Monoclonal antibodies

[Sles]

I have been been on the following metastatic antibodies for 4 years:

Perjeta (pertuzumab) and herceptin (trasruzumab) every three weeks

They are keeping my stage 4 Mets in remission. My oncologist said that many people go off of that regiment after 4 years. Some stay stable others have a reoccurrence of the cancer. It is then too late to go back on those two drugs because they will no longer work.

Of course as with many other drugs they are toxic and do some bad things to your body. I have a year to give this some thought and decide what to do..

Does anyone else take those two drugs. If so, for how long and what side effects are you finding,

[Gorgeousness]

Wow. You’ve had a great response! Can I ask the hormone status / HER2 status of your cancer?

[Laskia]

I'm guessing that you are HER2+ and oestrogen negative. I'm HER2 negative so have no experience with those two drugs. Why do people go off the regime after 4 years? Is it because they have to or that the drugs stop working? I know with the oestrogen blockers that I'm on, the cancer stops responding after some time.

[Sles in reply to Laskia]

People usually go off after 4 years because of the side effects (neuropathy, bladder problems, etc.). The monoclonal antibodies are toxic. It is a tough choice.