In This Section:

HER Connection
Downloads
Educational and informational resources
Additional online resources
Breast cancer glossary

Resources for Breast Cancer Patients

HER Connection Support Program

Resources and information about breast cancer

The HER Connection Patient Support Program features a patient support line, online live chat, and personalized email support to help you get timely advice and answers to your questions about HER2+ breast cancer and treatment.
1-866-449-4372
Learn more about HER Connection ›

Disclaimer

This program is a free Genentech program. It is for educational purposes only and does not take the place of talking with your doctor about your medical condition or treatment. You can opt out at any time.

Downloads

HER2+ Adjuvant Breast Cancer — Patient Brochure: Designed for early-stage breast cancer patients, to provide information about Herceptin treatment, efficacy, and safety concerns.
HER2+ Metastatic Breast Cancer — Patient Brochure: Designed for metastatic breast cancer patients, to provide information about Herceptin treatment, efficacy, and safety concerns.
Adjuvant Breast Cancer — Questions to Ask Your Doctor: Questions you may want to discuss with your healthcare team.
Metastatic Breast Cancer — Questions to Ask Your Doctor: Questions you may want to discuss with your healthcare team.
Understanding Your Breast Cancer Pathology Report: This guide is a collection of information that helps describe your pathology report.
Full Prescribing Information

Disclaimer

Specific questions regarding these downloads should be directed to your doctor or pathologist.

Educational and informational resources*

There are support groups and national organizations that may be helpful to you and your family. These include:

Information about cancer

www.informationaboutcancer.com

On this unique site, you'll find education, interactive tools, and connections to support networks – all customized to your type of cancer and to what matters to you.

Breastcancer.org

www.breastcancer.org

This website is dedicated to providing reliable and current medical information about treatment options, symptoms, diagnosis, and prevention. The site also includes up-to-date research news, online “ask the expert” conferences, and discussion boards.

HER2 Support Group

www.her2support.org

This site offers information on news and current research for HER2+ breast cancer, as well as online message boards, which serve as forums for discussion among patients, family members, caregivers, and medical professionals.

Living Beyond Breast Cancer

www.lbbc.org or call 1-888-753-5222

This nonprofit organization is dedicated to empowering all women affected by breast cancer to live as long as possible with the best quality of life.

American Cancer Society^®

www.cancer.org or call 1-800-227-2345

This comprehensive website offers information for cancer patients, families, friends, survivors, professionals, and volunteers.

*Disclaimer

These organizations are an incomplete listing of cancer support organizations and are not controlled by, endorsed by, or affiliated with Genentech, Inc. The list is meant for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace your healthcare professional’s medical advice. Ask your doctor or oncology nurse educator any questions you may have about your cancer or treatment plan.

Additional Online Resources

There are many other online resources with useful information for people with breast cancer and their families. Take advantage of all the information to help you learn more and stay well-informed.

National Cancer Institute^®
1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) or www.cancer.gov
National Breast Cancer Coalition
1 -800-622-2838 or www.stopbreastcancer.org
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
www.komen.org
CancerCare
www.cancercare.org
People Living Through Cancer
www.pltc.org
Association of Cancer Online Resources
www.acor.org
Young Survival Coalition
1-877-972-1011 or www.youngsurvival.org
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS)
www.canceradvocacy.org
Cancer Support Community
www.cancersupportcommunity.org
Cosmetic Executive Women Foundation
www.cancerandcareers.org

Disclaimer

Breast Cancer Glossary

Common breast cancer terms and their meaning

Learning breast cancer terms and their meaning gives you a better understanding of the disease and allows you to communicate more effectively with your healthcare team.
Learn more about breast cancer terms ›

Who is Herceptin for?

