Dose Dense every 3 weeks instead of every two weeks??

ella
ella Member Posts: 7
edited August 2014 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

I start DD AC followed by DD T + Herceptin in September and as I've been looking through the message boards it seems like everyone else on DD gets treatments every two weeks. I'm also noticing that even with the same stage/grade and receptor status there's a wide variety of drug combinations being given, so maybe this is just another variation of treatment? Not that I don't trust my MO, just find it curious that I haven't seen anyone else with treatments spaced three weeks apart instead of two!

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  • inks
    inks Member Posts: 746
    edited August 2014

    I always thought that dose dense meant every 2 weeks and if it was every 3 weeks it was just regular. There may be many reasons why your onc chose treatment every 3 weeks - one being that you may not need the Neulasta if you go every 3 weeks (with some insurances it may be a hassle to get it approved). There is only a very slight benefit from going every 2 weeks while the side effects may be harsher. You obviously would get done sooner if you go every 2 weeks too. Maybe they are going with every 3 weeks because it syncs better with your Herceptin schedule?

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  • Fierceonewith3
    Fierceonewith3 Member Posts: 7
    edited August 2014

    My friend just got done with chemo. She had dose dense and it is every two weeks. Every three weeks is a normal cycle. Dose dense is decided on your chance of recurrence and grade and receptor status. My friend was triple negative BRCA1. So she had DD AC and T 4 of each. My cousin was ER-/PR-/HER+ so lymph node involvement so she did AC 4 treatments every three weeks, 12 weekly taxol, rads, then herceptin with lumpectomy. They were both stage one and had aggressive. It all depends on stage, and aggressiveness, and receptor status.

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited August 2014

    I would say that your taxane combined with your Herceptin could be what is driving your schedule.  Herceptin is usually given either weekly, or every three weeks, but not every two weeks.  You can do weekly Taxol with weekly Herceptin, or Taxotere every three weeks with Herceptin.  Do you know which T you are getting?

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  • ella
    ella Member Posts: 7
    edited August 2014

    Thank you, ladies! I thought since I didn't have weekly taxol that meant it was DD, but when I got my chemo "rx"  I didn't even realize these were questions to ask and had never heard the term dose dense until I saw it here in the boards.

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  • ella
    ella Member Posts: 7
    edited August 2014

    SpecialK, you are right! I just went back and looked at all my paperwork and I am indeed getting taxotere, not taxol. I thought T only meant taxol - I clearly have a lot to learn! And a giant list of new questions for my MO :)  

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited August 2014

    ella - that explains the every three weeks then, and at least that question is answered!  How many Taxotere are you getting?  I would also recommend that you hook up with us over on the Triple Positive thread - a lot of very knowledgeable ladies are there who have had a variety of chemo regimens - here is the link:

    https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/80/topic/764183?page=846#idx_25380


     

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