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Leaving Stage 3 for Stage 4
I was hoping to make the 5 year mark this summer, and add my name to the list of those who did make it, but I found out yesterday afternoon in the ER, that the cancer has now spread to the bones in my chest and spine. Not sure about next steps, as need to get in touch with oncologist for "new plan", but not looking good…
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Well HERE's a freaky story...
Last July our new puppy gifted me with a flea bite on my right hand (my right arm being devoid of 20 lymph nodes, mind you) which within days turned into cellulitis. A couple of days later, my fake right hip started hurting. Since artificial joints are magnets for infection, I of course immediately assumed the worst. 10…
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Anyone doing Zometa to reduce risk?
MO wants to do Zometa twice yearly to reduce risk of bone Mets. Second MO, when I asked, says it's controversial. Says he will do it if I want, but that he would not suggest it himself because nothing is “free." That he would not want to make me do it, and then I turn out to be the 1 in 100 with osteonecrosis for what Is…
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Help Stage 3ers
I’ve been teary and anxious lately. I’m so confused. My oncologist has told me that my risk of recurrence has dramatically reduced since I passed the year 5 mark. I believe there must be some truth in this because she is a Professor in her field of oncology. But when I go on the internet I’m reading that hormone positive…
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Xeloda for early stage breast cancer
Hi all! I'm writing to learn from others who may have had experience with Xeloda to treat early stage breast cancer! I'm starting a new thread because the only Xeloda thread I could find was, understandably, limited to folks with Stage 4 metastatic disease. I was diagnosed with Stage 3b Triple Negative BC in Nov '21-- have…
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Ibrance/Palbociclib/Pallas trial... experiences?
Hello Because of my massive positive lymphnodes I might say yes to the Pallas trial... Other? Or anyone with experience with this medicine? Still nerd to Get randomised though..
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Is it important how many lymph nodes removed?
Hello everyone, My surgeon removed only 5 lymph nodes. And 4 of them turned out to be cancer-positive. I see that many people had 10-40 lymph nodes removed. Here’s my question: is it important only for the staging or the survival is better when cancerous nodes are removed? Thank you
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Femara Side Effects to show up after almost 3 years
Hi, I’ve been on Femara since November 2019 but it’s only this year that I’ve had sudden blurred vision and numbness in my hands. I’ve just had an mri to my brain, neck , and lower back which all came out clear. Thank God! But i’m wondering if Femara can cause side effects to come out years later and suddenly ..
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PCP recommendation in Houston
Can anyone recommend a PCP in the Houston area who understands the rigors of someone having gone thru stage 3 breast cancer treatment and is still on ovarian suppression and Aromasin? Thanks
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Stage 3c How do I keep from obsessing about recurrence
Hi all, At the age of 38 with no family history, I was diagnosed with a huge ER/PR+ HER2- tumor in Feb 2018. I had all the treatments: 5 mo. AC-T chemo, mastectomy & axillary node removal (10 of 25 had cancer post chemo), oopherectomy 3 weeks post mastectomy, then 28 sessions of rads. I'm on a daily aromatase inhibitor…
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Question about ned and recurrence
Wasn't sure where to post this. I know (or rather I've heard) that in general, recurrence rates run about 30%. I was wondering if you were ned with stage 4, would your chances be the same as if you were ned with other stages? I call myself stage 3, but my doctors refuse to pin it down and just say advanced cancer. Can't…
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Chemo-induced cardiomyopathy, anyone out there
I am looking for other survivors that have this disease now. Adriamycin
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Any long term survivors with more than 10 positive lymph nodes
I was diagnosed last February at Stage 3, with 13 positive lymph nodes and lymphovascular invasion, er pr+, her 2-, ki 40. Had a mastectomy, just finished TAC chemo, and will be on to rads in 2 weeks, breast recon+ hysterectomy scheduled in February 2020. Time has made me less anxious and depressed over my diagnosis but…
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Aromasin - is the generic as effective as the brand name?
