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Has anyone had a month's treatment break, and how was your oncologist about you doing this?

I am on letrozole and Ribociclib, my joint pains have become very bad, and the arthritis in my knee and finger has worsened. Would a treatment break help with joint pain? I am concerned that a treatment break would affect my stable status, but on the other hand, the joint pain is affecting my quality of life.

I second @going2beatthis, wondering if anyone can speak about those procedures. I finally was able to see the Neuro-oncology Doctor's APRN. He has set me up for MRI of thoracic and lumbar. My problem is L4, it is so painful.. I also have sciatica and of course my friend of 23 years, MS.

Irishlove

@scgal08 sorry to read you are in the same boat and your Skin Mets are growing too. It’s so frustrating I know. These darn skin nodules! Hopefully now that you are on the full dose of Trodelvy you’ll see some improvement. My MO says the skin is tricky, it goes away fast and grows and increases fast, so hard to predict. Glad you are on 100% dose though, and do you feel ok? I hope it makes a difference! They just don’t have a good drug yet for skin Mets , hope your Aug 1 scan shows the body is stable! ❤️🙏❤️

Had my PET/CT today, once those results are in my MO team will decide the regimen. Probably start something new this week or next week. I love my medical team, and I trust their judgment, so I’ll wait and see. Changing drugs so often, yes It is daunting, but it is what it is. I’ve never gone more than 6 cycles on a drug since MBC, and that was Trodelvy back in 2024. My Mets always push through. They respond to radiation, but then pop up someplace new. No one has an answer, so we just keep trying . I’m hoping that one of these days they will come up with a combo that works for us.

But for now, I’ve accepted that my C is resistant to most therapies, and we got to keep trying until we hit it right. So I make space to have my feelings, I cry a bit, acknowledge i wish it was otherwise then I laugh a bit, and acknowledge non striving and trust in the present is more healing… and am grateful that I feel so good and have love in my life… and then I research the SE of the new drug and wish it to be the last one… lol.

I will let you all know when I find out more. Hugs.

@rlschaller Well, good that you are that much closer to taking part in the trial. Here's hoping that a slot opens up for you. Are you daunted by yet another drug change?

I'd think it would be next to impossible not to overthink one's situation!

I'm in the same boat in that the skin mets are increasing. This is after three cycles of Trodelvy. At last week's follow-up with my MO she said that she is not yet "calling it" with that treatment, but that we should be seeing at least some stability, if not improvement at this point. As she said, "But with your type of cancer …". Yes, we know that TNBC is aggressive. The last treatment of the third cycle was a 100% dose, so I've at least gotten over that hurdle. I'll have one more cycle then a CT on Aug. 1st.

Hopefully you will find out more in what sounds like a busy upcoming week.

@scgal08 thank you! So sweet of you to remember. I don’t mind the scans, I like knowing what’s going on “under the hood” though I don’t always understand it. Things that worry me, the MOs think is nothing, so I try not to overthink it. The scan itself is relaxing, love lying there counting my breath over and over, it’s very chill. And I take the day off from meetings which is so nice… just emails.

I met my Northwell MO last week, and she paused the Doxil, the Mets are pushing through it so she is thinking about what is next. She is waiting on the results of the PET to decide, probably move to Eribulin, but we’ll see... She spoke to MSK MO, who wants me on the skin Mets trial. He reached out to them and I’m on the waiting list for an openslot. They called me on Friday. The only wrinkle there is I can’t be on Doxil after all, it is not an approved drug to be concurrent with the trial after all. Eribulin is ok, so once it’s decided a plan will be made. So many moving pieces lol. So glad I’m flexible. I should learn more next week, I’ll keep you posted.

How are you doing ? Big hugs to you and Cookie.

@cookie54 how is the mighty boating summer adventure ?

Happy Sunday all ❤️

@EddieJ Juliana, praying for great PET scan results for you as well! @tougholdcrow so glad your blood markers were great!

i have been having stomach pain for a few years. yesterday and the day before i did not have any pain. this morning i have it again. i don’t know why. i get burning in my stomach below ribs . I was so happy yesterday i felt good no pain. tried to figure out what i did that i had no pain i’m taking zoloft which can cause stomach ache. no irregular bowl movement.

i had 1b lobular. had endo last month and they found gastritis. no cancer it’s 6 years. dr said it’s not breast cancer it’s ocd. i just want the pain to stop. Did you have stomach pain, Psyc dr said it’s from anxiety.

How can i handle this, how can someone with this pain a lot of the time figure out a way to stop it. tried tylenol, food, how can i get help to figure it out. Thank You