Re: Questions, questions questions

[Guest guest]

lots of things determind this, just like everyone one of us is differant, so

are our doctors. and so is our cancer. size, how aggressive, patients age,

and so on and so on. i think more doctors are trying to make each patient

their own, so no 2 woman are alike and neither is their treatment. hope this

helps

hugs & prayers from carol in michigan

-- Questions, questions questions

Good Morning ladies I hope you all are doing great and if not, I hope you

find the strength to cope.... I always tell my aunts half the cure is

attitude.....

I thank all of you for all the great info, I am learning quite a lot. I

asked for Margarita's ( one of the twins ) pathology report and I was

surprised it was 5 pages long ,,,, awwwwwwww all those strange words......

at the moment what I am triying to do is to make sure they ( the twins )

make informed decisions.... Gloria's ( the other twin ) cancer has recurred

3 times now. this time she went first for radiation and when she is healed

from that and all drains are out ( she burned severely, and keeps on

accumulating fluid ) she will be starting chemo.... as I said before,

Margarita just finished chemo.... they asked me, and I dont know, what

determines if a patient starts with radiation or chemo? why is it that some

patients get both? I thank you for your patience with me...

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

–

I can only give you my experience. When I had the lumpectomy, my surgeon

said I would probably only need radiation. But when the pathology report

came back that my margins weren’t clear we had to go ahead with a

mastectomy. After THAT pathology report, he told me the margins were now

clear and radiation wouldn’t help. He referred me to an oncologist with

which I did a minimum course of chemo. The oncologist also checked with

their radiation department and it was confirmed that radiation wouldn’t help

in my case. I’m guessing it’s because they felt they got all the cancer

with the second surgery and the chemo was just precautionary.

Questions, questions questions

Good Morning ladies I hope you all are doing great and if not, I hope you

find the strength to cope.... I always tell my aunts half the cure is

attitude.....

I thank all of you for all the great info, I am learning quite a lot. I

asked for Margarita's ( one of the twins ) pathology report and I was

surprised it was 5 pages long ,,,, awwwwwwww all those strange words......

at the moment what I am triying to do is to make sure they ( the twins )

make informed decisions.... Gloria's ( the other twin ) cancer has recurred

3 times now. this time she went first for radiation and when she is healed

from that and all drains are out ( she burned severely, and keeps on

accumulating fluid ) she will be starting chemo.... as I said before,

Margarita just finished chemo.... they asked me, and I dont know, what

determines if a patient starts with radiation or chemo? why is it that some

patients get both? I thank you for your patience with me...

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

,

Each dr and each patient is different. It all depends on what the circumstances

are. Some drs give chemo first if the tumor is too big in hopes of shrinking it

before surgery. I will keep your Aunts in my prayers.

Hugs

nne

Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Life

http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html

BreastCancerStories.com

http://www.breastcancerstories.com/content/view/433/161/

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www.angelfeatherloomer.blogspot.com

Check out my other ornaments at

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Lots of info and gifts at:

www.cancerclub.com

Questions, questions questions

Good Morning ladies I hope you all are doing great and if not, I hope you find

the strength to cope.... I always tell my aunts half the cure is attitude.....

I thank all of you for all the great info, I am learning quite a lot. I asked

for Margarita's ( one of the twins ) pathology report and I was surprised it was

5 pages long ,,,, awwwwwwww all those strange words......

at the moment what I am triying to do is to make sure they ( the twins ) make

informed decisions.... Gloria's ( the other twin ) cancer has recurred 3 times

now. this time she went first for radiation and when she is healed from that and

all drains are out ( she burned severely, and keeps on accumulating fluid ) she

will be starting chemo.... as I said before, Margarita just finished chemo....

they asked me, and I dont know, what determines if a patient starts with

radiation or chemo? why is it that some patients get both? I thank you for your

patience with me...

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

,

Each dr and each patient is different. It all depends on what the circumstances

are. Some drs give chemo first if the tumor is too big in hopes of shrinking it

before surgery. I will keep your Aunts in my prayers.