I’ve been prescribed Exemestane after having gone through radiation. I got my prescription from cvs and noticed it is a generic. Should I be concerned that it will not be as effective as the brand name? Thanks
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Still peachy-keen at Sweet Sixteen
Chemo brain, yes. Cardiomyopathy, yes. Artificial hips, yes. But I'll take it over the alternative! I just keep on taking my Arimidex and doing my workouts and eating my frozen dinners (not to mention my Ben & Jerry's) and trying to avoid the virus. Hoping maybe I'll get lucky and be able to post another cancerversary next…
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Stage III and Ibrance
I started Ibrance 125 mg because of PIK3CA mutation even if I'm still stage III. Long story short : I was grafted with cancer cells during a reconstruction surgery in 2017 (lipofilling). This is the reason why my MO prefers to give me Ibrance instead Verzenio (to let open my options of treatments for the future, there will…
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Continuing AI for more than 10 years
I think this topic is being discussed here in another thread, but please excuse me for starting a new thread because I can't find the one I'm thinking of. I've also posted in the forum for hormonal treatments. I've been absent from the boards for a while, living my life. I am now living in Europe. I am at the 10-year mark…
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Why can't I see scans?
I was diagnosed with IDC breast cancer last April. A mastectomy scheduled for later that month was cancelled by the surgeon after an MRI showed it had spread to my chest wall. Stage 4, I was told. I live in podunk, so I transferred my care to a major teaching hospital. Stage 3b, they say. I've had two more MRI's and the…
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Stage 3c - cervical lymph nodes treatment
I have two nodes that lit up in the PET/CT scan in the cervical VB area which threw me to 3C. The oncologist suggested I start on Act chemo first but we did not biopsy the neck beforehand. Now, we are almost done with chemo, they are telling me they will not try to take out theselymph nodes in the neck but will do a…
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Reprieve! 15 years and staying on Arimidex
I was dreading this week's onc appointment because he had warned me he wasn't going to renew my prescription...but he has now unexpectedly reversed course. Maybe it was my mournful face! Anyway, he told me I'm OK to continue since I've been made aware of the risks and accept that the benefit is unknown at this point. I…
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1-month delay in any form of treatment a cause for concern?
Hi everyone, My mom was diagnosed with HER2 positive, Stage 3 breast cancer (6+ cm mass in breast as well as cancer in the axillary and possibly cervical nodes) almost a month ago. I am really worried that this is too long of a wait. For reasons I won't go into, we switched her insurance at the start of this month and she…
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I made it to my 15th year...so who knows where I go from here!
When I was diagnosed, I didn't even expect to get 15 MONTHS. How perspective can change! This latest period in my life has brought new challenges and decisions to be made: my oncologist has finally broached the dreaded subject of stopping my Arimidex, since the data suggests it may be doing me more harm than good at age…
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Anyone Seeing Oncologist After 10 Years NED?
Thought of this a lot, since I'm now 11 years out. Do any of you still see your oncologist and do bloodwork and/or tumor marker testing? Do you base it on being on or off of an AI? I plan on staying with Femara as long as insurance will cover it --barring no ill effects other than bone loss. Also I had been getting yearly…
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Estrogen Blockers ??? Take it or dont take it ?????
I'm looking for women who have dicided not to take the estrogen blocking pills!!!! I need some input . My Dr. is telling me that I really don't have a choice, that I must take it. I have all the side effects that you can have and I can not deal with some of them. I really would like some info on how it has or hasn't…
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Any Stage 3 taking Zometa with their AI meds?
reading about Zometa (a bisphosphonate) and how studies are showing that taking it with your AI helps prevent bone mets. Anyone already taking Zometa as a mets prohibitor??
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Anyone have a lumpectomy?
I am closing in on the end of my chemo treatments and will be meeting with the surgeon next month. I have Stage 3a DCIS. My tumor was 14 cm and I had at least 3 lympnodes with cancer. Has anyone had a lumpectomy with such a large tumor at the beginning? I know that it's shrunk because I can tell a huge difference. Most of…
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MO take on Verzenio
Saw my MO (at a research hospital).We had talked about Verzenio some months ago, and he was considering it in my case. The plan was by the time chemo and rads were done, there would be more data from Monarch trial and we’d discuss it and decide then. He was, back then, hopeful about the initial results. He brought it up at…
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Family Is Very Disappointing
This is my first post but would like words of encouragement from anyone who's had major difficulty in getting along with family after cancer. I'm the single one of three girls,middle child, no children and a breast cancer survivor. My two sisters have really bonded since my diagnosis but then again, both are married and…
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OMG......15 Frickin' Years with Stage IIIC
If someone told me back in 2004 that I would be out 15 years….I honestly wouldn't have believed them. Most of you know my story…..but just in case someone missed it;) I found a lump myself after just having a clear exam at my doctor's office five weeks earlier. I had a rushed mammogram followed by a sonogram and was told…
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What percentage ER+ and how many years NED?
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