Anyone doing Perjeta for early-stage (pre-surgery)?

Wow Jan, how encouraging this is!  May I ask what your tumor status was prior to treatment as you don't show it on your posts.  What was your tumor size, I assume you are Her2 positive, but how about ER/PR status?  One or more tumors?  Are you planning a lumpectomy, or do you still plan on a mastectomy?  I would like to have a lumpectomy if possible as my sister had excellent results from hers even though she was stage IIIc 21/25 nodes, but her tumor was much smaller than mine.  She is 11 years NED now!!!  

Right now with the size of my tumor, my surgeon would do a mastectomy unless the tumor shrinks enough from the neoadjuvent therapy.  I just had an MRI  biopsy on the other side of my breast for a 4mm lesion found only on MRI, not PET or PEM, so I don't know yet how that will effect my chances if the result is positive.  I am resigned to accept either option should I need to, but would rather not deal with mastectomy and reconstruction if I don't have to.  I'd love to follow your course of treatment if it is similar to mine.  Thanks for sharing.

Hello

My oncologist said see me after surgery.

I've decided both breast off.

2009 Original Dx Stage 1 0.8 cm Er+ and Progesterone + and Her2 - /no nodes. Lumpectomy/Rads/Lupron/Arimadex

Dec 2013. Dx stage 1b  1 cm Er+ Progesterone - and Her2 +  US needle core biopsy. 

I guess size doesn't matter in re: to receiving neo adjuvant chemo.

Thanks for posting. One more phone call to make .

Good Luck 

Hopefully I will start in Feb so anxious to start.

Marvelher & Funthing - did you both start chemo?  How's it going?

While I did both Herceptin & Perjeta along with my adjuvent chemo of taxotere & carboplatin, the MO has pulled me back to Herceptin only for the next year due to all my SEs.  And I'm in the middle of radiation too!!  Fun stuff.

Hello Marvelher2,

Sorry I forgot to address your questions.  You and I had a very similar diagnosis and I am quite interested in your progress as well.

Dx: 10/16/2013,  3.5cm, Grade 2, ER-/PR-, HER2+

Chemotherapy:  Carboplatin, Taxotere

Targeted Therapy: Herceptin and Perjeta

I'm not very savvy with the abbreviations yet.  What does IDC stand for?

Hi Girlstrong,   I finally filled out a profile the other day and many questions were answered.   Along with IDC I had wondered how everyone had thorough descriptions of dx and therapy at the end of their posts.      I see that you had a mastectomy recently and hope you're doing well.   Wasn't the therapy effective or did you choose to have both breasts removed?

Not only am I doing the happy dance but I am going ballroom dancing tomorrow (Sunday) before my surgery (partial mastectomy) on Monday.  I have no idea how long it will take after surgery and sentinel lymph node dissection before I can lift my right arm.

Good luck to you.

Hi Girlstrong,

This is Saturday and I had my surgery 5 days ago.  I feel great, especially with the mediport removed.  My surgeon told me that it had been implanted improperly and that part of it was lodged in the muscle.  That's why I had so much discomfort all those months.   My pathology reports came back and surgeon called to tell me that I had a complete pathological response to the targeted chemotherapy.  No cancer was found in any the tissue removed.   I will begin radiation in a month and wonder how you're doing with the rads.   Are you using any special creams.   Hope things are going well.

Jan8500 - Glad your surgery's done w/such a great response.  I used Miaderm - made especially for radiation dermatitis, and had very little skin damage.  Of course who knows if that's the cream or my individual reaction, but I found the cream worth the price.  Got it on Amazon.

Are you both continuing Heceptin AND Perjeta?  I'm doing only the Herceptin now since I'm worried about my CIPN.  Many days I wish I'd kept up with the Perjeta after the initial chemo but there are some hard decisions when a drug is that new.

hi jan800 : I have 1 week left of rads. Unfortunately I still have my port in place, my mO said not to remove it until I'm done with Herceptin  like you, I did not continue on with Perjeta. It's not FDA approved post surgery for early BC and so insurance may not pay. I live near East Lansing, Mi. I think write about 1.5 hours apart . Small world. Good luck with starting rads in a few weeks, I will think of you ! 

I've been scouring these boards for a week trying to find some ladies who have had Perjeta. I just started it last week. In 2012 I did TCH x 6. (herceptain continued for a year) I was just recently diagnosed with bone and liver mets. After cutting the liver cancer out and radiation treatments I began the Taxatere, Herceptin, Perjeta. It's been so rough! I've felt awful for 7 days now. Broke out in a rash, restless legs, insomnia, fatigue, pain. I'm just over it. How are you ladies doing after finishing all this up?? 

thanks for replying, minustwo. I sure hope it's not this bad every time. If only I could get a good nights sleep! Had a PET scan this afternoon so I should get the results at the MO today. Here's to hoping the rads got most of the bone mets. 

Hi,

I just started the same treatment TCHP, and am 11 days post first infusion. I was searching for posts to see what others' experiences have been for hair loss (loss over few days vs few weeks), and I came across your post. I must say yours is the only one i saw with partial hair loss, I hope you were able to keep it! Was there anything you did in particular that could have helped you keep it that long? I did consider the cold caps but eventually decided against it. Thanks and I hope all has gone well for you.

I am 50. October 2013 Mammo and February 2014 multiple US did not yield any indication of cancer. In May 2014 I was Dx with advanced Stage III triple-positive IDC. I was a bit unusual because I presented with inverted nipple, entire breast swelling and pain as first indicators. They ruled out Inflamatory Breast Cancer. However, May 2014 MRI clearly displayed 8cm x 8cm x 4cm mass with no defined edges. There is axilla node involvement, but no further, thank goodness. On May 30th began the first of 9 cycles of Taxotere, Herceptin, Perjeta. I've had a fair amount of side effects from the treatment, but managing to work 2 out of every 3 weeks. After the second cycle, it was apparent from clinical exam that the mass had shrunk consideribly. I have 3 more infusions of the 'cocktail' and will then have Herceptin for an additional 6 months (12 months total). Surgery has not yet been scheduled but current planning is mastectomy on right and at least lumpectomy on left. I have not found any other patients scheduled for 9 cycles of Taxotere, Herceptin, Perjeta. Has anyone else be scheudled for 9 cycles of this as neoadjunctive treatment?

Perjeta Boosts Overall Survival in HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer September 30, 2014

Final results from the CLEOPATRA study showed that women diagnosed with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who got Perjeta, Herceptin, and Taxotere lived about 1.5 years longer than women who got only Herceptin and Taxotere. Read more...

The Mods

I'm living proof that Perjeta is a rockstar (along with taxol and Herceptin). I finished 12 THP treatments (4 H and 4 P), had my lumpectomy on 9/17 and got the "no evidence of disease, pathologic complete response" note on my path report! I'm beyond thrilled. I had a 2 cm. ER/PR- with lymph node involvement. All clear! Still having to finish treatment. Meeting with MO tomorrow. Likely will still be AC x 4 and rads. But, what a relief to enter into those NED! Happy dance. Hoping many of you are / have gotten this same news!