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CMF Question

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Comments

  • mandy1313
    mandy1313 Member Posts: 978
    edited July 2015

    Hey Lisa! Congrats on those 14 years!!!

    Hugs

    Mandy 1313

  • Tobycc
    Tobycc Member Posts: 578
    edited July 2015

    Most report thinning that only they noticed

  • amyfsw
    amyfsw Member Posts: 51
    edited July 2015

    how's everyone doing? Just had round 5. Now waiting for side effects to hit. Probably saturday. Slowed the cytoxin to 60 minutes and stopped sinus pain. Still a bit of pressure and congestion, but no headache. Also just sent in genetics blood work to test for BRCA results. Praying its negative. But need to know. So glad I'm on the way to finishing. Lost lots of hair in last 2 weeks. Wearing headband daily to keep it normal looking, besides all the multi colored hair from not dying it for last 6 months.

    Amy

  • SueH58
    SueH58 Member Posts: 106
    edited July 2015

    Hi Amy I had my 5th last week. I thought the hairloss stopped after #4, but think I lost more after 5. But I can see where some is growing back in. It's very odd. Two more weeks til my last one and I know you are equally as excited as I to be done!

    Laura, is your last treatment next week, or what it this week? How's your hair holding out???

  • vanmama
    vanmama Member Posts: 74
    edited July 2015

    I am in the chair right now for my last treatment!!! My hair is thinner, but I just got it cut yesterday and my stylist said she saw some new stuff on top but she thought the back was thinner. It's more noticeable to me than anybody else.

    My numbers are way up today. I knew I felt much better this week! Hopefully my side effects won't be terrible. We're heading to SC at the end of next week for our granddaughter's first birthday!

    Laura


  • SueH58
    SueH58 Member Posts: 106
    edited July 2015

    Laura - congrats! I knew you were a week or 2 ahead of me. So glad you're done and hope your SEs will be minimal after this treatment. Have a great time at the b-day party.

  • amyfsw
    amyfsw Member Posts: 51
    edited July 2015

    I have 3 more treatments to go. I guess some r getting only 6. Jealous! I'm way more tired now than usual. Hoping other side effects will b more predictable. All my meds r ready and waiting! Just have to keep pushing thru! Be we'll everyone.

  • SueH58
    SueH58 Member Posts: 106
    edited July 2015

    Amy, you're getting 8 treatments? Hmmm, I thought the protocol was 6. Where are you getting your treatment? Do you know what your oncotype score is?

  • amyfsw
    amyfsw Member Posts: 51
    edited July 2015

    going to memorial Sloan kettering. 8 courses of cmf, once every 3 weeks. Oncotype 32

  • SueH58
    SueH58 Member Posts: 106
    edited July 2015

    I know Sloan Kettering is big on CMF treatments--one of the few. Did your Dr. discuss other treatment options as well? I am pleased my Dr. offers CMF, as it seems so much more tolerable and less toxic than the other options. Those damn oncotypes. Your "stats" alone would suggest no chemo needed, but you can't argue with the onco score. Mine was a 20--very borderline. So I had the Mammaprint test done, which came back high risk. So my MO strongly suggested chemo. I was crushed, seeing as my tumor was small and no node involvement. But I'm 2 weeks from being finished, and glad that I agreed to do the treatments. I wonder why you get 8 instead of 6.

    Hang in there, Amy, and keep us posted!!!

  • suladog
    suladog Member Posts: 837
    edited July 2015

    Sue,

    I had CMF , 8 rounds every 3 wks back in 1990 for TN breast cancer. I had no nodal involvement, 1 cm tumor but grade 3 with a real high onc score. At the time they gave me a poor prognosis yet here I am 25 yrs later. CMF is great! ( in my opinion)

  • SueH58
    SueH58 Member Posts: 106
    edited July 2015

    Suladog, you're our hero!!! I didn't know they had oncotype scores 25 years ago. I don't think taxanes were on the market yet, but did they offer you Adriamycin??? So glad CMF worked great for you. I expect to be able to post the same outcome 25 years from now!

  • suladog
    suladog Member Posts: 837
    edited July 2015

    Sue,

    the onca test was brand new when they gave it to me. They started looking at Aneuploid and diploid in the cells. Aneuploid cancers (which is what I had) are very aggressive and so they began prescribing chemo for them no matter how small. My MO said that had I been diagnosed 6 mo earlier they wouldn't have had the test and they would have just done my MX, and cut me loose since there was no nodal involvement and I had a 1 cm tumor and was ER -PR-........and I probably wouldn't be sitting here right now. Right at the time I was diagnosed they started giving TN women chemo. Boy did I complain, as I thought only nodes required chemo and I sure didn't want to do chemo

    this Paper

    published about 4 months before my diagnosis most likely saved my ass.

  • SueH58
    SueH58 Member Posts: 106
    edited August 2015

    So interesting. 1) because I, too, felt I shouldn't need chemo and I was stunned and depressed with the realization and 2) my daughter was born in 1987 with group b strep. Up until about 6 months earlier, babies were dying from it or were totally retarded. I counted my blessings it took me so long to get pregnant. She is perfectly fine due to the brand new treatments introduced.  

    Dang those onco scores, and praise those scores that may save our lives. 

    From your bio, it looks like your cancer recurred. Is that true?

  • suladog
    suladog Member Posts: 837
    edited August 2015

    Sue,

    Not recurred, just another primary cancer in the other breast ( now gone) totally different from the first cancer this new one is Triple Positive only 7mm so under 1 cm, no nodes , I finished chemo mid April and will be done with herceptin end of December.

