Anyone get both AC and TCHP?

iChan25
iChan25 Member Posts: 17
edited May 2019 in HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer

Hi all, looking for some insight.

I had a large approximately 5 cm tumor with axillary node involvement so stage 3. My biopsy showed Her2 to be equivocal on IHC and just barely positive by FISH. My oncologist decided he wanted to be more aggressive with treatment, and believed my tumor to be heterogeneous with both TNBC and HR-Her2 positive so put me on AC+ weekly taxol and H+P. My tumor hasn’t definitely shrunk on AC but it’s still about 3 cm after 3 rounds of AC and he now is planning on putting me on TCHP.

I agree with his reasoning, he wants to get me to pCR but I wonder if I should still get a second opinion? I am worried about the side effects too as Carbo is known to be hard too. Anyone one here have both AC and TCHP?

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  • Lorraine8944
    Lorraine8944 Member Posts: 1
    edited May 2019

    Yes, I did. I was stage 2 with 3 positive nodes. HER2 pos in breast and HER2 neg in nodes. I received 6 cycles to TCHP then has surgery. I did not have PCR so my MO recommended A/C for 4 cycles. I completed all of that a year ago and now on Nerlynx, 6 months in..

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  • Momchichi
    Momchichi Member Posts: 133
    edited May 2019

    My HER2 was not discovered until after surgery so I had AC neoadjuvantly and then TCHP adjuvantly. So there was about 4 months between the two types of treatment. I would have wanted the opportunity to have both chemo regimens pre-surgery to try for a pCR if my HER2 had been found in the beginning.

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  • iChan25
    iChan25 Member Posts: 17
    edited May 2019

    Thanks Lorraine and Momchichi. Looks like it’s an individualized decision.

    My primary tumor is Her2 positive but the node biopsy showed TNBC so my oncologist wants to do both approaches. Would you mind sharing your experience on TCHP? What kinds of side effects are to be expected? My oncologist made it sound easy compared to AC, but he tends to downplay side effects anyway so I don’t know.

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  • Momchichi
    Momchichi Member Posts: 133
    edited May 2019

    I had to have a dose reduction on both AC (hospitalized 3 times for neutropenia) and TCHP (3 blood transfusions and one hospital stay) so I’m not the best at chemo, lol. I think AC was worse for me but I did take an extra day off from teaching after each TCHP - I had chemo on Fridays then took Monday off. I was only about 50% going back to work on Tuesdays but had a co-teacher to help me. I remember feeling a bit nauseous on TCHP even with meds and like a bad case of the flu for almost a week. I remember feeling back to normal the week before treatment each cycle. And bouts ofdiarrhea needing medication to control, which continued when it was just H&P. I wish you a far better experience than I had!

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  • Cowgirl13
    Cowgirl13 Member Posts: 1,936
    edited May 2019

    iChan, it never hurts to get a second opinion and you might want to ask about the neccessity of having both Adriamicin and Herceptin as each on can have effects on the heart. I wouldn't worry if you haven't had a pCR as most people don't and you can have the rest cleanup with surgery and chemo. Have you already had a echocardiagram or a muga scan to get a baseline of your heart?

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