I am due to start radiotherapy at the end of September for a month but my Oncologist has offered to start me on Herceptin before then. My poor veins are shot, (the ‘blood’ nurse had to take from my foot last time (I’m due to have my last chemotherapy session on Tuesday) which is too painful to consider again) and I wondered if anyone has been in a similar dilemma. Did you wait until after the radiotherapy and did your veins recover or were they just as bad? If you have received both treatments at the same time, do you wish you had waited? Do you think you felt worse (due to side effects) by combining the two treatments or did you feel fine? Your views would be much appreciated.
I’m not quite in the same position as you as my veins are ok. But I’m having Herceptin alongside rads. I had my last chemo on 3 August (4 EC followed by 4 Tax with Herceptin). I started rads last Wednesday, Concerning side effects, I was warned by my onc that I would get extreme fatigue with the Tax and I have. I’m not quite as tired as I have been but I feel very weak. My legs feel they just can’t carry me and everything is a huge effort. So far, I have had no problem with the Herceptin. Everyone has assured me that there is no problem having Herceptin and rads together. In fact, Friday just gone, I had rads then went straight for my Herceptin. I haven’t noticed any side effects. However, I have only had 3 out of 15 rads so maybe it’s early days yet. Hope this helps.
I had my last chemo on 1st May and my first Herceptin 3 weeks after that on 22nd May. I was anxious to start as soon as possible because studies have shown that Herceptin can be more effective if given with chemo or soon after.
The first Herceptin is a long day - they have to monitor you for 6 hours afterwards - and so I had to have it before starting rads as it wouldn’t have been possible to have the first one and rads on the same day. I started rads on 24th May - just a couple of days after my first Herceptin - and I was fine. The second Herceptin is also quite a long day - they monitor you for 3 hours afterwards so I got an early rads appointment and went to Herceptin afterwards which worked out very well.
I do feel very tired on Herceptin but for me that didn’t start until No. 3. Also the tiredness and soreness with rads didn’t start until the second half for me. I was very pleased that I had started Herceptin before rads.
My veins are not good but probably not as bad as yours as they always manage to get a cannula in my hand eventually. I think my veins are starting to recover from chemo now - nearly 5 months after - I’m not sure but I don’t think they had recovered very much when I started Herceptin.
Good luck
Love Anthi
I will be having rads and herceptin at the same time as my onc tells me the herceptin has to start within 3 months of finishing chemo. I have my final chemo this coming Thursday then lumpectomy on 2nd October so should be starting rads early November
Hi Jibby - thank you that is useful to know and so glad to hear the combination is not causing you problems so far.
Hi Anthi - thank you for your comments. You made an interesting point about research showing receiving Herceptin soon after chemo is more effective, can you remember where you saw that?
Hi Sharon - it will be interesting to know how you get on with the combination. Good luck for Thursday and especially for the 2nd.
Thank you all for your comments, that sounds quite encouraging. I was also thinking about signing up for various adult education classes e.g. dance, guitar and tai chi which would start alongside the radiotherapy but by your experiences I may be taking on too much, perhaps better off leaving some of it until next year!
There’s another reference which I can’t find which says that the sooner you start Herceptin after chemo the better. If I come across it I’ll do another post.
The classes sound great fun. You may be sore for a short time after rads so some types of dance may not be a good idea - but the soreness doesn’t last for long. However if you get the Herceptin tiredness you may not feel much like dancing.
Take care
Anthi x
Hi Poppy,
Guess each hospital does things slightly differently. I also finish chemo on Tuesday (all being well) I then have to wait about eight weeks before starting rads but in the meantime my onc wants to start me on Heceptin and Tamoxifen - I’m a bit worried about the double whammy of starting two new drugs at once and also wonder why they arn’t doing the rads first - might be something to do with the wating list at the hospital? Still I have faith (hope it isn’t misplaced) that my onc is doing the best he can with the facilities available - time will tell
Hope all goes well for you on Tues with the ever shrinking veins (someone told me to drink lots the night before - not sure if it helps but must be worth a try?
cheers
caroline
Due to starting herceptin alongside my chemo I was still on herceptin during my 25 rads sessions and didn’t notice it, infact thought it killed 2 birds with 1 stone so to speak as usally the drive took an hour each way. My veins had no break for 17 months and were pretty sad towards the end, have your chemo nurses or Onc offered a line or port (cant remember exact name) but they were trying to talk me into it and I declined due to having young kids and I was getting close to finishing.
I did find my treatment plan very tiring, but was able to get taxotere and herceptin before NICE approval and was first patient not on a trial, at that time woman were still fighting my health authority for herceptin so I just quietly went with the flow.
I was advised to drink loads of water the night before sometimes it worked and other times it could take a few attempts, my record was 8 and a couple of the chemo nurses would avoid me until I was set up then would come over to say hello.
I would just go for it, all the articles I have read state starting herceptin asap is the better option.
Like many of the replies you have, I have also already started Herceptin alongside my chemo. I had my first one with my 2nd Taxotere (after having 3 FEC before this) and will have my 2nd one with my 3rd Taxotere. Therefore I will start rads with my Herceptin already going on. I will also be starting hormonal therapy when chemo finishes so will in fact be doing Herceptin, hormonal therapy, and rads at the same time. Bring it on I say and kill the little buggers!
Interesting - It seems most of you are receiving herceptin alongside rads as well as other treatments and not falling over as a result.
Anthi - thank you for the references I will have a look at those.
Hi Caroline - my Onc offered me the choice of herceptin before or after rads and did not imply an urgency. Her reason for me starting it before was because it would end the whole cancer treatment sooner rather than later next year. I had decided to wait until after rads to give my veins a rest but reading everyone’s comments, I’m in two minds again. My rads treatment has been brought forward by a week (due to start on the 17th now rather than the 24th at my request, so my husband will be at home for weeks three and four) but you could always ask your radiotherapy department and Oncologist why you have to wait 8 weeks. I have to have tamoxifen too but think they will start me on that towards the end of rads. It might help to put your concerns in a letter to your Oncologist, at least they know you are keeping an eye on what is happening.
Must go, I’ve been up since 2am and my hubby has just called to say breakfast is ready. Good luck to everyone and thank you for your comments.
I have just had my 2nd FEC and am then going to have chemo and herceptin together - chemox 3 session- herceptin for 12 months- i have opted to have porta caff inserted before my next chemo as my first 2 chemos i felt like a pin cushion as the nurses tell me my veins are difficult!!!. I feel grateful that herceptin is avaiable to everyone now. my oncoligist has given me a great prognosis- as i had a grade 2,1.8 mm lump with no lymph nodes involved.95% chance of no reoccurrence - so herceptin must be good. When i first found out i was her2+ i wrongly went on the internet and scared my self silly looking at all the sites. my oncologist is the one im going to,listen to- take care everyone
lol sarah xx
I had herceptin and rads together and it caused no problems.
However, I then had taxotere 3 weeks after finishing rads and that caused all my rads area to go red again.
good luck
kate