Herceptin longevity

miss-di
miss-di Member Posts: 161
edited June 2014 in HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer
Herceptin longevity
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  • miss-di
    miss-di Member Posts: 161
    edited October 2007

    I have a question regarding anyone else being told they will stay on Herceptin as long as it works?  My Onc says if it works for 17 years, she will keep me on it.  I also am on Arimidex.

    I just got my first tumor markers back and one had dropped from 38 to 17 within normal range and the other dropped from 83 to 24, again in normal range.

    Just wondering how long some of yours stayed down.

    Thanks for any help.

    Best of luck to all,

    Diane

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  • mrs_X_Sunneedazee
    mrs_X_Sunneedazee Member Posts: 541
    edited October 2007

    Hi Diane,

    My Onc has also told me that I will stay on Herceptin as long as it works.  I am also stage 4 with mets to my bones and lung.  I have been on weekly taxol and herceptin for almost 5 months.  It has worked wonders on shrinking my cancer.  I only have 1 more tx of taxol, and then I will mastectomy followed by radiation.  I will still do weekly herceptin throughout this process.  

    My dr did say that once we see if the herceptin can keep the cancer from growing by itself, I can do treatment once every three weeks (a triple dose) instead of the weekly.  

    Good luck to you!  I hope treatment works for you! 

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  • miss-di
    miss-di Member Posts: 161
    edited October 2007

    Thank you for your reply sunnee, I am on every 3 weeks Herceptin.

    Tumor markers were done after 6 weeks, right before my 3rd tx.

    I was also wondering if people had markers drop so fast and how long they stayed down.

    You are going through so much at this time.  I truly wish you the best.  I hope treatment works for all of us.

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  • Fitztwins
    Fitztwins Member Posts: 7,969
    edited October 2007

    I read an article in Readers Digest of a lady who was on it for 10 years!! It kept her BC in her liver at bay.  As long as it doesn't effect the heart..it is okay.

    Janis

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  • Denny123
    Denny123 Member Posts: 1,886
    edited October 2007

    I have been on Herceptin for almost 4 years.  Along with Gemzar, Herceptin helped to eliminate my liver mets, and I have now been on Herceptin alone for almost 3 years. 

    My last CA27-29 was 21 and my heart EF is around 55%.  So I have been doing very well and will stay on Herceptin for the next 50 years-I hope!

    Denise

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  • miss-di
    miss-di Member Posts: 161
    edited October 2007

    Thank you fitz and Denny,

    That's exactly what I'm looking for also.  50 might be a little long for me to hang around, but 25 sounds pretty good at this point.

    Best of luck to all,

    Diane

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  • KLynn
    KLynn Member Posts: 1,407
    edited October 2007

    Hi Diane, Heres my story with herceptin, hope it helps some. I was originally dx in 2000 , stage 2 ish , 6/17 positive er/pr++++ and her2++++ off the charts doc said. I had bilateral, chemo,  radi., and was offered a clinical trial of herceptin, where I was given herc every week for 1 yr. ( half were given it for 6 months). then had tamox for almost 5 yrs when i had a recur to my lungs. Started chemo again with Herceptin , first drug being taxotere, only on for 3 months, didn't help at all. Next Xeloda with herc. worked , but the se's were just too much , after dose reduction many times, and still too many se's I quit the drug,.That was for 7 months. Okay so nexted was Gemzar with hercp. I was on that for 1 yr. , all along with good results. Thats almost 2 yrs of chemo and herceptin, it seemed like it went on forever. I am now in REMISSION, no more chemo,Yahoooey. I will stay on herceptin , going to every 3 weeks instead of every week. As long as my body and heart can handle it that way, if not back to weekly hercp. I wish I had been given herc. all along from original dx, and maybe I wouldn't have had a recur to the lungs, but who knows, and it was still in trial then. I get echos of the heart every 3 months and so far everything has been fine. I too would like to be able to get herc. for the next 50 yrs too. Hope this helps some. Take Care and Hugs to you ----KLynn

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  • miss-di
    miss-di Member Posts: 161
    edited November 2007

    Thank you KLynn (a little late).

    My first goround I was HER2-, this time highly +.  My onc said I should be happy about that as I am now on Herceptin and Arimidex only.  My first set of tumor markers went down to normal.  I haven't had my second MUGA yet, Dec. I think, also redo my Pet Scan. 

    At this point though, if it's at the end of Dec. I'd rather just wait and not get bad news right before Christmas.

    I was told if you don't have heart problems in the beginning, your chances are good you will not.  Hope that is true.

    Thank you again and my best to everyone.

    Di

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  • debic
    debic Member Posts: 216
    edited November 2007

    Diane

    i sit next to a lady every three weeks as we get our herceptin she has been on it for 7 years   (liver mets) and feels great.  She is a teacher and works, since she started this journey she has seen her daughter marry and has become a grandmother!! Yeah for herceptin.  I have been on it since May.

    Debi

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  • clm
    clm Member Posts: 1
    edited November 2007

    Hello, I was diagnosed in 2000  with stage 4 her2 positive BC. I went through the standard treatments of chemo, mastectomy and radiation. It reoccured in 2003 in my neck. I went through a taxol and herceptin regiment. I was then put on herceptin every three weeks which I continue to do. My cancer is still under control and I have no reoccurance. It has been a wonder drug for me. My Oncologist tells me they really don't know what to do with women like me who have responded so well to herceptin. So they keep me on my herceptin treatments. Hope this has helped.

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  • Marie853
    Marie853 Member Posts: 45
    edited November 2007

    Only time will tell with Herceptin. I have only been on it since Oct 3rd (seven weeks). So far sooooo good! No side effects. Just hope my next scans back it up positively. Bye-bye liver mets!

    I thank God everyday for Herceptin!

    :)

    ~Barb

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