Hugs

nne

Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Life

http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html

BreastCancerStories.com

http://www.breastcancerstories.com/content/view/433/161/

Angel Feather Loomer

www.angelfeatherloomer.blogspot.com

Check out my other ornaments at

www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.html

Lots of info and gifts at:

www.cancerclub.com

Questions, questions questions

Good Morning ladies I hope you all are doing great and if not, I hope you find

the strength to cope.... I always tell my aunts half the cure is attitude.....

I thank all of you for all the great info, I am learning quite a lot. I asked

for Margarita's ( one of the twins ) pathology report and I was surprised it was

5 pages long ,,,, awwwwwwww all those strange words......

at the moment what I am triying to do is to make sure they ( the twins ) make

informed decisions.... Gloria's ( the other twin ) cancer has recurred 3 times

now. this time she went first for radiation and when she is healed from that and

all drains are out ( she burned severely, and keeps on accumulating fluid ) she

will be starting chemo.... as I said before, Margarita just finished chemo....

they asked me, and I dont know, what determines if a patient starts with

radiation or chemo? why is it that some patients get both? I thank you for your

patience with me...

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

thank you Cath Margarita was also reffered to a radiologist who also said she

didnt need the radiation...... thank God for that and yes we are alslo

GUESSING they feel they got it all.....

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

thank you Cath Margarita was also reffered to a radiologist who also said she

didnt need the radiation...... thank God for that and yes we are alslo

GUESSING they feel they got it all.....

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Thank you ne

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Thank you ne

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Thank you Carol, it does help.

this is sort of the answer I gave them specially since they are both going to

the same surgeon and same oncologist, just like I am triying to convince them

that just because they are twins it dont mean if one med is not good for one ,

it wont be for the other,,,,,, they are not identical twins but we do think

is

" weird " that one had the cancer on the left breast and the other on the

rigth....

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

I am sorry Rhonda this part of your post has me upset with the wording you

have chosen. HOW can you say a YOUNGER person needs a better shot at a cure or

longevity, and older person doesn't need to buy as much time.

I am so very glad that my ONC doesn't feel the same.

In a message dated 9/24/2006 8:21:43 AM Central Daylight Time,

rhondakarl7@... writes:

A younger person can usually handle a more aggressive treatment, and they

need a better shot at cure or longevity. Whereas, you wouldn't necessarily put

an older person's body through that severe of treatment. They don't need to

buy as much time,

Vicki K.

Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas

_Our Fur Kid's_ (http://www.picturetrail.com/yorkies4times)

Biopsy Dx'd 3-23-05 w/ 3 cm tumor

MRM 4-5-05 w/ 2 tumor's 5 cm, and 6 cm (right side)

5+/16 nodes

Stage III A

ER/PR-, Her2/neu ++

Begin Chemo 5-2-05 4XAC Dose Dense, 4X Abraxane Dose Dense (ended August 05)

28 Rad's ended October 13, 2005

Started Herceptin Weekly August 2005 for one year, will be done this August

2006.

Had a Simple mastectomy left side after Mamo showed increased

micro-calcifications. Jan. 17 2006

[Guest guest]

I am sorry Rhonda this part of your post has me upset with the wording you

have chosen. HOW can you say a YOUNGER person needs a better shot at a cure or

longevity, and older person doesn't need to buy as much time.

I am so very glad that my ONC doesn't feel the same.

In a message dated 9/24/2006 8:21:43 AM Central Daylight Time,

rhondakarl7@... writes:

A younger person can usually handle a more aggressive treatment, and they

need a better shot at cure or longevity. Whereas, you wouldn't necessarily put

an older person's body through that severe of treatment. They don't need to

buy as much time,

Vicki K.

Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas

_Our Fur Kid's_ (http://www.picturetrail.com/yorkies4times)

Biopsy Dx'd 3-23-05 w/ 3 cm tumor

MRM 4-5-05 w/ 2 tumor's 5 cm, and 6 cm (right side)

5+/16 nodes

Stage III A

ER/PR-, Her2/neu ++

Begin Chemo 5-2-05 4XAC Dose Dense, 4X Abraxane Dose Dense (ended August 05)

28 Rad's ended October 13, 2005

Started Herceptin Weekly August 2005 for one year, will be done this August

2006.

