Questions regarding her2 targeted therapy
Hi, there
I've recently completed 3 cycles of FEC therapy for stage 3 breast cancer and I start Her2 targeted therapy next week...I'm wondering if this treatment is more aggressive than FEC therapy...I was blessed that I virtually no side effects from FEC bit I understand the next round may be completely different.
Thank you
Comments
-
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.
-
Hi - yes Herceptin with Docataxel.
-
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.
-
Taxotere (docetaxel) is a strong chemo agent and, yes, you will probably get some side effects from it. Typical side effects include gastrointestinal issues (e.g., diarrhea), hair loss, and fatigue. Some women "cold cap" during Taxotere to save their hair, though that can be expensive. I have no personal experience with Taxotere as I did its gentler cousin, Taxol.
-
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!
-
Thank you all so much for the info - very helpful and very much appreciated!! It's all a bit overwhelming and knowledge is a powerful thing
Thank you again
Categories
- All Categories
- 679 Advocacy and Fund-Raising
- 289 Advocacy
- 68 I've Donated to Breastcancer.org in honor of....
- Test
- 322 Walks, Runs and Fundraising Events for Breastcancer.org
- 5.6K Community Connections
- 282 Middle Age 40-60(ish) Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 53 Australians and New Zealanders Affected by Breast Cancer
- 208 Black Women or Men With Breast Cancer
- 684 Canadians Affected by Breast Cancer
- 1.5K Caring for Someone with Breast cancer
- 455 Caring for Someone with Stage IV or Mets
- 260 High Risk of Recurrence or Second Breast Cancer
- 22 International, Non-English Speakers With Breast Cancer
- 16 Latinas/Hispanics With Breast Cancer
- 189 LGBTQA+ With Breast Cancer
- 152 May Their Memory Live On
- 85 Member Matchup & Virtual Support Meetups
- 375 Members by Location
- 291 Older Than 60 Years Old With Breast Cancer
- 177 Singles With Breast Cancer
- 869 Young With Breast Cancer
- 50.4K Connecting With Others Who Have a Similar Diagnosis
- 204 Breast Cancer with Another Diagnosis or Comorbidity
- 4K DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ)
- 79 DCIS plus HER2-positive Microinvasion
- 529 Genetic Testing
- 2.2K HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
- 1.5K IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
- 3.4K IDC (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma)
- 1.5K ILC (Invasive Lobular Carcinoma)
- 999 Just Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastasis
- 652 LCIS (Lobular Carcinoma In Situ)
- 193 Less Common Types of Breast Cancer
- 252 Male Breast Cancer
- 86 Mixed Type Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Not Diagnosed With a Recurrence or Metastases but Concerned
- 189 Palliative Therapy/Hospice Care
- 488 Second or Third Breast Cancer
- 1.2K Stage I Breast Cancer
- 313 Stage II Breast Cancer
- 3.8K Stage III Breast Cancer
- 2.5K Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
- 13.1K Day-to-Day Matters
- 132 All things COVID-19 or coronavirus
- 87 BCO Free-Cycle: Give or Trade Items Related to Breast Cancer
- 5.9K Clinical Trials, Research News, Podcasts, and Study Results
- 86 Coping with Holidays, Special Days and Anniversaries
- 828 Employment, Insurance, and Other Financial Issues
- 101 Family and Family Planning Matters
- Family Issues for Those Who Have Breast Cancer
- 26 Furry friends
- 1.8K Humor and Games
- 1.6K Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts
- 706 Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
- 704 Recommend Your Resources
- 171 Sex & Relationship Matters
- 9 The Political Corner
- 874 Working on Your Fitness
- 4.5K Moving On & Finding Inspiration After Breast Cancer
- 394 Bonded by Breast Cancer
- 3.1K Life After Breast Cancer
- 806 Prayers and Spiritual Support
- 285 Who or What Inspires You?
- 28.7K Not Diagnosed But Concerned
- 1K Benign Breast Conditions
- 2.3K High Risk for Breast Cancer
- 18K Not Diagnosed But Worried
- 7.4K Waiting for Test Results
- 603 Site News and Announcements
- 560 Comments, Suggestions, Feature Requests
- 39 Mod Announcements, Breastcancer.org News, Blog Entries, Podcasts
- 4 Survey, Interview and Participant Requests: Need your Help!
- 61.9K Tests, Treatments & Side Effects
- 586 Alternative Medicine
- 255 Bone Health and Bone Loss
- 11.4K Breast Reconstruction
- 7.9K Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 2.7K Complementary and Holistic Medicine and Treatment
- 775 Diagnosed and Waiting for Test Results
- 7.8K Hormonal Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 50 Immunotherapy - Before, During, and After
- 7.4K Just Diagnosed
- 1.4K Living Without Reconstruction After a Mastectomy
- 5.2K Lymphedema
- 3.6K Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment
- 591 Pain
- 3.9K Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After
- 8.4K Surgery - Before, During, and After
- 109 Welcome to Breastcancer.org
- 98 Acknowledging and honoring our Community
- 11 Info & Resources for New Patients & Members From the Team