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HER2+ Breast Cancer Discussion Guides — Metastatic breast cancer

Here are some questions to ask your health care team about metastatic breast cancer. Print these questions and take them with you to your doctor's office.

Questions for Your Doctor

About your diagnosis:

  1. What stage is my cancer and how does it affect my treatment plan?
  2. How is metastatic breast cancer different from adjuvant breast cancer?
  3. Has my tumor been tested for HER2? If so, is my cancer HER2+?

About treatment:

  1. What are my treatment options?
  2. Should I be on multiple therapies?
  3. How long will I need to stay on these treatments?
  4. How will I know this treatment is working?
  5. What are the chances my cancer will come back after treatment?

About Herceptin:

  1. What should I do to be ready for my treatment?
  2. How does my Herceptin treatment differ from chemotherapy?
  3. How long will I need to be on Herceptin?
  4. What side effects can I expect to have?
  5. How long will I need to be on Herceptin?
  6. What types of things can I do to help cope with any side effects that I may have during my treatment?
  7. Are there any symptoms or problems I might have during my Herceptin treatment that I should immediately tell you about?
  8. How often will my oncology nurse follow up with my oncologist about my Herceptin treatment and my progress?
  9. How often will my heart be tested?
  10. Can I take Herceptin if I am pregnant?

Questions for Your Oncology Nurse:

  1. Can you tell me about other treatments or medications I should be considering?
  2. If I go on a new treatment, what will your role be in administering the treatment?
  3. With any new treatment are there certain physical changes or side effects I should tell you about?
  4. Who should I contact if I have any of these side effects?

Who is Herceptin for?

Herceptin in combination with paclitaxel is approved for the first-line treatment of HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer. Herceptin as a single agent is approved for treatment of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer in patients who have received one or more chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease.

What important safety information should I know about Herceptin?

Herceptin treatment can result in heart problems, including those without symptoms (reduced heart function) and those with symptoms (congestive heart failure). The risk and seriousness of these heart problems were highest in people who received both Herceptin and a certain type of chemotherapy (anthracycline). Your doctor will stop or strongly consider stopping Herceptin if you have a significant drop in your heart function.

You should be monitored for decreased heart function before your first dose of Herceptin, and frequently during the time you are receiving Herceptin and after your last dose of Herceptin. If you must permanently or temporarily stop Herceptin due to heart problems, you should be monitored more frequently. In one study with Herceptin and certain types of chemotherapy, an inadequate blood supply to the heart occurred.

Some patients have had serious infusion reactions and lung problems; fatal infusion reactions have been reported. In most cases, these reactions occurred during or within 24 hours of receiving Herceptin. Your Herceptin infusion should be temporarily stopped if you have shortness of breath or very low blood pressure. Your doctor will monitor you until these symptoms go away. If you have a severe allergic reaction, swelling, lung problems, inflammation of the lung, or severe shortness of breath, your doctor may need to completely stop your Herceptin treatment.

Worsening of low white blood cell counts associated with chemotherapy has also occurred.

Herceptin can cause low amniotic fluid levels and harm to the fetus when taken by a pregnant woman.

The most common side effects associated with Herceptin were fever, nausea, vomiting, infusion reactions, diarrhea, infections, increased cough, headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, rash, low white and red blood cells, and muscle pain.

Because everyone is different, it is not possible to predict what side effects any one person will have. If you have questions or concerns about side effects, talk to your doctor.

Please see the Herceptin full prescribing information including Boxed WARNINGS and additional important safety information.



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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