Had a Simple mastectomy left side after Mamo showed increased

micro-calcifications. Jan. 17 2006

[Guest guest]

,

nne is right. Just like there is more than one recipe for good chocolate

chip cookies, sometimes there is more than one right way to treat cancers. I

know they used to say that mastectomy was the equivalent of lumpectomy with

radiation for some breast cancers. It is a very individual thing.

Chemo before surgery is called " neoadjuvant. " It is used to get the cancer

into a form that can be removed. If you have a simple chocolate covered almond

sized lump, it can be removed with surgery first. But if you have something

with little octopus tentacles (to be graphic and overly dramatic), you've got to

shrivel up those extensions with some chemo prior to trying to take them out

with surgery.

When you think of surgery, think of the vein in the drumstick of the chicken.

It has that sticky quality. When that is a live structure in a person, with

blood flowing through it, it is delicate to separate it from the meat/muscle.

That is how it is with some surgery. The tissues are sticky and delicate to

separate from each other. For some surgeries they just can't do it, they have

to shrink the cancer first so it's easier to cut out.

Sometimes different chemo drugs are picked based on the patients age or kidney

status. A younger person can usually handle a more aggressive treatment, and

they need a better shot at cure or longevity. Whereas, you wouldn't necessarily

put an older person's body through that severe of treatment. They don't need to

buy as much time, and/or their internal organs just can't do the work involved

to recover from the assault of the treatement.

Studies have been done and are still being done that show the percentages for

which treatment works the best (or the same) for each stage or type of cancer.

But it is the individual's choice whether to go through with all their options.

Sometimes treatment decisions are made based on availability. For example, if

you lived in a place where radiation was a very long ways away, you might opt

not to get it.

Genetics are the thing of the future. Someday these treatments will probably

look like leaches or castor oil that was given for everything in the olden days

looks to us now. All these options will seem archaic. We will probably be able

to run the biopsy specimen through some tests and tell what treatment WILL

work for that person. I hope I live long enough to see it.

Rhonda

& nne Svihlik wrote:

,

Each dr and each patient is different. It all depends on what the circumstances

are. Some drs give chemo first if the tumor is too big in hopes of shrinking it

before surgery. I will keep your Aunts in my prayers.

Hugs

nne

Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Life

http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html

BreastCancerStories.com

http://www.breastcancerstories.com/content/view/433/161/

Angel Feather Loomer

www.angelfeatherloomer.blogspot.com

Check out my other ornaments at

www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.html

Lots of info and gifts at:

www.cancerclub.com

Questions, questions questions

Good Morning ladies I hope you all are doing great and if not, I hope you find

the strength to cope.... I always tell my aunts half the cure is attitude.....

I thank all of you for all the great info, I am learning quite a lot. I asked

for Margarita's ( one of the twins ) pathology report and I was surprised it was

5 pages long ,,,, awwwwwwww all those strange words......

at the moment what I am triying to do is to make sure they ( the twins ) make

informed decisions.... Gloria's ( the other twin ) cancer has recurred 3 times

now. this time she went first for radiation and when she is healed from that and

all drains are out ( she burned severely, and keeps on accumulating fluid ) she

will be starting chemo.... as I said before, Margarita just finished chemo....

they asked me, and I dont know, what determines if a patient starts with

radiation or chemo? why is it that some patients get both? I thank you for your

patience with me...

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

,

nne is right. Just like there is more than one recipe for good chocolate

chip cookies, sometimes there is more than one right way to treat cancers. I

know they used to say that mastectomy was the equivalent of lumpectomy with

radiation for some breast cancers. It is a very individual thing.

Chemo before surgery is called " neoadjuvant. " It is used to get the cancer

into a form that can be removed. If you have a simple chocolate covered almond

sized lump, it can be removed with surgery first. But if you have something

with little octopus tentacles (to be graphic and overly dramatic), you've got to

shrivel up those extensions with some chemo prior to trying to take them out

with surgery.

When you think of surgery, think of the vein in the drumstick of the chicken.

It has that sticky quality. When that is a live structure in a person, with

blood flowing through it, it is delicate to separate it from the meat/muscle.

That is how it is with some surgery. The tissues are sticky and delicate to

separate from each other. For some surgeries they just can't do it, they have

to shrink the cancer first so it's easier to cut out.

