I had no idea kadcyla goes through an IV….assumdd its the same leg type injection as herceptin. I agree with all i would go for a port now if needed. Ive been poked 16 times today with needles!!
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I have a port for Kadcyla. I had a PICC line for 9 weeks during my neoadjuvant chemo as they couldn’t get good enough veins for a cannula (in fact I now have veins which might have permanently collapsed and tissue damage in my arm). The PICC was ok and I was offered it again for Kadcyla but I asked for a port because the weekly flushes, difficulty showering, and inability to swim were all a bit obstructive to normal life. Plus there is a lower infection risk with a port. At my hospital they don’t offer sedation for the fitting and I didn’t feel I could do it with local anaesthetic alone, so they agreed to do it under general. I had my breast surgery in November, port was fitted in December and kadcyla started at the very end of December so a 6 week gap from surgery. My wounds (breast surgery and port fitting) were slow to heal as I had an allergic reaction to the surgical glue, so my kadcyla start was delayed a little. I’ve just started radiotherapy which was also delayed for the same reason.
I’d definitely recommend a port - it does feel a bit funny under your skin but much easier to live with than a PICC. But ask in advance whether they will sedate you while it’s fitted.
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I also recommend a port. I had mine done in my arm under local anaesthetic and removed at the end of the regular treatments. (No point in keeping it just for the 6 monthly zoledronic acids.) It was great and I didn’t feel a thing. It just stays there for the whole of treatment and you don’t need to have all those cannulas.
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I had surgery in March, Radiotherapy in May and started Kadcyla in June. My Kadcyla was delayed as changed from NHS to Private care before surgery at which point my her2 status was queried. They checked everything after surgery and original tumour was deemed her2 negative and after even more testing the bit left in node was declared her2 low so it was all a bit of a rush at that point to get the Kadcyla started. I believe it’s supposed to start within 90 days of surgery x
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Thanks @woody2 x
Hello HER 2 positive diagnosis stage 1, recently Im getting scans on Friday, my drs are wanting to do chemo, im not excited about this, is there a milder chemo for HER2? Axillary Tail of the breast tissue, and i dont want a port under my skin, Id rather IV it is that possible??
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Hi @beatit2027 sorry for your diagnosis and that chemo is on the menu for you.
Your questions are good ones, but probably only questions your oncologist can answer, as your diagnosis is unique to you. My journey also involved chemo which I’m just over half-way through. I started in November and will finish in March. I have a PICC line, and am glad of it to be honest. It was a bit bothersome to start with, but I am used to it now.
I think some people do have chemo with cannula with mixed reactions.
Definitely have a chat with your oncologist about it and they can guide you. Sorry not to be more informative than that. Good luck and if you feel like it, do keep us posted on how you’re getting on.
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Hello @beatit2027 really sorry you’re here. As @Jaygo says your plan will be specific to you, depending on tumour size, lymph node involvement etc, all the things they are currently checking. It does feel overwhelming when you get the diagnosis and they start to explain the treatment you might need. Best just break it down into stages, do your research around that particular bit, and get through that. You will get through. If you’ve time dip into this thread a bit. You will find people who did ports, piccs and cannulas, generally decided on length of chemo, and there are examples of people who got on ok with each. I personally managed 12 paclitaxel on cannulas. At this stage keep asking questions and work on a plan to really look after yourself and seek out those who can support you. As @Jaygo says, do keep in touch with us, especially if you just need to let off steam about those things that people not going through this may not get. Very best.
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Hi Beatit
I am on cannulas as was told i will need 6 chemo sessions so wanted to keep it as near normal as possible. Dont quite think its worked….on my 5th cycle now and in hospital with a cardiac arrythmia. Had a very very scary time in ED. Its day 3 now and they are trying to figure out what went wrong. Today my WBC dropped to 0.6. I did have the booster injection on day 2 as well.
ive had issues as they couldnt find blood vessles suitable to do the job or they stopped working in a few hours. So in ED alone had 21 attempts until i was ready to flee
. So if its all smoothsailing it can work with cannulas but anything that goes wrong and it will be a pickle.
with hindsight i agree with others and go for a pprt or picc whatever is offered.
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I did read this thread in full although joined a bit late as so much was happening. I found it so so useful….people here have so much knowledge and empathy…it really helps.
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Hello and welcome to you @beatit2027 Sorry that you have to join us but good that you’re here. As @Jaygo says, this is really an onco question. Some people just had the Taxol drugs and not the EC if it wasn’t in the lymph nodes. You may be one of these people as you are only Stage 1. Do you know yet whether it was in the lymph nodes? Fingers crossed on that. I had a port and am a fan. Painless and easy to use. As @carrie5 advises, have a read back through this thread. There is a magnifying glass in the top right hand corner and you can do a search on anything and it will offer you the choice of searching ‘in all topics and posts’ or ‘in this topic’. If you pick the latter then it will show you all the posts on cannulas or chemo or whatever you want to read about. And hell yeah, this is a great place for getting it all off your chest.
