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Taking Herceptin

How long, how often, and with which other therapies1

It is recommended that Herceptin (trastuzumab) be taken for one year. You may receive it in combination with different therapies, or on different schedules. The combination of drugs you receive, and the order in which you receive them, are known as your treatment "regimen." There are several options available for different regimens that include Herceptin, as shown below.

The choice of which regimen you receive will affect the total amount of time you will be going for infusions. You should also be aware that different chemotherapies have different side effects, so it's important to talk to your health care team about any health issues you have. This information may help them decide whether it's better for you to take one kind of chemotherapy over another.

AC-->TH

If you and your doctor decide that you will receive Herceptin as part of the "AC-->TH" regimen:

  • After surgery, you will receive two kinds of chemotherapy, known as doxorubicin (A) and cyclophosphamide (C), for 12 weeks
  • You will then begin to receive Herceptin weekly, along with another kind of chemotherapy known as a taxane (T)
  • After 12 weeks, the taxane will stop, and you will receive Herceptin alone, once every three weeks, for another nine months
AC-->TH treatment regimen

TCH

If you and your doctor decide that you will receive Herceptin as part of the "TCH" regimen:

  • You will begin to receive Herceptin after surgery, on a once-weekly schedule. At the same time, you will be getting two kinds of chemotherapy: a taxane (T) and a carboplatin (C). Note that the "C" in TCH is different from the "C" in the AC-->TH option described above
  • After 18 weeks, the taxane and the carboplatin will stop, and you will receive Herceptin alone, once every three weeks. This will continue until you have received one year of therapy
TCH Treatment Regimen

Herceptin given alone after all chemotherapy

You and your doctor may decide to first complete any surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy that are planned, and then begin taking Herceptin. If this is the case, you will receive Herceptin once every three weeks for one year.

Your healthcare team may also choose to give you other drugs, such as hormonal therapies, during the time you are receiving Herceptin.

Talk to your healthcare team to decide which therapies and schedule are right for you.



Herceptin® (trastuzumab)Herceptin® (trastuzumab)

Adjuvant Care Is defined as additional treatment given after the main treatment plan to decrease the chance of recurrence. Adjuvant therapy for breast cancer can include chemotherapy, hormone therapy, radiation therapy, or biological therapy

Metastatic Breast Cancer Breast cancer that has spread to other sites in the body; also referred to as invasive or infiltrating

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