Sometimes different chemo drugs are picked based on the patients age or kidney

status. A younger person can usually handle a more aggressive treatment, and

they need a better shot at cure or longevity. Whereas, you wouldn't necessarily

put an older person's body through that severe of treatment. They don't need to

buy as much time, and/or their internal organs just can't do the work involved

to recover from the assault of the treatement.

Studies have been done and are still being done that show the percentages for

which treatment works the best (or the same) for each stage or type of cancer.

But it is the individual's choice whether to go through with all their options.

Sometimes treatment decisions are made based on availability. For example, if

you lived in a place where radiation was a very long ways away, you might opt

not to get it.

Genetics are the thing of the future. Someday these treatments will probably

look like leaches or castor oil that was given for everything in the olden days

looks to us now. All these options will seem archaic. We will probably be able

to run the biopsy specimen through some tests and tell what treatment WILL

work for that person. I hope I live long enough to see it.

Rhonda

& nne Svihlik wrote:

,

Each dr and each patient is different. It all depends on what the circumstances

are. Some drs give chemo first if the tumor is too big in hopes of shrinking it

before surgery. I will keep your Aunts in my prayers.

Hugs

nne

Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Life

http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html

BreastCancerStories.com

http://www.breastcancerstories.com/content/view/433/161/

Angel Feather Loomer

www.angelfeatherloomer.blogspot.com

Check out my other ornaments at

www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.html

Lots of info and gifts at:

www.cancerclub.com

Questions, questions questions

Good Morning ladies I hope you all are doing great and if not, I hope you find

the strength to cope.... I always tell my aunts half the cure is attitude.....

I thank all of you for all the great info, I am learning quite a lot. I asked

for Margarita's ( one of the twins ) pathology report and I was surprised it was

5 pages long ,,,, awwwwwwww all those strange words......

at the moment what I am triying to do is to make sure they ( the twins ) make

informed decisions.... Gloria's ( the other twin ) cancer has recurred 3 times

now. this time she went first for radiation and when she is healed from that and

all drains are out ( she burned severely, and keeps on accumulating fluid ) she

will be starting chemo.... as I said before, Margarita just finished chemo....

they asked me, and I dont know, what determines if a patient starts with

radiation or chemo? why is it that some patients get both? I thank you for your

patience with me...

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Vicki,

I am sorry to offend you, my intention was not to upset anyone, only to

explain. Now I hope I do not stick my whole leg in my mouth. The younger

person's remission needs to last longer, they have more life left to live. At

30, you want to buy 60 years, at 60, you hope you can buy 30.

We can cure cancer, only sometimes we would kill the patient to do it. The

patient's go through the difficult months of treatment to " buy " months or years

of life. Some of the more aggressive treatments are really REALLY hard on older

people, heck, they are hard on younger people. So, sometimes they are given

drugs that are less toxic to deal with. It really is barbaric to put them

through that, zero quality of life during that time, and they still get a good

remission from it.

I think it is that same old argument with lots of other health issues: just

because a treatment is available is it right, appropriate, eithical, or prudent

to always give it? The horror stories would keep people that get diagnosed

later away from getting any treatment, and that would not be good for their

survival.

I hope that does not make things worse.

sorry,

Rhonda

JVK105@... wrote:

I am sorry Rhonda this part of your post has me upset with the wording you

have chosen. HOW can you say a YOUNGER person needs a better shot at a cure or

longevity, and older person doesn't need to buy as much time.

I am so very glad that my ONC doesn't feel the same.

In a message dated 9/24/2006 8:21:43 AM Central Daylight Time,

rhondakarl7@... writes:

A younger person can usually handle a more aggressive treatment, and they

need a better shot at cure or longevity. Whereas, you wouldn't necessarily put

an older person's body through that severe of treatment. They don't need to

buy as much time,

Vicki K.

Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas

_Our Fur Kid's_ (http://www.picturetrail.com/yorkies4times)

Biopsy Dx'd 3-23-05 w/ 3 cm tumor

MRM 4-5-05 w/ 2 tumor's 5 cm, and 6 cm (right side)

5+/16 nodes

Stage III A

ER/PR-, Her2/neu ++

Begin Chemo 5-2-05 4XAC Dose Dense, 4X Abraxane Dose Dense (ended August 05)

28 Rad's ended October 13, 2005

Started Herceptin Weekly August 2005 for one year, will be done this August

2006.

