Two day Docetaxel / Trastuzumab / Pertuzumab chemo?

Hi 

Well done on getting through your first chemo!  You might want to check if the 2 days is just for the first round of the new drugs. My first Herceptin and first Paclitaxel were done on different days in case I had a reaction so they could tell which one was causing it.  All the following sessions, I had them on the same day. So it might be you only have that long journey once.  Though I just noticed you’re having Pertuzumab as well and sadly I don’t know if that’s a different treatment plan altogether - sorry.

Anyway I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you that it’s not 2 days throughout cos that is a very long round trip to make.

Wishing you best of luck for your treatment 

Loffie x

Hello Ruby,

I'm HER2 positive aswell with stage 3.
My consultant decided the best treatment would be 6 sessions of chemo....4 drugs (trastuzumab, pertuzumab, docetaxel and carboplatin) 21 days apart. Then surgery, followed by 11 sessions of trastuzumab and pertuzumab...maybe radiotherapy but it depends what they find during surgery.

I have all 4 drugs on the same day one after another in the order above. It takes about 6-ish hours. I wear the cold cap for the last 3 hours during the docetaxel and carboplatin which has kept my hair with only slight thinning.

I’m just about to have my 6th chemo session and expect surgery to be 4-6 weeks after that (mastectomy with reconstruction, lymph nodes removed). 

I hope this helps as it’s definitely possible to have all on the same day....although sometimes I’m the last one left! 
xxx

Hi Pineapple,

Thats really helpful to know thanks, I’ll definitely ask my BCN about this and see if there’s any way around it, I’m struggling to think how I might face a two day treatment. 

I have two more EC treatments to go first so hopefully a bit of time to get something organised. My local hospital only do chemo one day a week so it might just be that they don’t have capacity. 

Good luck on your final chemo! I hope the rest is smooth sailing and the surgery is straightforward without the need for too much more treatment. 

Ruby xx

Thanks Ruby, 

I’m so glad I’m nearly finished this 1st part of treatment, it’s been a tough few months that’s for sure. I can see light at the end of the tunnel with surgery as the next thing to tick off the list.

I think you might be right about capacity at your hospital, they book the chair for me all day, but I’m sure they will juggle things if you have to travel such a long way. Fingers crossed for you.

xxx