Her+

I hope you feel re-assured after you speak with the oncologist, I’m sure you will. I always feel better when I’ve been talking to one of the docs - even when the news isn’t great. It’s hardest when you are on your own with your mind working overtime. 

I have 6 x chemotherapy sessions, one every 3 weeks. So it will be 18 weeks in total. This will be alongside the hormone treatment. Then a mastectomy, then radio, then 10 years of the hormone pills! Quite a ride hey?!  To think - I used to refuse a paracetamol! 

Fingers crossed I will feel better after this appointment today.

I think we have the exact same plan! Please do keep me updated as it looks like we are on the exact same journey. Do you have a date for chemo yet?

I know I am still really not wanting all this medicine put inside me as I am the same, but we have no choice hey!

Hi,  I’m HER2+, I did 6 rounds of docetaxel, carboplain & herceptin (TCH) you might get P as well. I forget what that drug is called. It seems to be the standard protocol for HER+.  I had a long wait from diagnosis to treatment and I found the hardest part was the waiting. 

I finished chemo in May, and I’m doing Radiation & target therapy now. There is a bunch of us who post on the June, July,  August monthly chemo thread.  (Probably a September thread will be started soon) If you get a chance read some of the past monthly chemo threads and don’t hesitate to ask questions on the Newest one. The ladies are a good group and helped me get through all of it. 
I was the same and rarely took any kind of meds. During treatment you’ll want to stay on top of side effects and talk to the breast cancer nurse and get all the meds you need to help manage.  If you get a chance to watch a movie called Living Proof, it’s about HER+2 and herceptin 
good luck with your appointment today.

How did your appointment go today? I hope it alleviated some of your worries x

Thank you for the tip off about the chemo monthly groups. Which area do I find these in? I get a little lost in the forum! 

It’s good to hear that you are through the chemo stage! I think I will go from being a ‘no meds thank you’ person to ‘all meds please’ when it comes to side effects! X

Hi 

Not really, so I will be having 6 rounds of chemo and then will start herceptin and then mastectomy and then radio. Just basically explained how it can affect me etc.  It has just made it all so reaand even though I wanted the journey to start so I can kick it's ass I also don't want it to happen at all.. but I suppose we all feel like this  

 Hi Youhavegot this

Like you I was diagnosed last November. HER2+, oestrogen +.  I had neoaduvant chemo to downstage my lump as it was large. I had EC x3 & Docetaxel chemo along with Herceptin and Pertuzumab x3. I could feel the lump soften and shrink from just a couple of weeks in to the chemo - I thought it was my imagination at first. I had 2 MRIs during the chemo which confirmed that the size of the lesion was shrinking.

When I had the lumpectomy and sample of nodes removed the lab report showed that there was no cancer left and I had a complete pathological clearance. While none of us really want to have chemo, it is very doable and we get support from our care team all the way through. They are very good at controlling the side effects with support meds.

The Herceptin and Pertuzumab are game changers for the outcomes of HER2+ BC.

Now I am on Letrozole (tabs), Herceptin and Pertuzumab infusions every 3 weeks for another 11 cycles as maintenance and prevention of recurrence. 

I am mid in my 60s and was told that I had an aggressive type of cancer HER2+. Surgery alone only gave me a 58% chance of 10 year survival. My onc ran my data thro the NHS Predict algorithm. She could show me that each of the extra treatments added a slice of extra chance of surviving i.e. the Letrozole, herceptin, bisphosphenates  & chemo. All together these extra treatments take the probability of still being around in 10yrs up to 79%, although each contributes only a part of this. There is also extra benefit from the radiotherapy and the Pertuzumab (too new to be included in the survival modelling) which she told me will give additional probability.

I have completed the surgery, radiotherapy and the chemo now, and I am feeling very well.  

Wishing you all the best for your own treatment. If I can get through it so can you.

Wallydug

• Noplacelikehome. It’s at the top of the Forum under in the breast cancer forum diagnosis and treatment it is called **JUNE JULY AUG 2021 BREAST CANCER CHEMO** there are 3 highlighted threads that are pinned to the top. Oestrogen reducing meds thread and Radiation thread.
• I’m trying to share a link to it: https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cancer_types/chat-breast-cancer/f/questions-about-diagnosis-and-treatment
  Hope this helps.

Thank you so much!

I’ve just sat down and read the official medication documents I was given, the ones which list all the side effects! Argh. What a shocker. Jeez. 

I think I’ll be in need of those threads! 

At one point I was more scared of the side effects than the cancer!  But, it's different for everyone and the medical teams see very focussed on adjusting dosage to manage side effects.  Try not to worry, though that's easier said that’s done