Perjeta/Herceptin/Taxotere

Scan after 6 txs still am NED!!!!!!! Start on just p&h Monday. Looking forward to a break but nervous at the same time.

i've never had nueropathy with this cocktail.  I had it when I was on Halaven, but so far, so good on this one.

AIC, I had mets only in lungs when I wa first diagnosed. September last year was the first time there was any mets outside of my lungs. They picked up a 7mm liver met on my PET, among other new hot spots. 8 weeks later it was 16mm. I had been stable for so long that when things started spreading it felt like getting the Stage IV diagnoses all over again. Your post makes me so optimistic!

Regarding neuropathy, my doc has me taking 50 mg B6 daily and 10grams glutemine powder 3 times a day. I am doing that, so we shall see.

This is day 4 from my tx and my joints ache like crazy! I am not even sure it is joints. I think it is my bones in general.

All in all, nothing I won't be able to tolerate. Tomorrow night will be my first time back to work since I started treatment Monday. Wish me luck.

I can honestly say Lyrica has been the best thing for neuropathy that I have taken. Can be expensive so check with your insurance.

AIC such great news.  So happy for you.  It is also inspiring for all of us.

Lorijo best of luck to you going back to work.  The fact that you were stable for so long is great and there's a good chance on his new treatment along with the upcoming TDM1 you will reach that point again.

I was at my onc yesterday for my usual Herceptin/Perjeta.  The nurse advised that the drug comany reps are coming next week to discuss TDM1.  My onc says it is scheduled to be approved in Mid February and they should have by early March.  Now that is really exciting news in that although this combo plus the afinitor has kept me stable, my onc is hoping for major regression with the TDM1.  I'm hoping this will help all of us, with suppossidly minimal side effects.  Prayers for all!

Hi ladies. After 3 treatments total response in my liver! My solitary lesion disappeared! The lungs are a bit of an unknown since the mets did not actually show on lasts scans. Probably due to severe infection and inflammation at that time. So radiologist is calling it progression in lungs. Oncologist and pulmonologist at MDA a bit more positive in saying no way to know whether this is really progression. Tumor markers did not change much which is a little of a bummer as mine are reliable. But I'll take a clean liver and pray that 3 more rounds with the taxotere will be a success!

Hello. I am new to this site and posted under newly diagnosed. It was suggested I post to this forum. I am 51 years old and was diagnosed on Dec 14th with stage IV breast cancer with mets to brain, spinal cord, bone and lung cells. I spent two and 1/2 weeks in the hospital and received my first chemo combination while there. I am on Taxotere, Perjeta and Herceptin. I had a bad reaction as the Herceptin was running in and spiked a fever and went into rigors. They stopped the infusion, loaded me up with Benadryl and then proceeded to infuse at a much slower pace. My second treatment was January 21st and I tolerated it well. It took seven hours! I am not sure what drug is causing my side effects. My skin is beat red, especially my face. My hair fell out in about ten days. About day four i get stomach cramps and diarreah but the lomotil helps. I also got radiation on my brain and spinal cord so unsure if some of the side effects are related to that.

I have rheumatoid arthritis and kept telling myself that my symptoms were due to that. The diagnosis of stage IV breast cancer came as a total surprise. I had a fractured disc in my cervical region and got a kypoplasty surgery while in the hospital. It really helped that pain! My oncologist gave me the name of the company that makes Perjeta and Herceptin. If you have not already done so call them. They are paying a lot of money towards my co-pay. The name is Genentech inc. 888-249-4918. Just tell them you need assistance with paying for these meds. They are very helpful.

I am glad to have found this site. I think it will be very beneficial. Wendy

Wow aic and bond girl love the good news. My MRI was of my cervical spine came back clean. Bulging discs in C3-C7 none are herniated, just protruding enough to cause pain. I went to my PT that I saw after my bmx and she made my neck and hands feel so much better. My neuropathy and headaches are from my neck being out of wack. Silly me, I'm excited it's just a normal back problem. I have my bone scan and CT on Tuesday. Poor DH has to deal with another few days of a crazy me.

Ronniekay don't quite remember how I added comment. Silly chemo brain. My Onc. office is in Spokane and they tend to prefer CT as well. Lower radiation exposure is what I was told. My Once. only does PET if he thinks I'm on fire. So far the two PET scans I've had were pretty useless.

I worked Friday and did OK. The fatigue has lightened up (I'm on day 7 after treatment) but my bones still ache. All in all, it is not as bad as I was preparing myself for so i am actually pretty happy. The chemo brain the first 5 days was awful, though!

In regards to PET vs CT, my doc runs PET on me because the CT isn't showing enough. My understanding is that a CT picks up masses and the PET can show cancerous activity before a mass is formed. It also shows activity in lymph nodes.

Logtown, I was also really flushed for the first 4 days. I also had a lot of water retention. That ended last night. I must've got up every half an hour to pee, lol. I feel fairly normal today.

Everyone have a great weekend!

Bondgirl...you gotta vent somewhere & this is the place.  Hope you get some answers as to what's up with your spine. I think it's much easier when you know what you're facing..and I know in our situation, it's clear as mud much of the time.  Remember your liver is clear...maybe the rest of your body will follow!  Always hoping and praying for NED for all of us!  Hope you hear soon from MDA.

Thanks for scoop on ct/mri vs PET...and Fujii...I grew up close to Spokane & we still have the family home there.  Remember a great restaurant in Post Falls!   No play time for me after load dose of perjeta...the tireds got me 2 days later.  Since navelbine constipates & perjeta causes diarrhea, I decided not to take a softener, mistake.  Better this afternoon.  

RonnieKay, I get tx every three weeks. I got all drugs/antibodies on that same schedule. Fujiimama, hope Tuesday gets here soon for you. Waiting is madness. Bond girl, vent away! I would be going nuts too with all that. Hope you get some answers soon. Thank you all for the kind news regarding my scan news! Just p&h tomorrow and I'm nervous. Go figure!

Barb, I believe that TDM1 is almost the same as the perjeta/herceptin/taxotere combo. What is different is that they have fused the taxotere directly to the targeted therapy drug, thereby delivering it directly to the cancer cells instead of it flowing widespread throughout the body.

lori i do  not think tdm 1  has taxotere in it.  or am i wrong?

Penny, my insurance didn't even fight it at all. I was approved on the first request. My doctor told me a lot of insurance companies automatically deny it but, ultimately, it is usually approved on appeal. I would assume it is a matter of the usual paperwork b.s. I would think you would hear something real soon.