Posted by Rose K on 11/2/2009, 3:06 am
74.73.161.241
Hello,
I'm making an inquiry on behalf of my sister who does not live in the US and who does not have reliable internet access. She is considering 2 treatment options and she is very unsure about what to do. I'd like to know if anyone has had a similar and recent experience to hers who faced the same or similar tx options. I would appreicate if anyone can share their experience, offer any quidance so she can feel more settled in her heart about what to do. This whole thing is very daunting since she must travel to a country in Europe for tx, far from where she has been living and working. There is so much on her plate between the logistics of traveling and being away from home and work for this extended peirod. I am hoping to find some online support and information for her to access.
My sister was diagnosed with DCIS 5 years ago. At that time she had a lumpectomy and radiation, and then 4 years and 10 months on Tamoxifen. She had a recurrence near the lumpectomy scar in the left breast discovered during her recent 6 month medical check.
She had a bilateral mastectomy which was done on September 22. Pathology report shows that that tumor was .9 centimeters (less than 1 centimeter: 9 millimeters), HER-2 strong positive (+3) and moderately strong positive on estrogen (+2). Progesterone is negative. A sentinel node biopsy was done on the left breast, the problematic breast, and they were clean. A node from the right breast was also examined and that was to be found to be benign.
My sister writes "my oncologist recommends that I undergo 12 weeks of chemotherapy with weekly administration of Taxol and Herceptin followed by a continuation of Herceptin every 3 weeks for a total of 1 year. I decided to go for a second opinion with the head of the oncological ambulatory care department of a different hospital. She recommended that I undergo 12 weeks of chemotherapy also but with TCH, which is Taxotere, CARBOPLATIN and Herceptin, followed by a continuation of Herceptin every 3 weeks for a total of 1 year. Her opinion (as well as my surgeon's) was that TCH would better "blast" any remaining cancer cells than Taxol and Herceptin and, that it is better to blast the disease first since I may not have a second chance later. "
She also writes "TCH - Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin chemo vs. Taxol and Herceptin chemo. What chemo is more appropriate for my situation relating to chances of longer term survival? The reason I am asking is that I have heard of many instances where "appropriate" chemotherapy was given (in my case, Taxol and Herceptin) and, in any case, metastasis followed. Therefore, is it better to do the more aggresive chemotherapy of Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin (TCH) instead of the more "appropriate" chemotherapy of Taxol and Herceptin to provide more chances of avoiding metastasis? What is the thinking in the U.S. on this subject?"
Thank you for reading and considering this.
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