herceptin and tykerb
herceptin and tykerb Hi everyone
I was just wondering ,because my mets are still growing even tho im on herceptin, would i be able to have Tykerb with herceptin ?it might work on the stubborn ones. My oncologist said if there is still deteriation on the next scan in 3 months he will give me xeloda , but i really want to have chemo as a last resort. Also i have such pain in my lower shoulder more to my back area ,i have had it since last week it shows no sign of relief even with pain killers. At night i wake up with discomfoft in my tummy area too ,i have to take anti acids, i had my gall bladder removed 6 months ago thats how they found the spread to my liver . It feels like i have stones again but it cant be . Ah well im falling to bits . Take care love carolm x
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Hi Carol
Sorry to hear you are in pain. I tried to read your profile to help me reply but it didn’t give me the info I wanted.
My understanding is that tykerb is an anticlonal agent (like herceptin)and is given when it has been shown that herceptin hasn’t worked. Therefore it is not a chemo as such and so wouldn’t be given with herceptin. Does that make sense?
It isn’t currently licenced in the uK so can only be given on the extended access trial so there are certain criteria which as far as I remember are that you’ve had either epirubicin or adriomycin (not sure of spelling) and a taxane (taxol or taxatere)and that herceptin has been given for a year and hasn’t worked. I also understand that it is only given in combo with xeloda.
That is probably not what you wanted to hear.
The extended access trial is only at a few centres in the Uk - much to the disgust of us who are desparate for it as we’ve running out of options.I keep hearing different rumours about when it will be licensed and if it gets NICE approval which is all very worrying.
I do feel for you - even though I feel my reply doesn’t sound sympathetic as I have a young family too and am running out of options.
I was diagnosed 2 years ago and am on xeloda now and only have 1further option of chemo left and tykerb if I can get it. This disease is so horrific isn’t it.
Take care and push for other chemo options as well as tykerb.
I hope your scans are not as bad as you fear.
Let us know how you get on. Sorry if it sounds a depressing reply and hope somebody can be more helpful and sympathetic.
All the best
Kate
HI CAROL M I AM ALSO ON HERCEPTIN , and is not working ,but still on it at present as i am not bad enough for tykerb !!! i wonder how bad you have to be !!
Their 6 hospitals that are doing the trial ! AS TYKERB IS NOT LICENCED it is with a chemo.it is supose to be licenced in septenber then they will be able to give it alone.
Their is a few ladies on this site on the trial .
i am going for scan results on wednesday so we will c where we go from when get results.i have caner secondard in my spine in 3 places radio took a lot of pain away with bone phos ! which i get with herceptin every 3 weeks. i hope you understand all this.if you want more information on the tykerb ,as you onc to forward you to one of the places where they are completing the trials.staffordshire is one, essex is another , sophie
Tykerb Hi Sophie
You seem to know a lot about Tykerb ie where it is being trialled and when it is likely to become available in the UK. Where have you got this information from? I would be interested in reading up on it. I’m seeing my Onc next week and wanted to ask if I could be put on Tykerb but have doubts about my success! Herceptin did not work for me. I have bony secondaries and my bone marrow is heavily infiltrated which was picked up on a recent PET scan. It has been suggested to me that Tykerb will be more effective.
herceptin & tykerb I am 6 months into Herceptin plus Tykerb trial for liver mets. Was selected for the trial as had progression with herceptin only. Last summer I was supposed to have ablation on my liver, but tumours too large to ablate. Surgeon said was prepared to resect and I got as far as operating table when surgeon decided tumours too large to resect! Anyway, last week I had CT scan & blood results which show that there is now slight progression again.
The Herceptin/Tykerb trial has only stopped progression for six months, but have not abandoned trial yet - I have to wait for another scan in 8 weeks before that decision is made…
I have felt ok, apart fron skin rash & slight nausea, during the trial.
So - yes it is possible to have herceptin and tykerb - but only on a trial at present.
Hope this clears things up a bit, hope you find some help from your onc.
Love to all, Sx.
tykerb hi
am on tykerb (lapatanib) trial at the marsden, sutton along capectabine tablets. herceptin was working on me but didn’t reach the brain, whereas tykerb will.
1st scan after only 5 weeks showed things have reduced in brain and stable elsewhere.
hooray!
no real side effects a bit sicky and a bit of diarhoea but all fine. 21 tablets a day to take though.
Mitsou
hi spike i have been reading up on the trial site i did no that you could get herceptin with it though ! so it is worth looking up . i have read good reports though so good look.!!! put a search in google
sophie
How many chemo options are there? Diagnosed Jan 2006 with secondaries to liver and bones. Have had FEC - responded well but liver mets grew when chemo stopped. Then on to Taxotere - worked well for 6 cycles then liver mets started to get bigger. Now on Capecitabine - first 2 cycles kept things stable but tests after 3rd cycle show liver function deteriorating again and cancer marker count has doubled.
Onc now talking about putting me back on Taxotere + Capecitabine. Really don’t want to go back on Taxotere but if I have to, I have to.
Does anyone know what alternatives there are and how many more there might be for me to try. I’m starting to worry that if the liver mets can’t be halted/stabilised soon that I’m going to rapidly run out of options.
Any thoughts or comments gratefully received.
Bevers
How many chemo options are there? Meant to say, I’m also on Herceptin and Tamoxifen plus Zometa.
Bevers
For Bevers Hi Bevers
I have also started a new thread for you, to enable your post to be seen by more users.
Kind Regards
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Breast Cancer Care