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I am glad to hear she is doing better.

Allan, I just started Herceptin myself.  Had my first treatment last week,
immediately after my Taxotere.  So I ended up sitting there for 5 hours with
a needle in my arm, but I was glad the doctor thought I was well enough to
begin Herceptin treatment.  I'm hoping it will kill, kill, kill (my cancer,
not me!).  Anyhow my point is--the doctor says I'll be getting it every 3
weeks for a year.

So for me, it's "neoadjuvant" now, but will become "adjuvant" after I have
my surgery in December.  At least that's the plan.

I didn't even know it was usually given every week.  Boy, what a PITA that
would be!  (Pain In The Arm, of course.)

Eva

I had read about that treatment regime but Deborah is the first one I have
heard of getting it. It does make sense.
I like Dr Smiley more and more. <g> How are your in-laws doing ? Tell
Deborah to keep up the good work.
Alex

Hi Allan:
The Herceptin dose you talk about is the regular regimen here at our
Regional cancer centre in Toronto, Canada. My wife was diagnosed with Stage
IV Her2+ inflammatory breast cancer with lymph node involvement and liver
mets in August of this year. She was lucky enough to get into a clinical
trial with Herceptin. It is a "loading" study. She had weekly infusions at 3
times the normal dose for 4 weeks. We're on our first 3 week break before
beginning a regimen where she'll get that same triple dose but only once
every three weeks. The point of the study was to see if the levels of
Herceptin usually found after 4 or 5 months of either the weekly or once
every 3 weeks infusions could be arived at more quickly. The jury is still
out. The change to once every three weeks is accompanied by weekly visits to
the chemo clinic for blood tests to first measure the end level after the
multiple large loading doses and then to measure any fluctuation in the
levels. My wife is tolerating the treatments very well and the lumps in her
breast and lymph nodes have begun to shrink. It has been too early to check
the liver mets but you'd expect the same thing is happening there.
I've been lurking for a few weeks and have learned alot from this
interesting and informative group; this looked like a post where I could add
something.
Good luck to you and your wife

Bryan

<< Deborah graduated from chemo again two weeks ago and is now on
straight Herceptin + Arimidex + monthly Zoladex.

What chemo had she most recently been on and for how long ?
Glad to hear that  things are going so much better.  {{{Hugs}}} to you both!