  • amyfsw
    amyfsw Member Posts: 51
    edited August 2015

    all such interesting history. I was given advice at Sloan for cmf, but 2 other opinions to do ac or tc. I decided on least toxic for the size and grade of what was found. Everyone was surprised by my oncotype. Expected to do radiation only. I'm glad I only have 3 mire rounds. Feeling miserable today. I know I'll feel better by monday, but really hating this summer. I hope if I have a reoccurrence I can be as strong. All this treatment gets me down, but what real choice. My kids are teenagers and I want to be around for a long time.

  • patrn10
    patrn10 Member Posts: 110
    edited August 2015

    Amy. My MO in NH had heard Dr. WINER at MSK was moving away from taxotare. Trying to decide among tx. For my next step. Did other opinions say why ac or tc over cmf? I also have a mid range oncotype. And lower er%. Looks like most like me on boards have tc×4.

  • amyfsw
    amyfsw Member Posts: 51
    edited August 2015

    pat, with very early stage cancer, mskcc doesn't feel the toxicity of other regimens is necessary. I had lots of trouble deciding what route to take. The tc and ac regimens have about a 1% chance if later neuropthy. Not that cmf doesn't have its own long term issues. There is a website called cancer math that let's you see 10 year mortality rates when u put various treatments. The cmf was about 1.5 % higher risk of mortality, but when you factor the neuropthy, there was such a small difference. I decided to go the "easier" route. Not feeling so easy today, but not as bad as I envisioned. Hope this helps. There's some other chat boards that discuss different opinionstyles and trearyment.

    Amy

  • patrn10
    patrn10 Member Posts: 110
    edited August 2015

    Amy, thank you so much. I will try to find those other boards. I f anyone knows the names of those threads, let me know.

    Thanks again!

  • amyfsw
    amyfsw Member Posts: 51
    edited August 2015

    one was 3 oncologists, 3 opinions. ..


  • patrn10
    patrn10 Member Posts: 110
    edited August 2015

    Thanks, Yes I saw that one and it wasd very informative!

  • SueH58
    SueH58 Member Posts: 106
    edited August 2015

    My Dr. offers CMF as well (obviously). I asked him twice if he thinks I woosied out on the treatment choice and he said "that's what I would have done if I were you." There are definite risks with more toxidity, i.e. heart problems, neuropathy, etc. So, as Amy said, with early state, no node cancers, it's a great choice. And easier to tolerate that the other options.

  • Luttece
    Luttece Member Posts: 4
    edited August 2015

    Hi Amy

    May I ask where in white plains and the oncologist treating you?? How was the regimen that you received??

  • ritajean
    ritajean Member Posts: 4,042
    edited August 2015

    Just bumpiing up our thread so it is easier to find. Hope everyone is enjoying the tail end of summer. My grandsons are already back in school. That seems unbelievable. I think the schools start earlier every year.


  • ml143333
    ml143333 Member Posts: 190
    edited August 2015

    Hi Rita! 

    Yes, the summer has gone by too quickly.  My kids don't go back until after Labor Day, but that day will be here quickly.  My son is going into high school and his orientation is 8/26. 

    I hope that everyone that is treatment is doing well, and those that have recently finished are gaining strength.

    I have been on Femara for about 3 months now and seem to be doing okay.  There are definitely some aches and pains, but they are certainly liveable.  I do feel like I"m 100 years old sometimes, but whatever it takes to keep breast cancer at bay will work.

    I find myself a bit sad at times and wonder if it is an affect of the medicine, but life does go on and I'm glad for it!

  • ritajean
    ritajean Member Posts: 4,042
    edited August 2015

    Hi Mandy,

    So good to hear that you are doing as well as can be expected on the Femara. I took Arimidex for three of my years and then the generic equivalent for the next two. It certainly affected my moods. I had mood swings from happy to sat to reflective often and just learned to live with them as with the joint pain. Another of my friends had some anxiety issues while on the drug so I felt lucky. Although these drugs seem to be our security blanket, there seem to be several side effects to manage.

    Enjoy the rest of your summer I still enjoy the Fall but dread November and December. We are heading to Florida in January again if all goes a planned.

    Hugs to you!

  • mandy1313
    mandy1313 Member Posts: 978
    edited August 2015

    Hi other Mandy!

    Enjoy those days with your kids--before you know it, they'll be leaving home for college. My younger daughter started medical school classes yesterday.

    I hope everyone in treatment, including you gals on an AI, are doing well.

    Hugs

    Mandy1313


  • ml143333
    ml143333 Member Posts: 190
    edited August 2015

    Mandy1313 - Med School?  My goodness.  Well congratulations!  My youngest wants to go into medicine when she gets older.  She's in 8th grade now.  My oldest daughter is a senior in college this year and wants to go into biomedical research.  My middle boy will be a freshman in high school and thinks he may want to look into law.

    I wish I had more time built up at work that I could just take a week and hang out with them, but I am still building up my leave from all the chemo this past year that ended at the end of April. 

    Feeling a bit sad and anxious and thinking it is the AI.  I plan to talk with my MO in September.

    Hope you have an Awesome Day!

  • mandy1313
    mandy1313 Member Posts: 978
    edited August 2015

    Mandy, I gather your elder daughter will be applying to universities this year. That is a year full of stress and also full of joy. I know you will have a great year guiding her through this process!


    Hugzz

    Mandy1313

  • amyfsw
    amyfsw Member Posts: 51
    edited August 2015

    hi. My kids come back from summer camp this week. My oldest will b a high school senior and youngest starting high school. Not looking forward to all the stress of college applications , etc. I am so looking forward to being done with the chemo by early october, but then need to face radiation and drug therapy. I should get my genetic test results this week or next. Trying to stay positive and not stress my kids too much.

    Be we'll all

    Amy