@fam Sounds like you’ve had a really rotten time of it. Thank goodness you are almost through with chemo.
I am off to Marsden up in Chelsea in an hour for a follow up with my plastic surgeon. I had my reconstruction done in May 2025 so we are now 9 months on. I don’t think he will be as pleased as he was with the symmetry as my fake one has shrunk and settled higher than my real one. My onco said I could probably have something done about it but I’m good. I’m not going to have another op. Once I can get my nipple tassel tattoo done this coming May, then it’s definitely not going to look like the other one. I survived and I care not that I don’t have a matching pair of boobs. I never did anyway, if I’m honest, so what’s new?! I embrace the change and a lopsided, mismatched pair.
xx
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Hi @beatit2027 Welcome to the thread. You have been given some sage advice and don’t need to say anymore. We are all individuals and so is our cancer and subsequent treatment. I always say chemo isn’t nice but it’s doable. I did 12 weekly Paclitaxel and successfully cold capped. I did chop my hair down from a long bob to a pixie to make a better fit as I have a lot of hair. Some say Paclitaxel is a ‘nicer’ chemo ( I personally don’t like to say any chemo is nicer or worse than any other as we all have our own health issues, age and fitness that affect how we tolerate chemo) but I didn’t go have it plain sailing but my team sorted it and did dose reductions and I finished my course. The only thing I was told was that as Paclitaxel is given weekly you have a lower dose than if you had it 3 weekly therefore the side effects may be less. I was originally told Docetaxel and Carboplatin but with my own health issues and family heart problems my plan was changed to Paclitaxel.
Please talk to your team, I would recommend calling your breast care nurse as they have all your notes to hand to be able to explain. You can call the BCN nurses on 0808 800 6000 to chat, they won’t have access to your notes but have a wealth of experience to support you.
@salbert wishing you well in your appointment today. Is cake on the menu for being good at the hospital?
Funny you should mention that @naughty_boob as I have just sat down in the waiting room with a cup of coffee and a packet of complementary salted caramel biscuits. It would have been impolite not to have accepted the kind hospitality of the Marsden. 
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I have the appointment for my pathology results next week with my breast surgeon. Do they normally go through your (new) treatment plan then, or will that be a separate appointment with my oncologist?
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Hi i have the same diagnosis and am due my 4th chemo next week. I didnt want Picc or port so I have cannula and they’ve been totally fine x
Hi @beatit2027 I would recommend a port or a PICC line. I had my first two EC through cannulas and now have permanent vein and tissue damage. I wasn’t offered a PICC until things started to go wrong and I’m still pretty cross that no one thought to offer me one after the first cannula, at which point it was pretty obvious that my veins were not going to make it through 6 infusions. If you don’t want one immediately, at least ask the question at your first cannula infusion as to whether they feel that cannulas throughout will work for you. I now have a port and although the insertion of PICCs and ports isn’t the most pleasant experience, the discomfort is short lived and in my opinion it’s significantly better than living with permanent vein and tissue damage.
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On a separate note has anyone observed if their pre chemo heart rate changed during and after chemo finishes? How long ( weeks/ months)does it take to settle back to normal? Does that mean we become unfit or is it an effect of chemo itself?
@fam interesting question. I am going for my second ECG on Tuesday so will try to remember to ask the questions you pose.
In my experience, chemo can definitely change things regarding the heart. It gave me AF which is now an ongoing issue which means I now take beta blockers and blood thinners, pre treatment no heart issues. We are left with little choice but to hope side effects of our treatment will be minimal, I am very thankful that the chemo was there for me but I do refer to it as the gift that keeps giving 
Chemo affects all cells in your body and is described as a cardiotoxic as is Herceptin/Phesgo for HER2+ treatment and that is why you will be offered an Echo or MUGA scan. They check your ejection fraction which is how much your left ventricle pumps your blood in your heart.
I had Supraventricular tachycardia which makes my heart beat fast for no reason and I am on medication to help this. My ejection fraction dropped during treatment but was within normal limits from 68 to 57 (54%-74% for women) so I didn’t need my final MUGA after treatment finished. As I am already under a cardiologist, I have ECHOs as well and my ejection fraction had improved to 65 months after treatment finished.
Your team will monitor you closely and adjust doses if needed.
I hope this helps. Please talk to your team or call the BCN nurses if you need medical explanation 0808 800 6000.