Hi,
I’ve never had chemotherapy before but hopefully will be able to start soon. Can you have chemotherapy multiple times. My hormone therapy has stopped working.
Michelle xx
Hi Michelle
I’m so sorry to read that the HT is no longer working. As far as I understand it, Stage 4 breast cancer patients have lines of treatment. The number of lines depends entirely on the individual and on the specific form of breast cancer (and the permutations seem unlimited!!). I, for example, am still on my first line treatment over 2 years since I started chemotherapy (capecitabine). My oncologist hit on the right chemo at the right time. Other patients may respond for, say, 6 months and then stop responding so they are moved onto their next line treatment. I have come across women on their 7th or 8th line treatment.
How many lines of treatment are available to you depends on many factors. But things are changing very fast . New drugs have appeared in the time I’ve been Stage 4. My bc is triple negative and it was always a fact that there were fewer options than for hormone-positive bc. That’s no longer quite so true fortunately. If you’ve been on hormone suppressors, it would suggest you bc is hormone-receptive so you will find a wide range of potential treatments. Your team will work out which is the best option for your specific cancer, which is unique to you.
If you’re unlucky and your first treatment doesn’t suit you or only works for a short time, you get moved onto your next line treatment. Some are kinder than others. Some flatten you with fatigue, some leave you well enough to continue working, travelling, whatever. When you know what your treatment options are, you can find out from here what other people have learnt along the way (how I’ve learnt to avoid Cape tummy, for example) but please remember that the majority of people are here because they need help/support/answers. Those getting on really well probably don’t need to post much. So don’t get too alarmed if it sounds scary. Most of it is manageable and you adapt your life around it. But I’m afraid the days of popping one pill once a day are past now. I’ve just downed 9 this morning; another 9 tonight!!
Good luck with your first line treatment - hope it works well for you.
Jan x
Yes you can have chemo more than once. I had 24 weeks of chemo last year for my primary cancer (4 rounds of EC and 12 weeks of Paclitaxel). I have just started another block of 24 weeks of NAB-Paclitaxel along with some immunotherapy for my secondary cancer. I have TNBC, so hormone blockers aren’t an option for me. Some chemo drugs can’t be repeated, because there is a lifetime limit on how much you can have eg anthracyclines such as epirubicin, the E in EC, which can lead to heart failure if you have too much. Options will depend on the specifics of your cancer, your health, and your own treatment preferences. As you have been on hormone therapy, I assume you have ER+ cancer, which has the largest range of treatment options. Good luck.