Herceptin - Completing Course?

I have just had dose 14 of Herceptin. My veins have all packed up. Only able to find vein after much struggling with ultrasound. I DO NOT want a line of any sort fitted it I can help it. Has anyone not finished the total of 18. Does it make that much difference? I was told it would only make a 7% difference to me anyway assuming I have the lot. Does not having all of them mean the cancer comes back that bit sooner. Having just read NICE guidelines on Herceptin I see it recommends it for one year or less if cancer comes back. What does that mean? It doesnt sound very good to me. It seems to imply that for HER2 its a foregone conclusion that it will come back.

Hi Starfish

Another reason for patients not to finish the full 18 doses of Herceptin seems to be because of impaired heart function. I have had 12 doses of Herceptin when my last heart echocardiogram ‘suggested’ a midly impaired LV systolic function. My herceptin has been put on hold until I have a cardiac scan (tomorrow) I hope to be able to finish the course. Like you, questions regarding my chances of recurrence if I am unable to complete the course go unanswered and again if I am able to resume the Herceptin does the space of time lapsed since my last dose in June render the first 12 doses ineffective. Maybe some of the ladies on the forum can supply some information from their own experiences with Herceptin.

Hi,
I got a booklet from chemo unit when starting herceptin. It states that if you miss an infusion by 3 weeks then when herceptin is commenced you will have to have another loading dose before continuing.

Fiona x

Hi Starfish and everyone. I asked our nurses to comment on this thread for you all. Their response is below, I hope you find it informative.

Hello,

I just wanted to add to your thread here about Herceptin and the queries about completing the course.

As you all know, Herceptin is a fairly new treatment for early breast cancer and is recommended to be given at 3 weekly intervals for a year following surgery and chemotherapy, as this, at the moment, seems the optimum time of treatment. There has been research done that shows that even if Herceptin is given for a much shorter time it can still reduce the risk of the cancer returning. You can read more about further research that is being carried out on the use of Herceptin by clicking on Cancer Research UK site. I have put in the link:

cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=12797

The NICE guidelines recommend stopping the Herceptin if the cancer returns as there is little benefit in continuing with a treatment on which the disease has progressed and there may be an option for other treatments such as chemotherapy.

HER2 positive breast cancers tend to grow more quickly than other types of breast cancers but it is not inevitable that they will reoccur. However, it is not possible to predict who will and who won’t have a recurrence.

Please do consider talking to your breast care nurse and/or consultant about your concerns regarding your treatment or you would be welcome to call our freephone helpline and speak to one of our nurses or trained helpliners on 0808 800 6000.

Best wishes,

Information Nurse

Thank you for that information. This is the first time anyone has said it is not inevitable that it will reoccur. As recently as christmas I was told by a nurse that most people having Herceptin go on to need further treatment. Not very encouraging at all. In fact coupled with many other things has led to me becoming very depressed about everything. Indeed I have been told it only makes a 7% difference to me. Again not sure what that means. I find nurses etc very elusive once your treatment has started.

Thanks for asking this starfish? It’s the first time it’s been properly explained to me too! Like you I have read only negative stuff about being Her 2+ and now I refuse to read anymore. I’ve had the full year of Herceptin I just want to get away from the flippin hospital now… Everyone I know who knows anything about BC has said that Herceptin has been a big factor in the reduction in death rates due to BC over the recent years so I think it’s not inevitable but I still feel I need to cross my fingers tighter than most!
Good Luck
E xx

While I was having Herceptin I went away on a previously booked 3 week holiday and so had a gap of 4 weeks between two of the infusions. My onc said that this was OK but that any longer than 4 weeks would mean starting again with the loading dose.

Best wishes everyone
Anthi x

I didn’t actually meet any ladies who were having as many as 18 doses, we were all being given 13.

Hi,

I have had 3 doses of Herceptin given with Taxotere before having three lots of FEC, I will be starting 15 doses of herceptin in Sept, so it means I will have had 18…

Fiona xx

I completed the course but it was 17 in my case.

Anthi x

I had 2 doses of Herceptin with 2 rounds of taxotere at my previous hospital, but for various reasons I changed hospitals and so the hospital that I am now having treatment are not counting the 2 Herceptin’s that I had before, so I will be having 20 Herceptin instead of 18.

I don’t know if this has any extra benefit or not, I will be glad when they’ve all finished and hope to have the portacath removed.

One of my Onc’s told me that these days with HER2 type cancer, because of the treatment with Herceptin it makes it “no worse” than Hormone positive cancers.

If you look on the HER 2 support site, the American ladies seem to say their Dr’s think having Herceptin is better odds these days, so its not all grim news.