How well weekly TH chemo is tolerated?

[Caring_hubby]

After 4x AC chemo 12x TH Chemo cycle is due for my wife and I am worried due to this change.

[natalieqa]

Taxol?

[Caring_hubby in reply to natalieqa]

Yes weekly Taxol and Herceptin for 12 weeks then surgery....

[Caring_hubby]

Taxol + Herceptin I presume !

[natalieqa]

From my experience, Taxol is much more milder than AC. I was working full time during Taxol chemo. No nausea, nothing.

[Caring_hubby in reply to natalieqa]

Releived. Thanks

[Bubbles001]

Taxol was easy for, me, too, and most people I know thought it was way easier than A/C. It can cause severe neuropathy which causes some people to quit.

[Caring_hubby in reply to Bubbles001]

Thanks.

[Kimr2081]

I had the same protocol when I was first diagnosed and I did much better on the Taxol - i didn't have the herceptin though.

[Caring_hubby in reply to Kimr2081]

Thanks. She has HER2 + and Herceptin will continue for her for 52 weeks.

[Kimr2081]

How is the Herceptin administered? I will pray that she does well on this next round.

[Caring_hubby in reply to Kimr2081]

Herceptin (Trastuzumab) is also administered I.v just after Taxol for 12 weeks then evey 3 weeks for rest of the year. It is also chemotherapic drug targeting specific type of cancer cells. I know only this much as explained by the oncologist.

[Kimr2081]

Thanks for the explanation. 52 weeks seems like such a long time. I sure hope they are going to have her get a port. If not you should inquire about it. It will make things a lot easier for her. I didn't get one, and nobody suggested it, during my chemo and my veins are now shot and they can only use one arm. I always have to warn them how hard it is to find a good vein. Please give my best to your wife and please take care of yourself. I know this is hard on the spouse too. I see it in my husband at times.

Kim

[Caring_hubby in reply to Kimr2081]

Thanks! She was fixed with chemo port before her first chemo as her oncologist suggested in our very first meeting.... Thankfully her insurance covered this too.

[PJBinMI]

Taxol is often the first chemo given to those of us with mbc. It sounds to me as though your wife's onc is trying to shrink the cancer before surgery so that it will be a much less extensive procedure. Herceptin is often used long term for those with a her2neu breast cancer and it has been a real miracle drug for them. Before Herceptin, her2neu positive bc was a pretty scary diagnosis with a very poor prognosis. But Herceptin was a game changer. There was even a big movie made about that, with Julia Roberts as the wealthy Texan who helped fund the research that led to Herceptin. I don't remember the name of that movie. Now there are other drugs that target the her2neu receptor on cancer cells. I've been living with mbc for 15 years, and though I do not have the her2neu receptors, I do pay attention to research and what others are doing and I've been trained as a bc advocate. One thing I always suggest to those with mbc is to see a bc specialist onc at one of the Comprehensive Cancer Centers. Those oncs see patients and do research and both attend and present info at the big bc conferences and know about the latest research and treatment protocols. You can find a list of CCCs on the website of the National Cancer Institute. There are around 50 of them, spread across the US but with many on the coasts, so some of us have to travel but I think it is worth it.

[Caring_hubby in reply to PJBinMI]

Very informative ! Thanks. Wish you best.

[Hidden]

When my cancer switched to estrogen+ (after 6 years of triple negative), I was put on taxol to bring it under control before starting Ibrance. I had a hard time with hair loss and neuropathy. Even after switching to Ibrance the neuropathy has gotten worse instead of improving. I would recommend that when your wife is being infused with taxol that she puts her hands and feet in ice. This is suppose to prevent the nerve damage. The techs/nurses in the infusion room finally suggested this during my 3rd infusion, but the damage was already done—I wish someone had told me sooner!

I would welcome any suggestions as to how to deal with/cure neuropathy. Thank you guys. The information I have acquired from this site has been invaluable ☀️

[Caring_hubby in reply to Hidden]

The suggestion regarding putting hands and feet in ice is new to me. Can she do it at home after chemo ? For how much time one has to do this?

[Hidden in reply to Caring_hubby]

I left a response this morning but I do not see it on the site. If you did not get it then I repeat what I was told to do. About 15 minutes before she receives the Taxol infusion she would put her hands and feet on ice and keep them on ice throughout the infusion time. After the Taxol they should stay on ice maybe 15 minutes more. I would bring a cooler of ice and place it in baggies to put my feet and hands in.