Had a Simple mastectomy left side after Mamo showed increased

micro-calcifications. Jan. 17 2006

[Guest guest]

I totally understand the doubts about quality vs quantity of life, is it worth

it or not, when I read about all the side effects of the drug you take for 5

years, 5 years of " dragging through life " in order to hopefully " buy "

life...........

On the other hand I totally disagree on a younger's person treatment vs older

person..... my aunts are twins, they are 64 and the way they each are reacting

to the cancer and treatment itself is totally different, Margarita goes for

chemo and the " worst " she'll do is lack herself in her room as much as she

can the week ot the chemo session..... and she says she can take it..... where

Gloria is weaker and cries for attention at the smaller sign of pain, she

believes her doctors should stop their personal life in case she needs

them..... in all fairness, this is Glorias 3rd time of this cancer coming back,

and Margaritas first..

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Rhonda;

Thank you so very much for your patience in explaining all this and the form

that you do it, wich is not only easier for me and my aunts to understand but

also easier to translate and explain in a way they understand better.....

you mention biopsy, and this bring to mind another question ,,,, I've heard

before that sometimes taking a biopsy can act as a " trim " to the cancer and

make it spread faster is this a mith?

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I believe that is based on if there are any microscopic cancer cells

remaining, they may travel to other parts of the body looking for a host

to grow on. That's why even when a pathology reports clear margins, the

doctors don't want to wait too long to start treatment.

Ramos wrote on 9/24/2006, 12:09 PM:

> Rhonda;

>

>

> I've heard before that sometimes taking a biopsy can act as a " trim

> " to the cancer and make it spread faster is this a mith?

>

[Guest guest]

,

The biopsy is surely not helping to keep the cancer isolated (not spreading).

But it really is the only way to know what is going on. It is not spreading

like a wild fire in strong wind from a biopsy, but it doesn't make sense to send

people in for lumpectomies every time they get a benign cyst or ductal infection

either. For now it is just the nature of the beast.

If the biopsy proves to be malignant, then take it out. So far as I know, it

is the best science we have right now. Wouldn't it be great if we could go

through the transporter on Star Trek, and just beam it out? Or do non invasive

lazer surgery? Who knows, maybe we will see that someday and all this present

day health care will seem like jack the ripper or something.

I wouldn't worry about the biopsy spreading the cancer, as long as treatment

is given in short order (surgery, radiation, chemo-whatever order or combination

needed).

Best wishes,

Rhonda

Ramos wrote:

Rhonda;

Thank you so very much for your patience in explaining all this and the form

that you do it, wich is not only easier for me and my aunts to understand but

also easier to translate and explain in a way they understand better.....

you mention biopsy, and this bring to mind another question ,,,, I've heard

before that sometimes taking a biopsy can act as a " trim " to the cancer and

make it spread faster is this a mith?

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

,

The biopsy is surely not helping to keep the cancer isolated (not spreading).

But it really is the only way to know what is going on. It is not spreading

like a wild fire in strong wind from a biopsy, but it doesn't make sense to send

people in for lumpectomies every time they get a benign cyst or ductal infection

either. For now it is just the nature of the beast.

If the biopsy proves to be malignant, then take it out. So far as I know, it

is the best science we have right now. Wouldn't it be great if we could go

through the transporter on Star Trek, and just beam it out? Or do non invasive

lazer surgery? Who knows, maybe we will see that someday and all this present

day health care will seem like jack the ripper or something.

I wouldn't worry about the biopsy spreading the cancer, as long as treatment

is given in short order (surgery, radiation, chemo-whatever order or combination

needed).

Best wishes,

Rhonda

Ramos wrote:

Rhonda;

Thank you so very much for your patience in explaining all this and the form

that you do it, wich is not only easier for me and my aunts to understand but

also easier to translate and explain in a way they understand better.....

you mention biopsy, and this bring to mind another question ,,,, I've heard

before that sometimes taking a biopsy can act as a " trim " to the cancer and

make it spread faster is this a mith?