Adjuvant Breast Cancer

Herceptin is approved for the treatment of early-stage breast cancer that is Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2-positive (HER2+) and has spread into the lymph nodes, or is HER2+ and has not spread into the lymph nodes. If it has not spread into the lymph nodes, the cancer needs to be estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor (ER/PR)-negative or have one high risk feature.* Herceptin can be used in several different ways:

As part of a treatment course including the chemotherapy drugs Adriamycin^® (doxorubicin), Cytoxan^® (cyclophosphamide), and either Taxol^® (paclitaxel) or Taxotere^® (docetaxel). This treatment course is known as "AC→TH"

With the chemotherapy drugs Taxotere and Paraplatin^® (carboplatin). This treatment course is known as "TCH"

Alone after treatment with multiple other therapies, including an anthracycline (Adriamycin)-based therapy (a type of chemotherapy)

*High risk is defined as ER/PR-positive with one of the following features: tumor size >2 cm, age <35 years, or tumor grade 2 or 3.
Adriamycin is a registered trademark of Pharmacia Inc.
Cytoxan, Taxol, and Paraplatin are registered trademarks of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.
Taxotere is a registered trademark of sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC.

Metastatic Breast Cancer

Herceptin has 2 approved uses in metastatic breast cancer:

Herceptin in combination with the chemotherapy drug Taxol^® (paclitaxel) is approved for the first line treatment of Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2-positive (HER2+) metastatic breast cancer

Herceptin alone is approved for the treatment of HER2+ breast cancer in patients who have received one or more chemotherapy courses for metastatic disease

Taxol is a registered trademark of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company.

Gastric Cancer

Herceptin is approved, in combination with chemotherapy (cisplatin and either capecitabine or 5-fluorouracil), for the treatment of HER2+ metastatic cancer of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction (where the esophagus meets the stomach) in patients who have not received prior treatment for their metastatic disease.

What are the possible Serious Side Effects of Herceptin?

Heart Problems

Herceptin treatment can result in heart problems, including those without symptoms (such as reduced heart function) and those with symptoms (such as 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). One patient died in an adjuvant (early) breast cancer trial of significantly weakened heart muscle
Herceptin can cause serious heart problems, including:
- A decline in heart function
- Irregular heartbeats
- High blood pressure
- Serious heart attack
- Death
Your doctor will stop Herceptin therapy if you have weakening of the heart muscle or changes in the heart muscle structure

Monitoring the Heart

Your doctor will evaluate your heart function before and during treatment. For adjuvant breast cancer therapy, your doctor will also evaluate heart function after the end of treatment
Your doctor may run tests, such as an echocardiogram or a MUGA scan, and will review your health history to see how well the heart muscle is working
If you are taking Herceptin and have stopped treatment temporarily because of significant heart problems, your doctor should monitor your heart health more frequently

Infusion Reactions

Some patients have had serious infusion reactions and lung problems; infusion reactions leading to death have been reported
Symptoms usually happen during or within 24 hours of taking Herceptin
Your infusion should be temporarily stopped if you experience shortness of breath or very low blood pressure
Your doctor should monitor you until these symptoms completely go away
Your doctor may have you completely stop Herceptin treatment if you have:
- A severe allergic reaction
- Swelling
- Lung problems
- Swelling of the lungs
- Severe shortness of breath
Infusion reaction symptoms consist of:

Fever and chills
Nausea
Vomiting
Pain (in some cases at tumor sites)
Headache

Dizziness
Shortness of breath
Very low blood pressure
Rash
Lack of energy and strength

Pregnancy

Herceptin can cause harm to the fetus (unborn baby), in some cases death to the fetus, when taken by a pregnant woman
You should use effective birth control methods while receiving Herceptin and for at least 6 months after you finish taking Herceptin
Nursing mothers taking Herceptin may want to stop nursing or stop Herceptin, depending on the importance of the drug to the mother
Women exposed to Herceptin during pregnancy may wish to enroll in MotHER—the Herceptin Pregnancy Registry by calling 1-800-690-6720

Taking Herceptin Can Result in Serious and Potentially Deadly Lung Problems, Including:

A severe shortness of breath
Fluid in or around the lungs
Weakening of the valve between the heart and the lungs
Too little oxygen in the body
Swelling of the lungs
Scarring of the lungs

Problems like these may occur after an infusion reaction. If you have trouble breathing at rest due to existing lung disease, or large lung tumors appear, you may have more serious lung problems. Your doctor should stop Herceptin if you experience lung problems.

What is the Additional Important Safety Information associated with Herceptin?

