Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Pembrolizumab

Hi Leanne12

Welcome to the forum and I'm sorry that you have been diagnosed with breast cancer. While I don't have an answer for you I'm replying to you to move you to the top of the discussion.

Best of luck with the rest of your treatment.

Best wishes

Daisy53

Thanks so much xx

Hi Leanne12 

Good to meet you. I have metastatic triple negative breast cancer that has spread to my liver. I am being treated with Pembrolizumab and NAB-Paclitaxel. I am on week 14 of the treatment. I have the chemo weekly for 3 weeks then have a week’s break. I started out having the immunotherapy every 3 weeks but have just been switched to a larger dose every 6 weeks. At the end of 24 weeks I will continue with immunotherapy on its own, so long as it seems to e working and I continue to tolerate it. I have very few side effects and have seen some shrinkage of lesions. So I am very hopeful about this treatment. How are you finding it? 

Hi there thanks so much for your reply, so glad it’s working for you, I’ve only had one session of immunotherapy second session will be on Friday, I’m very hopeful about this treatment but as it’s quite new for tnbc I’ve not heard anyone’s journey so far up until yours, my oncologist is saying they are seeing good results from people who’ve had this treatment and also people that have had to stop treatment, I’m just wanting my body to accept the treatment and really hoping it works for me, as I’ve only had one dose of it along with the chemo I’m still abit anxious but just hope my body will tolerate it, I will continue with just the immunotherapy after surgery which will be every 6 weeks for 5 doses, thanks so much for sharing your journey having a read now xxx

Hi  I just replied to your post about TNBC, but just to add that I’m also having Pembro (with EC and Paclo… completed a month ago). My oncologist was extremely pleased with the additional results that Pembro produced. I felt significant shrinkage and softening of the tumour from the first Pembro/chemo treatment- oncologist thought that this kind of reaction didn’t happen until around three rounds of Paclo only. 

In total, my tumour shrank from 3cm to a couple of millimetres. I lasted the course - I hear four of us were on the same drug programme under my oncologist. Two had to stop, sadly. Not sure if an age response? I’m now 50. 

Im having a lumpectomy very soon, with lymph node removal and biopsy. Then radiotherapy. Pembro will continue until April next year. 

Im also PALB2 (inherited gene flaw) so would be wise to have the double mastectomy before too long… 

I found Paclo really ok; EC was gruelling (but then I had that at the end). I think Pembro alone will be a stroll in the park

But I’m eternally grateful for receiving immunotherapy and from everything I have read, it’s game-changing in terms of preventing recurrence. 

very, very best of luck as you start out with treatment. Tick them off, one by one, and hopeful soon you will see that tumour melt away - and good riddance!! Xx

Hiya aw thanks for sharing your journey so far, so glad it’s working for you, really hoping it’s going to be the same for me, im really pleased im getting the immunotherapy as it does seem a game changer for the prevention of recurrence from what I’ve read and been told, my second pembro next week, all the very best for your surgery xxx

Wishing you both all the best with this new treatment.

Love and hugs to you both.