance approval.



    Just wanted to say how thankful I am for you all and wishing you continued good health.

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  • LoriKnous
    LoriKnous Member Posts: 80
    edited November 2012

    So tell me ladies. If we get to a point of NED, do they stop our therapy drugs? 

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited November 2012

    Just a quick note to let everyone on this thread know that, as part of an update this week, Perjeta is now one of the Targeted Therapy options when you fill in your My Treatments info under the My Profile tab.

    Thank you all for this and other suggestions for site improvements!

    • Your Mods

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  • scuttlers
    scuttlers Member Posts: 1,658
    edited November 2012

    Lori, I would say no in answer to your question. At least in my case, treatments have continued. NED is not cured. It is No Evidence of Disease, which is that the cancer is still there (and always will be), it is just too small to show on our current testing procedures.

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  • lilylady
    lilylady Member Posts: 1,079
    edited November 2012

    I have been gone for a while-so glad to come back and read all the positive news from so many. I will be getting my second scan while on this regimen sometime in dec. I will get my first taxotere free tx next Tuesday. Another couple of weeks and I think the Tax will be out of my system. I can;t wait to "do" my food list i have been building in my brain.

    aic, so glad for you and so amazing. I agree that they probably will continue on with tx. Maybe after a long time on NED they might give you a break.

    Racoony-happy for your Mom-and you too. It seems like this tx is especially successful against liver stuff. It really knocked a huge one down to nothing after 3 tx for me.

    Formymomal-glad for your mom also. How happy that she was abale to get out and enjpy some events without issues.

    Shaysmom-I am so glad you took the break you wanted. that will also make you stronger when you go back for the next one.

    Bondgirl-glad you got the insurance approval. I have finished 6 tx and just got approval last week. I didn;t exactly meet the standards under which the FDA approved it but my doc knew it was a good fit for me. he had agreed to pay for my tx if they didn;t agree to pay. My bill at the onc office is staggering but the ins guy said they will start sending them money soon. Manyn of us had problems with the furst tx and then things got easier as we went along. when you get time you could skip back to the beginning of the thread and read about some of that. Since it was just approved no one has been onit all that long. I might be the senior one here-I have done 6 and getting ready to do #7. Like you I had already done TCH with little or no problem so i was shocked that the first tx mademe so sick. It was a loading dose of all 3 drugs and we figured that;s where the problems came from. I will think about you next Thurs and hope for the best.

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  • aic
    aic Member Posts: 417
    edited November 2012

    Lilylady,

    They are dropping my tax after my 6th in January. I can't wait to hear how you feel on just the two.

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  • lilylady
    lilylady Member Posts: 1,079
    edited November 2012

    aic I will be devastated if most of the bad stuff doesn't go away. I blame everything on the Taxotere!!

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  • kingcour
    kingcour Member Posts: 93
    edited November 2012

    AIC.....HAPPY DANCE FOR YOU!!!!!! Praise God for more good news!



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  • FortyPawzFarm
    FortyPawzFarm Member Posts: 7
    edited November 2012

    Been awhile since I've been on here. SUCH FABULOUS NEWS FOM SO MANY PEOPLE!!! How wonderful!!

    Love and prayers to you all.

    Veronica is doing well. Tx #3 tomorrow, and been blessed with minimal s/e.

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  • aic
    aic Member Posts: 417
    edited November 2012

    Thanks to everyone for all the congrats! Makes my infusion today a little more bearable. Fortypawz, glad to hear Veronica is doing well!

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  • SPAMgirl
    SPAMgirl Member Posts: 1,470
    edited November 2012

    I got round #2 today. They ran blood work for my liver enzmes and tumor marker. My tumor marker has been very accurate for me. All of the numbers are higher than they were 3 weeks ago. It's so funny, I can tell everyone else with a lot of confidence that it's probably a tumor flare and you shouldn't worry about it. (I know you do, I just hope it puts your mind a little at ease.)



    As my nurse was setting up appointments, I reminded her that I needed my Xgeva scheduled with my Falsodex. Then I asked how long since its been since I had a Lupron shot to shut off my ovaries. Well, not since August when they moved to the new computer system. I don't have a warm fuzzy feeling about this.

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  • pearlady
    pearlady Member Posts: 882
    edited November 2012

    AIC so glad for your great results!!  It makes tolerating the treatments so much easier.   Continued prayers for all.

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  • Bondgirl
    Bondgirl Member Posts: 140
    edited November 2012

    Getting anxious for my first treatment on Thursday.  Ready to get started though.  This question has probably already been asked and answered a million times but for those of you that did TCH previously how does this stack up as far as side effects? I tolerated Taxotere and Carbo pretty well besides the standard crappiness.

    Tera

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  • SPAMgirl
    SPAMgirl Member Posts: 1,470
    edited November 2012

    I just finished #2 yesterday and I feel pretty crappy.

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  • lilylady
    lilylady Member Posts: 1,079
    edited November 2012

    I got my first dose Tues of just the Per/Her. What a treat. No anti-nausea drugs needed and was out of there in under 3 hrs. Also no Neulasta shot required either.

      Very disturbing experience however. There was an older lady sitting next to me-probably late seventies or maybe even early 80's. She obviously had some advanced dementia. Her daughter was with her-she looked about my age-mid fifties. Her Mom kept trying to rip her IV out and kept shouting out things like "Let's all go out back and pick some beans!". She hadn't a clue what was going on or where she was. She was there when I got there and still there when I left-and I was there for 3 hrs. Her daughter just kept urging her to take a little nap. She looked in good enough shape physically-she was in a wheelchair but otherwise seemed normal that way. My question is how does she communicate when she feels bad or needs meds? I am not saying don;t treat old people but I would not want to be doing what we are doing if my mind was gone anyway. It made for an extremely agitating treatment room for all of us. I felt bad for the daughter. Maybe the lady wasn't confused before chemo but I am going to add to my medical POA that if I am deemd metally deficient I want to decline further tx. What do you guys think?

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  • scuttlers
    scuttlers Member Posts: 1,658
    edited November 2012

    How tormenting - for her and for the patients who had to witness this. Without knowing all the facts of why she is receiving treatments, isn't there a private room that she could get her treatments in?



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