Maribel

Interview Transcript

Maribel:
"I'm a Sunday school teacher, and I've dedicated all my life to taking care of my family and raising my sons.

Around July, the summer of 2005, I was taking a shower."

Enrique (Maribel's Husband):
"I remember when she called me at work and she told me that she found a lump."

Maribel:
"I really didn't think it was anything at the time because no one in my family had had breast cancer.

I went to the doctor, and I got it checked out. And on November 8th, 2005, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

My oncologist explained to me that I was HER2-positive. And she explained to me that it was a very aggressive type of cancer, so I was very frightened by that. But that's when she first mentioned Herceptin to me. She said that Herceptin was a medication that was specifically targeted for HER2-positive breast cancer, and I was a candidate.

I'm feeling really well right now. After you've gone through your treatment, sometimes you think you're never going to get back to normal. But little by little, your life does start becoming normal again."

Enrique (Maribel's Husband):
"The time that I saw the light really coming out of it was when I started seeing that she's got her hair back, and she started looking uplifted and really willing to do things again because she felt a lot better."

Maribel:
"One of the goals that I have in my life now is I want to be here long enough to see my grandchildren."

Product Indication Adjuvant indications
Herceptin® (Trastuzumab) is indicated for adjuvant treatment of HER2-overexpressing node-positive or node-negative (ER/PR-negative or with one high-risk feature) breast cancer:

• As part of a treatment regimen containing doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and either paclitaxel or docetaxel
• With docetaxel and carboplatin
• As a single agent following multi-modality anthracycline-based therapy

Metastatic indications
Herceptin is indicated:

• In combination with paclitaxel for the first line treatment of HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer
• As a single agent for treatment of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer in patients who have received one or more chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease

Important Safety Information, including Boxed WARNINGS

• 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). The doctor will stop or strongly consider stopping Herceptin if the patient has a significant drop in their heart function. Patients should be monitored for decreased heart function before their first dose of Herceptin, and frequently during the time they are receiving Herceptin and after their last dose of Herceptin. If patients must permanently or temporarily stop Herceptin due to heart problems, they 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. The patient's Herceptin infusion should be temporarily stopped if shortness of breath or very low blood pressure occurs. The doctor will monitor the patient until these symptoms go away. If patients have a severe allergic reaction, swelling, lung problems, inflammation of the lung, or severe shortness of breath, their doctor may need to completely stop their Herceptin treatment. Patients receiving their first dose of Herceptin may have chills and fever as well as nausea, vomiting, pain, headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, rash, and weakness.
• 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. Patients should talk to their doctor if they are pregnant or become pregnant while taking Herceptin. Patients who are pregnant and receiving Herceptin should consider joining the MotHER Herceptin Pregnancy Registry by calling 1-800-690-6720.
• Patients should call their doctor immediately if they have any of the following: new or worsening shortness of breath; cough; swelling of the ankles or legs; swelling of the face; heartbeats that are unusually strong, fast, slow, or irregular in rhythm; weight gain of more than 5 pounds in 24 hours; dizziness; or loss of consciousness.
• 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.

Please see the full Product Information, including Boxed WARNINGS, for additional safety information.

Individual results may vary.