Herceptin

ShazS

Hi All, Was told I will be having herceptin any advice please. Shazx

JoeyLiz

I'm having it for 12 months too but no idea when it starts (think it starts with the placitaxol maybe....)
sorry no help!

ShazS

Thanks JoeyLiz yeah all new to me also .

primek

Hercepton starts with paclitaxol usually and is given 3 weekly for 17 cycles. You will be monitored for side effects including either an echo cardiogram or a muga scan (or also known as gated blood pool scan)...usually 3 monthly initially and before treatment starts. 

Once you've finished the chemo part you will have much less side effects. I just had a bit of tiredness the week of treatment but thst was all. I needed mine stopped early due to issues that was picked up with the monitoring. But I have made full recovery since. 

poodlejules

13 down , 5 to go. My treatment is for 18 over a year . Every 3 weeks with the Taxol and then on its own.Infusion given over 1/2 hour and not as many (if any ) side effects compared to chemo . For me , I got shakey and shivery while it was going in (its cold!!) but paracetamol helped with that. I think it has slowed down my hair growth a bit? And I get flickering eyes and a runny sometime bloody nose. You have to have a heart scan every 3 months as it can damage your heart, but my scans have been all good.I don't get much sleep anymore but whether that's a side effect or just my age ......who knows???I see some women working away on laptops as they're being infused and then straight back to work, whereas I go home to bed for a quick nap, so again it affects different people differently. And apparently there's a movie about this "wonderdrug" starring Harry Connick Jnr if you want to look it up . All the best with it, I finished chemo 6 months ago and if I could just get a good nights sleep , I think I'd almost be back to feeling 'normal' again!

ShazS

Thank you all for your experiences gives me a look at what's ahead take care all Shazx

Afraser

I had no side effects at all on Herceptin. 3 months with Taxol and then on its own for another 9 months. It can affect your heart but I had no issues at all and as primek says it is monitored carefully. Good luck, it's worth looking up, has proven to be effective.

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Binniebin

Herceptin is given if you are her 2 +, meaning your cancer has a protein attached that makes it grow. If you are positive you'll likely get it 12 months. It may start with chemo or after chemo depending on your pathology. Mine starts after chemo and I only need it for 6 months as my her 2 is not at a high level. In Australia you will get heart scans before starting and every 3 months.it has been a significant discovery in breast cancer treatment and survival rates

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ShazS

Thanks all

ShazS

Is herceptin the chemo I thought it was a tablet. Gathering ecg , port ha cathita , before and after each session. When I went back for my results I got a first year intern and she was rude. I mentioned I haven't looked at my boobs she says look at the now I said um no she says again look at them now as a public patient do we say nothing and go with it or can I have a say? I would prefer to see the doctor I seen before the surgery. Shazx

ShazS

Unreal the price grateful we don't to find the money to pay for it. Unreal about the hamsters.

RubyRumble

@ShazS I go for my first infusion today Paciltaxel & Herceptin (12 weeks of Paciltaxel) Herceptin every 3 weeks. Heart scan and blood test before today, after chemo finishes I can have an injection.

I will let you know how I go! X

primek

Herceptin is an infusion or injection and is a targeted therapy that's given with chemo...then continues after chemo finished for 9 months. The link below explains it.

https://www.bcna.org.au/understanding-breast-cancer/treatment/targeted-therapy/

ShazS

@RubyRumble, That will good thanks Shazx