Phesgo (the injection) vs Herceptin + Perjeta IV

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Tracer1
Tracer1 Member Posts: 4

Is there anyone receiving Phesgo (the injection) vs Herceptin + Perjeta IV? My doctor surprised me with the injection. It is so new, that I don't know if I want to take it. Her reasoning for it doesn't really affect me. Just curious as to what others think about this?

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  • Moderators
    Moderators Member Posts: 25,912
    edited October 2021

    Hi Tracer1, and welcome to our community. Here is Breastcancer.org's information on Phesgo in case you find it helpful.

    Also, use the discussion board Search and type in Phesgo and you'll see where others are discussing!

    Reach out with any questions.

    The Mods

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited October 2021

    hi there - I'm stage IV so I'm on treatment “indefinitely"

    the short answer is yes PHESGO is “ new"but it's the same two drugs in a different delivery system,

    My experience —I have been on Herceptin and Perjeta since Oct 2017

    Started with infusions - there was no “shot" at that time

    In March 2020 I went to Herceptin Hylecta (a shot) and Perjeta infusion

    When PHESGO became available, in the interests of convenience and getting out of the infusion center more quickly, I asked for it.

    I've been on PHESGO since July.

    I just had a PET Scan and my scan result was “no evidence of disease" - same as every other scan for the past two years,

    So - anecdotally, PHESGO is working just as well as H&P infusions did in my case.

    Hope that helps.

  • Tracer1
    Tracer1 Member Posts: 4
    edited October 2021

    Thank you! Yes it helps!!

  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited October 2021

    tracer - also important to note that Herceptin, Perjeta, and Phesgo are all Genentech products - the Phesgo is their original infused drugs in an injectable form - not biosimilars or generics.

  • LillyIsHere
    LillyIsHere Member Posts: 830
    edited October 2021

    Asking for a friend: is Phesgo an injection given every 3 weeks on the thigh? Does anyone has any experience on this? My friend said it is painful and I want to help her if I can by fining any tricks to make it feel better.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited October 2021

    Yes, PHESGO is every three weeks in the thigh. I don’t find it very painful but if I want it, my nurses will spray the area with numbing spray before the shot. Your friend can ask about that.

    Sometimes it burns a little on the way out. the needle has to stay in for some minutes (8 minutes I think?) and I think the burning might be due to some medication leaking from the needle though I am not sure about it.

  • Tracer1
    Tracer1 Member Posts: 4
    edited October 2021

    I agree, the one time I had it, it wasn't very painful at all. It did burn about 3 times, but that was tolerable. I just don't feel like driving 45 minutes for a 5 minute injection. She wants me to keep my port, so I feel I might as well use it. Plus, a port has to be flushed every 4 weeks, so I will have to have that done too!

  • AlwaysMeC
    AlwaysMeC Member Posts: 167
    edited October 2021

    I've had Phesgo once, then Herceptin Hylecta because the breast surgeon wanted to stop Perjeta for surgery, then back to Phesgo. The nurses inject me for five minutes. The last nurse said two would be fine, but I insisted on five. The first shot will likely hurt. There is a solution in there that acts as an expander to move the cells under the skin and allow for better absorption. It hurt for the first two minutes whenever more solution was being injected. They switched to the other thigh for the Hylecta shot and that hurt as well. The third shot didn't hurt nearly as much. That one was in the thigh I started off with. So, I am guessing that the initial shot is kind of painful, but manageable, then the remaining aren't as painful. Regardless, it is only a five minute shot and about one or two minutes of it is painful. Removing the needle is slightly painful too, but it feels like when you get an IV removed.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited October 2021

    they do alternate sides at my cancer center. The nurses keep track of whether it’s left or right and then do the opposite at next appo

  • LillyIsHere
    LillyIsHere Member Posts: 830
    edited October 2021

    Thank you so much. Nurses alternated the thighs to my friend too but the bruise was as big as a walnut and around a lighter bruise as big as an orange. She said it is very painful even with numbing spray because the separation of skin from muscle creates the pain. Somone recommended to try the side of the thigh. I hope it works for her because she is going through so much.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited October 2021

    ouch that does sound painful!

    I usually do get mine in the side of the thigh - I hope they can find a good solution for her

  • AlwaysMeC
    AlwaysMeC Member Posts: 167
    edited October 2021

    Lily, I got a similar reaction as your friend with the first shot. The injection site was slightly bruised about the size of a quarter, and then about an hour later a 4x4 sized raised skin color spot happens. It looks like orange peel skin or flat goosebumps. I noticed with my last two shots, the nurses were very good about not letting the needle move even just a little. I didn't get the raised bruising. Still had the raised chicken skin looking area though. It only lasts for about two days. I attribute it to the expander in the solution. Maybe it would be better to do five minutes so it's slowly being injected. I've read people have had it over eight minutes, but nothing in the literature indicates it for that long. I asked my nurses to double check.

  • Tracer1
    Tracer1 Member Posts: 4
    edited October 2021

    Everything I have read/nurses told me, it should take 8 minutes for your first dose, and every other dose after that should take 5 minutes to inject.

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited October 2021

    If I’m remembering correctly (and I may not be) my Hylecta shot used to be 5 minutes and the PHESGO shot is 8 minutes. It could be I was told the first shot would be 8 and I just assumed that each shot was 8 - but like I said, not sure and I wouldn’t commit either way. I’m going to ask at my appt next week just for my own knowledge.


  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited October 2021

    just to follow up on the length of time conversation - I asked my nurse how long each shot is and she told me 5 minutes except the initial one is 8 , as others have said.

    She did say it can be given in 2 minutes - anywhere from 2 to 5 - but five is better. Less painful, she says.


  • hnsquared
    hnsquared Member Posts: 72
    edited November 2021

    Hello…I have been getting the Phesgo injection for the last year. I just got my last one last week. I was thrilled to be able to get the injection rather than an infusion. As previous posters have stated delivering it in an injection is “new” but the drugs are not. The first injection took 8 minutes because it is a larger loading does. The injection takes 5 minutes and I hang out for another 15 to make sure I don’t have a reaction. I love being in and out in less than 30 minutes. I have never had any pain or discomfort. They alternate thighs and usually use the side. My nurse said it sometimes burns if the medication is cold….I have never noticed any issues. After all the other crap I’ve been through the injections are easy peasy. Let me know if you have any questikns

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