TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

hongh - yes, you can start anti-hormonals any time after surgery, and some oncologists wait until post-rads if that is needed post-surgery, so you should be fine. I would actually be more concerned about your doc forgetting, than when you are starting...

Hi...ingerp & hapa - I will give April 1st a try to start (April fools day - that will be a day to remember)  I need to write down in my journal how badly I feel before I take Tamoxifen, so I can't blame all the SE's on it. Every bone in my body aches right now.  I might even start out at 5mg.  Thx for the encouragement! 

Hongh - I had surgery Aug 2017, Chemo ended April 2018, and Herceptin ended last month.  But my *ss of an MO had forgotten that he hadn't started me on any kind of Anti Hormone pill - and I wasn't going to say anything.  So, Technically, I will start my Tamoxifen about a year and 1/2 later - I'm not sure what the norm is - Anybody else ????

Tres. So happy for your great news. As for AI, my MO goes in a very specific order. I have my last Herceptin May 20 and see her that afternoon for the next step in treatment. I have been voicing my concerns about it taking so much time before beginning Arimadex, she assures me that it comes after completing Herceptin even though it so darn long with all my suspensions for compromised heart rates

Getting a hysterectomy tomorrow morning. I've had cysts all my life w/o problems and before I had was diagnosed with cancer I had a small cyst, which has grown slightly since then. Dr finally suggested it all be removed. Blood tests say everything is fine so I'm not worried. Looking forward to a little r/r since my daughter got married last Saturday and we had so much family from very far away, I need the rest I prayed for the past year to just be healthy and able for the wedding and I was so happy to be there. Now this small hump and maybe some traveling this summer 🤗

Those who start anti-hormonals after Herceptin is finished are in the very small minority. It is customarily started about a month after chemo is finished if you do it adjuvently, or after surgery if neoadjuvent. Some oncs start during rads, some wait until after rads is finished if it is required. Some oncs like to separate surgery/chemo/rads with breaks so as to properly attribute side effects, but waiting until after targeted therapy is complete is a rarity, and a potential risk, IMHO. I can count on one hand those I have seen wait until H is done - just sayin' Also, I endorse the slow warm-up that ingerp describes - start with an every other day, or reduced daily dosage, I think side effects may be minimized for many by doing it this way. Beware though that your oncologist may not support this method, but sometimes you have to do what is best for you as an individual. I fully confess to stretching out my steroids post-infusion so that I didn't fall off that cliff - did I tell my onc - nope.

princess - the first year of many more to come! Yay!

Jstarling I didn't want to comment but I've never heard of anyone waiting until after Herceptin to start an AI. Some MOs even start it during rads, although I think the majority wait until after rads, but certainly not after Herceptin is finished.

LTWJ good luck with the surgery. Everyone I know who's had one has said it was not a big deal, and they were happy to be rid of the troublemaker.

rljes--some of us cleared the slower on-ramp with our MOs, some just did it on their own. I haven't heard about a single MO who had a problem with it.

Princess--weird to say congratulations but here's to good health in future!!

Hi All - My MO just plan forgot about giving me Ani-Hormones. I think his exact words were "I thought you were already on it"  And me- never reminded him. 

 SpecialK - I agree totally about starting out smaller dose.  Planning on 10mg with Tamoxifen - (against my Dr's wishes) I might even start out at 5mg.  I have committed to start taking Tamoxifen on April 1st.  April Fools to my body. 

Jstarling, I too had heart issues with Herceptin.  I am surprised that they didn't order one last Heart Eco to see if I recovered.

LTWJ - you should be recovering with your hysterectomy by now, best wishes for a speedy recovery.  I am so grateful I had one years ago before Cancer - at least I don't have to worry about that.  

Princess - Didn't the year fly by? My 2 year is coming up sometime in June I think.   I had only one OBGYN appointment 10 years ago, and of all Doctors - they had her call me with the news.  Awkward.  Guess she drew the short straw. 

Jstarling, I'm so sorry to be commenting on the timing of starting of Arimidex/tamoxifen. My oncologist really stressed the importance of starting arimidex after about 2 weeks of completing rads (I was on herceptin). I have never heard of waiting to complete herceptin. Perhaps you could ask your onc if there are any studies you could read--not that you do not trust him but as information only. You could also get a second opinion.

nanette7fl, my understanding is, regardless the outcome of surgery, H (or HP) should be continued to a whole year.

hapa, it looks like you have H only (instead of HP) after 6 cycles of TCHP. I was under an impression that the remaining H only (or HP only) infusions should be 11 cycles, but today when we checked this with the NP and she said that, my wife started the first TCHP in the middle of last July, the infusions should finish in the beginning of July to make for a whole year. If that is the case, my wife's HP only infusions would be 12 cycles instead of 11. We may not be able to confirm this with the MO until 3 weeks later, but was the NP incorrect?

In my case it's 14 Herceptin only--12 weeks with the Taxol, first H only one week later, then 13 more H only every three weeks = 52 weeks.

Nanette--others here have a much greater understanding but I believe the chemo and Herceptin target distant recurrence, whereas surgery and rads target local recurrence. The full course of Herceptin is one year.

Margun--I was told that HER2+ is a more aggressive tumor but also has better outcomes because of Herceptin. I know a lot of women develop a "chemo cough"--it should go away when you've finished treatment. It will help to put your information in your profile and make it public.

hapa,thanks.

Ingerp,for your treatment, it still counts total 17 times of H(3 times for the first 12 weeks with chemo and 14 more with H only), am I correct? If that is the case, HPs after TCHP should be 11

Lily--with weekly Taxol you get the Herceptin every time, so total of 26. When you move to every three weeks, you get three times as much as you got weekly. The important thing is the total of a year, although I know there was a study last year suggesting six months is just as effective.

FWIW--I count my cancerversary from the date of diagnosis. I believe that's what most people do.

ingerp, I noticed that but I don't think it's right. Unless ofcourse it's the anniversary of the diagnosis.

LTWJ, my exact sentiment. I mean i wasn't cancer free on the date of dx, I became cancer free on the date of MX after chemo.