Worsening of Low White Blood Cell Counts Due to Chemotherapy

Worsening of low white blood cell counts to serious and life-threatening levels and associated fever were higher in patients taking Herceptin in combination with chemotherapy when compared with those who received chemotherapy alone. The likelihood that a patient will die from infection was similar among patients who received Herceptin and those who did not

HER2 Testing

You must have a HER2 test to determine if your cancer is HER2-positive before taking Herceptin, as benefit has only been shown in patients whose tumors are HER2-positive

What Are the Most Common Side Effects Associated with Herceptin?

The most common side effects associated with Herceptin in patients with metastatic stomach cancer are:		The most common side effects associated with Herceptin in patients with breast cancer are:
Low white blood cell counts Diarrhea Fatigue Low red blood cell counts Swelling of the mouth lining Weight loss Upper respiratory tract infections Fever Low platelet counts Swelling of the mucous membranes Swelling of the nose and throat Change in taste		Fever Nausea Vomiting Infusion reactions Diarrhea Infections Increased cough Headache Fatigue Shortness of breath Rash Low white and red blood cell counts Muscle pain

What should I look for when I'm on Herceptin therapy, and what symptoms should I immediately report to my doctor?

Patient Counseling Information

You should contact your doctor immediately for any of the following:
- New onset or worsening shortness of breath
- Cough
- Swelling of the ankles/legs
- Swelling of the face
- Palpitations
- Weight gain of more than 5 pounds in 24 hours
- Dizziness or loss of consciousness
If you are pregnant or of childbearing potential, you should know that Herceptin exposure can result in harm to the fetus (unborn baby)
You should use effective birth control methods during treatment and for a minimum of six months following Herceptin
If you are nursing your baby, you should stop taking Herceptin or stop nursing
If you are exposed to Herceptin during pregnancy, you should enroll in MotHER—the Herceptin Pregnancy Registry by calling 1-800-690-6720

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, you should talk to your doctor.

Please see full Prescribing Information for Serious Side Effects and additional important safety information.

SAFETY

Related Links & Downloads

Patient Resources

In This Section:

Resources for Breast Cancer Patients

HER Connection Support Program

Disclaimer

Downloads

Disclaimer

Educational and informational resources*

Information about cancer

Breastcancer.org

HER2 Support Group

Living Beyond Breast Cancer

American Cancer Society^®

*Disclaimer

Additional Online Resources

Disclaimer

Breast Cancer Glossary

Who is Herceptin for?

Adjuvant Breast Cancer

Metastatic Breast Cancer

Gastric Cancer

What are the possible Serious Side Effects of Herceptin?

Heart Problems

Monitoring the Heart

Infusion Reactions

Pregnancy

Taking Herceptin Can Result in Serious and Potentially Deadly Lung Problems, Including:

What is the Additional Important Safety Information associated with Herceptin?

Worsening of Low White Blood Cell Counts Due to Chemotherapy

HER2 Testing

What Are the Most Common Side Effects Associated with Herceptin?

What should I look for when I'm on Herceptin therapy, and what symptoms should I immediately report to my doctor?

Patient Counseling Information

SAFETY

Related Links & Downloads

Patient Resources

In This Section:

Resources for Breast Cancer Patients

HER Connection Support Program

Disclaimer

Downloads

Disclaimer

Educational and informational resources*

Information about cancer

Breastcancer.org

HER2 Support Group

Living Beyond Breast Cancer

American Cancer Society®

*Disclaimer

Additional Online Resources

Disclaimer

Breast Cancer Glossary

Who is Herceptin for?

Adjuvant Breast Cancer

Metastatic Breast Cancer

Gastric Cancer

What are the possible Serious Side Effects of Herceptin?

Heart Problems

Monitoring the Heart

Infusion Reactions

Pregnancy

Taking Herceptin Can Result in Serious and Potentially Deadly Lung Problems, Including:

What is the Additional Important Safety Information associated with Herceptin?

Worsening of Low White Blood Cell Counts Due to Chemotherapy

HER2 Testing

What Are the Most Common Side Effects Associated with Herceptin?

What should I look for when I'm on Herceptin therapy, and what symptoms should I immediately report to my doctor?

Patient Counseling Information

American Cancer Society^®