Best Of
Re: Starting Chemo August 2025 support thread
I’m starting keynote 522 for TNBC on Monday and can’t wait. I bet you don’t see that very often. I went through this 21 years ago (IDC HER2+) and now I’m dealing with it again. I just want to get started and get this over with. I hate this cancer growing inside of me and each passing day without treatment terrifies me. The delays have been agonizing. I’ll report back with side effects and tips/tricks for management. I wish others would post on this thread.
Re: Having difficulty feeling 100% certain that I want a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy
You are stuck with a very difficult decision that is for sure. I had my first run in with breast cancer in 2004 and was diagnosed with cancer again in the other breast 21 years later. The first time I had triple negative with a lumpectomy, chemo and radiation. This time I had a high-grade DCIS. I chose mastectomy this go around, and I am 6 days post op. I am feeling way better than I ever imagined. Here is my advice to you. Speak with a couple of plastic surgeons to determine what options are available to you if you were to choose mastectomy with either immediate or delayed reconstruction or no reconstruction at all. My first lumpectomy (2004) followed by radiation has limited my options due to the forever changes made to my skin due to radiation. The more you know that better you are able to make decisions going forward. Good Luck
furrow
Re: Abemaciclib Verzenio for Stage IV
Asking for a friend- Long story short. Newly MBC (everywhere lungs, liver, chest wall, all chest and neck lymph nodes) ER+, pr-,her2 - had initial 4 cycles of chemo with carboplatin (had really good response- everything gone except a couple of small liver mets).Was switched to Verzenio (100mg twice a day) and Aromasin. No side effects. But within 6 weeks could tell something wasn't working. (4 fold increase in tumor markers and excruciating backpain). Oncologist told her she just needs to bare it it all until next pet scan. Refused to do any interval imaging despite debilitating pain. 4 months of this and repeat pet ct scan shows widespread progression all nodes are back, more liver mets than previous, more lungs nodes, and new skeletal, widespread chest wall. Oncologist is telling us he thinks there is full ER resistance wants to put her back on systemic chemo. He didn't have her on full dose Verzenio. Haven't even tried Falsodex and Im wondering if this truly means she failed Verzenio or if any utility to upping the dose and adding Falsodex. So frustrated right now
Re: Oncotype vs mammaprint
Hello Molly, your tumor's favorable biology doesn't seem to indicate that you would likely need to personalize treatment decisions as much as others. It's my understanding Mammaprint assays are data-driven. Maggie gave you some good comments.
Do you feel that you need to tailor any specific treatment strategy?
BluePrint assays give people molecular subtyping info, if you're interested in that. It also assesses specific gene expression signatures and their signal pathways, such as whether the tumor is Basal subtype, Luminal‐A or Luminal-B, and HER2‐type.
Explained another way, Mammaprint looks more at proliferative signaling, genome instability and any metastatic features such as genes associated with invasion, angiogenesis and stromal activity.
If a tumor's grade was low and its mitosis level was favorable, so the proliferation probability would most likely be low. Hormone therapy alone would likely be recommended in those cases.
Here's a link and hoping you continue to have easy, peaceful healing. Best wishes.
MAMMAPRINT VS. ONCOTYPE COMPARING BREAST CANCER TESTS
July 24, 2025
obsolete
Re: Oncotype vs mammaprint
Hi yes thank's maggie.
But if mammaprint turn out to be on the higher risk, i can do chemo to reduce risk
Re: Starting Chemo August 2025 support thread
Thank you so much for sharing. Really good information and resources. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. Best to you.
Re: Oncotype vs mammaprint
Hi @mollybocil, In general medical tests are done if the results might change the treatment. The mammaprint does not provide any additional information and treatments like CDK4/6 inhibitors are not recommended for early stage grade 1 breast cancer with a low ki-97 score. It is unlikely that a mammaprint result would alter what you are doing.
The Breast Cancer Index that assesses whether another five years of estrogen blockers might be beneficial would be a useful test to get as you are coming up to the five year mark on estrogen blockers. Eating a healthy diet, limiting alcohol and exercising regularly have been shown to reduce recurrence by about 50% so that is well worth doing. I hope that you, I and everyone else remain cancer free but there are no guarantees even if we do everything we possibly can. All the best.
maggie15
Re: Starting Chemo August 2025 support thread
Hi kks-rd,
I’m sorry about your setbacks so frustrating I didn’t have any last time but at 58, I could see it happening now.
I agree with you about my misdiagnosis. It was really hard to get anyone to take me seriously I never go to the doctor It’s a lesson in we know our bodies and we know when something isn’t right. I started keynote 522 today, then mastectomy, radiation, 9 rounds of immunotherapy.
I'm also using the penguin cold cap but not sold on it. I’ll post my experience. I would love to read about your experience with chemo. Thank you again for engaging.
Re: My Husband, My Life, My Love, My Family, My Cancer
@mara51506 Hey there How’s your day going? Your beef bean mix sounds delicious, glad you’re enjoying it! No worries we all get mixed up on our days sometimes . That was sweet of you to call back to say you made a mistake. Most people wouldn’t have, your a sweetheart and thoughtful. Busy week ahead for you with appointments and we will be in your pocket for stable results. Ugh sorry humidity has returned, we are still enjoying some beautiful days in NJ.
Hi to all here , hope your Monday has been smooth so far.
cookie54
Re: I was just now dx with skin mets
RLS, I'm with you, no more looking at those scans on the portal, after ten years MBC I have PTSD about opening any kind of test result with my name on it!!! I just make sure I know what I want to ask, in case the therapy has stopped working.. And thanks for the laugh, Carlin was a clever and kind spirit
