Best Of
Re: Stage IV MBC Fitness
I've been struggling with walking since being taken off my NSAID and last week other leg also developed intense pains in the calf. Supposedly, according to an Xray, "nothing" is wrong. I feel good b/c today I managed to walk the 4 blocks to the gym without a cane and did my weight routine. Both legs actually feel better! My upper body was starting to ache from missing the weights. The pool is closed this week but I can get back to water aerobics next week. I also see my new PC next week. I'll discuss the NSAID situation with her and hopefully will get put back on with monitoring. If not, I will take the smallest doses possible on my own.
Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
My project of the day is washing my hair. My hairdresser is on vacation so I’m apprehensive about the results. Ibrance has given my straight hair a texture we call the wiggle. Just waves close together that defy styles. I long for my former pixie. In addition I lack appliances including a hair dryer. We’ll see what brush rollers can do. Wish me luck.
wren44
Re: Can we have a forum for "older" people with bc?
Beyond heartbroken to learn of Jackie's passing. She did have cardiovascular issues as well as another unrelated cancer—but her posts never mentioned any difficulties with the latter, much less any bc mets. I'm hoping that her transition was very short and peaceful. She was a lovely soul who was the glue that held this, the Illinois Ladies, and political threads together; and she was always more concerned about all of us than her own difficulties. May her memory be for a blessing—she blessed so many lives! I'd drive down to Centralia for her memorial, but the rest of my stuff is being returned to me starting on the 15th and my HK will be staying with us beginning Tuesday the 12th. Betrayal, thanks for posting on the In Memoriam thread.
Cindy, glad your insurer will subrogate after covering your damage. I'm dismayed of course, but not surprised to hear how the fire started. We have a local restaurant, Stefani Prime, that has long conducted a "Ladies' night" every Tuesday, where they give away a gift card and an Italian designer purse. Well, there was some grumbling from the menfolk, so now every Thursday is "Guys' night." They had been giving away cigars and rare bourbon, but recently the grand prize had been a Solo "smokeless" fire pit. "Smokeless," because the fuel isn't wood but alcohol. Then there were gruesome news reports about how people using them (and their miniature version tabletop Smores makers) experienced violent flashovers when users erroneously thought the fuel was gone because no flames were visible, and so added more alcohol. Since then, Stefani has been giving away golf bags instead.
Enjoy Ireland!
The pack-in has been delayed to the 15th, 18th & 19th. No reason given, but delay has been the name of the game since this all started. They claim it will require three truckloads (we already had 1-1/2 last week). Still no word on when the fridge will be repaired (waiting for LG to ship me the part). My HK is flying in on the 12th (when Abt was supposed to deliver the TVs, based on our original pack-in date of the 8th) and will stay with us through the 21st. Because we wouldn't have anything on which to put the TVs on the 12th, I was able to postpone that delivery to the 22d. Blinds are being installed tomorrow & Sat. (when I have to go get my crown). Mobile groomers coming this Sunday morning—between them, Bob & me we should be able to corral the cats into their carriers and walk them out to the grooming van in the driveway.
That should give us enough time to get our essentials—and the cats—moved fully back by the 25th and this place in Lincolnwood cleaned to its original condition (or as close to it as humanly possible) before the lease is up on the 31st. I have to give notice on Monday the 10th, so we MUST be out on the 31st.
chisandy
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