Questions regarding her2 targeted therapy

Do you mean that you are doing Herceptin? Please clarify. For me, Herceptin was easy. But, for some people, it can decrease heart function, so your heart needs to be monitored during treatment.

herceptin is targeted antibody therapy for Her2+ cancer. Chemo is considered more “aggressive” because it targets any fast growing cells in your body — cancer, hair follicles, anything fast growing. Herceptin is targeted antibody medication that prevents the HER2 cells from going crazy. Most people have no side effects or only very mild side effects from the herceptin, although it can cause heart problems, which is why most people in herceptin get echocardiograms to make sure your heart still works okay.

I would assume that because the OP has already done FEC (assume you are not in the US) the hair loss has already happened unless there was cold capping successfully done. FEC is basically the equivalent of the AC part of AC-T here. It sounds like the regimen you are using is closer to TAC, which is indeed a tough regimen and not used particularly often, as most here have Taxol rather than Taxotere with their Herceptin and/or Perjeta when targeted therapy is included is in a regimen with AC. That said, there is a lot of variation in how people cope with side effects of Taxotere. I would advise icing of hands and feet to help prevent neuropathy and loss of fingernails and toenails. There are frozen gloves and booties, but I used bags of frozen peas and that worked for me. As mentioned above Herceptin can cause some effect on the left ventrical ejection fraction (LVEF) so you are usually given an echocardiogram or MUGA scan to assess a baseline prior to starting. Did you have either before starting chemo due to the Epirubucin component? For those who see a reduced LVEF, it is usually temporary and reversible but your oncologist will monitor throughout your time on Herceptin if this is the standard of care where you are located. I did experience some diarrhea but it was not severe, I lost my sense of taste for the most part, I did experience some neuropathy despite the icing but it was relatively mild and did resolve with a few months after finishing Taxotere, but while still on Herceptin. I had some involuntary eye tearing and a runny nose, and some dry skin. I found using a thick moisturizer and cotton socks and gloves at night to be helpful. Once I had finished the chemo portion and was on to Herceptin alone the majority of my side effects resolved and I just had the runny nose and toward the end of the year a consistent mild headache. When I had the first Herceptin only infusion, which was run in 30 minutes versus the 90 minute infusion I had with chemo, I did have an issue with bone and joint pain. While this can sometimes happen with taxane chemotherapy, I did not have that. I requested the infusion be slowed back to 90 minutes and the problem was solved. Good luck, wishing you the best!