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

,

You're right, the microscopic cells of a biopsied lump can be loosed during a

biopsy. I think we can get too crazy with paranoia about it though. While it

is a real risk, to keep it in perspective, how many hundreds or thousands of

these breast biopsies are done every week day? Right now it is the standard of

care. It could be possible that they develop some kind of treatment to do right

at the time of biopsy to discourage such a thing, and I can't quote you the

statistics of how great the risk is expected to be right now for a biopsy

causing spread.

The really important thing is to work on the whole lump. Cancer cells don't

" hang together " like normal cells do in tissue. So that lump having " dandruff

of cowboy cancer cells " is a concern as well. It is kind of like you can't

worry about one suicide (homicide) bomber that breaks loose from the group, you

kind of have to get them all to be out of danger.

Rhonda

wrote:

Hi ,

I believe that is based on if there are any microscopic cancer cells

remaining, they may travel to other parts of the body looking for a host

to grow on. That's why even when a pathology reports clear margins, the

doctors don't want to wait too long to start treatment.

Ramos wrote on 9/24/2006, 12:09 PM:

> Rhonda;

>

>

> I've heard before that sometimes taking a biopsy can act as a " trim

> " to the cancer and make it spread faster is this a mith?

>

---------------------------------

Talk is cheap. Use Yahoo! Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. Great rates

starting at 1¢/min.

[Guest guest]

,

You're right, the microscopic cells of a biopsied lump can be loosed during a

biopsy. I think we can get too crazy with paranoia about it though. While it

is a real risk, to keep it in perspective, how many hundreds or thousands of

these breast biopsies are done every week day? Right now it is the standard of

care. It could be possible that they develop some kind of treatment to do right

at the time of biopsy to discourage such a thing, and I can't quote you the

statistics of how great the risk is expected to be right now for a biopsy

causing spread.

The really important thing is to work on the whole lump. Cancer cells don't

" hang together " like normal cells do in tissue. So that lump having " dandruff

of cowboy cancer cells " is a concern as well. It is kind of like you can't

worry about one suicide (homicide) bomber that breaks loose from the group, you

kind of have to get them all to be out of danger.

Rhonda

wrote:

Hi ,

I believe that is based on if there are any microscopic cancer cells

remaining, they may travel to other parts of the body looking for a host

to grow on. That's why even when a pathology reports clear margins, the

doctors don't want to wait too long to start treatment.

Ramos wrote on 9/24/2006, 12:09 PM:

> Rhonda;

>

>

> I've heard before that sometimes taking a biopsy can act as a " trim

> " to the cancer and make it spread faster is this a mith?

>

---------------------------------

Talk is cheap. Use Yahoo! Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. Great rates

starting at 1¢/min.

[Guest guest]

Rhonda,

Once again, thank you for your info will you be so kind as to explain

Herceptin?

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

Rhonda,

Once again, thank you for your info will you be so kind as to explain

Herceptin?

---------------------------------

[Guest guest]

,

Erb 1 and Erb 2 are receptors on breast cancer cells. Erb 2 = Her 2 neu.

When the breast cancer is Her 2 neu positive by FISH, patient is eligible for

the study drug Lapatinib that works on Erb 1 and Erb 2. This drug will be

released in January.

The immunohistochemisty test or IHC is the old test for Her 2 neu (Erb 2). It

is not as sensitive as the FISH. Our local pathology routinely do IHC, but my

doctors want them to do the FISH. The FISH has to be sent out for. Someone who

is Her 2 neu 3+ by IHC will usually be Her 2 neu positive by FISH. Anything

less than Her 2 neu 3+ will not be FISH positive.

Herceptin is an antibody, it is technically not a chemotherapy drug.

Herceptin is effective against Her 2 neu positive tumors. In the adjuvant

setting, it is given for up to a year. In the metastatic setting, it is never

stopped (well, never say never, but it can be given for many years). We have

patients who have been on it for something like 9-11 years. I guess whenever it

first came out.

I have seen patients get muscle/joint aches, headaches, fatigue, and swelling

with it. There is that little issue of the ejection fraction of the biggest

chamber of the heart too...Can't do jumping jacks all day with a weak and boggy

heart. The heart does heal though, but it takes time, and maybe not 100%, it

depends.

Hope that helps,

Rhonda

Ramos wrote:

Rhonda,

Once again, thank you for your info will you be so kind as to explain Herceptin?

---------------------------------