Stage II w/Lymph Node Involvement
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I had 3 nodes with macromets, one node itself was 2.4 cm. My tumor size was 2.7 cm. I am getting 4 rounds A/C every 2 weeks and 12 weekly rounds of Taxol. Then 33 rads. I was told this is a very aggressive chemo regimine. My tumor was also a 9 out of 9 on the scale. Grade 3 in every area, so I guess the tumor is worrisome. I have had clear bone scans and chest x ray, but was not given a PET scan, is that normal? I am going to ask my MO next time I see her, maybe they are waiting until chemo is done?? Any thoughts or anyone in the same situation... Thanks for any advice. Sandy
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SStayton, my score is 8 out of 9. I only got a CT scan of abdomen, chest and pelvis and a bone scan. I have read in these forums that a PET scan is very expensive; maybe that's why you haven't had one. I won't be getting one ...
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etherize...we were diagnosed on the same day!
According to my path report the 3 lymph nodes that were positive for cancer appeared to contain the cancer within them. It really is interesting how the MO's decide which chemo to give
Kasi...I am doing 4 rounds of Taxol first-every two weeks- then will do four rounds of AC think that will be every two weeks also, after that--they say this sequence works better for the Trip Negs 1 down 7 to go.
Maggie
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A micromet is 2mm and under, macromet is over 2 mm. I had a 20-cell sentinel node, and a 6mm node removed later.
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My surgeon said only a small amount was in my sentinel node and he took out that one and the next 3 and they were clear. (the other side was all clear when he checked)
Margins are clear...
He said you always get chemo when it is in the nodes - even it if is one and it is a small amount...
Just wondering if this is what you all have been told
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Hello sweetie, I am a 17 yr Survivor and I had 3 nodes involved and I,m still here, so yes God does put people where they need to b and that,s why I have been here since 2007 ro tell and inspire others to have HOPE and to stay POSITIVE and come back here when they need someone to talk to and to listen, we are here fro You and I know I, ll do my best to Inspire you. msphil(idc, stage 2, 3 nodes involved, L mast(reconstruction but body rejected it and it was taken out) I wear a prothesis and you can,t tell.chemo and rads and 5 yrs on Tamoxifen. God Bless .msphil
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SStayton,
Unfortunately, we share a diagnosis. I had a PET scan before my BMX and SNB and the scan showed no node involvement, and then...two positive nodes were found during surgery. Needless to say, I'm not a huge believer in the almighty PET scan
My biopsy pathology was originally Grade 2, but that was upgraded to Grade 3 (8 out of 9 on Nottingham scale) after surgery. I did 4 rounds of dose dense AC followed by 4 rounds of dose dense Taxol. I also did rads - 33 treatments and just finished my third bottle of Tamoxifen. My onc told me that chemo typically works really well on Grade 3 cancers, so I hope that gives you some reassurance. Do you know what areas you are having radiated? I'm happy to support you in any way I can. Take care 0 -
msphil - Thank you for sharing.0
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SStayton
I was diagnosed at 30 nearly 31 yo with a 2cm tumor in my breast and a 1+cm tumor in my nodes 24 removed 5 involved. I know in my situation they changed the process from the "normal" in order to address specific issues I would def ask about the petscan if nothing else it will help you avoid worrying. I was told my cancer was very aggressive I just put my head down and plowed thru. Here I am 3 years after diagnosis with a 18 month old baby boy. I am only seeing my surgeon every year yeah!0 -
Still having issues -- spent Wednesday all day in Philadelphia getting IV fluids, vitals, etc. Swollen tongue, chest tightness, etc. All my vitals were ok -- they are baffled. I come home and started breaking out AGAIN with the itching, red hands, red feet, burning legs -- etc, etc. I could go on and on.
For those that say "Oh, chemo is doable" -- I'm glad for you. I'm glad for those that can go out and hike and run and eat and be with their families and have some semblence of a normal life. That has NOT been my experience. I've been suffering since August 31st when I broke out after my 2nd Taxotere treatment SIXTEEN days later and again suffering since switching to AC last Friday. It's been a nightmare. They have no clue what is causing these side effects and *think* it could be Neulasta, but after AC on Friday, I broke out 30mins afterwards! I couldn't swallow and it's f*cking scary.
It's obvious my body is just not tolerating this well and I'm afraid to take my last chemo next Friday. I don't think I am going to do it. I'll be doing a lot of praying before then because what if the last dose puts me in the hospital and I die? Is it worth it? There are no guarantees anyway and at least I tried 3 treatments. I just don't want to put my life in any more jeopardy. Tomorrow it will be a week and I'm still not well. I itch and *burn* all over and Benadryl is not helping me.
Sorry for the rant -- I just wish this was easier on me and I'm actually envious (I'm being honest) of those that have kinda sailed through this. I won't speak of this again or bring my issues here and I truly do hope everyone is doing well.
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Chrys23 - I am so sorry you are having a tough time with this. Rant all you want, it totally sucks what you are going through. I truly hate using that word 'doable' with regards to chemo because I know everyone reacts differently, although I know I use that word, sorry.
Definitely talk with your doctors and do what you think is best for you. You are ER+/PR+ so they will put you on a hormone suppressor/blocker of some type. We have similiar stats, and my doctors told me that for early stage hormone receptor positive cancers estrogen blocking/suppression treatment was more critical than the chemo.
Sending you {{{HUGS}}} and prayers.
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chrys23 - I didn't sail through it either and found those kind of comments somewhat annoying, but didn't suffer as severely you have. Reactions to chemo, and BC for that matter, are not one-size fits all. The idea that if you don't "sail through" you are somehow less then is total crap. Don't let that bother you. I would be scared if I was you too, and I am so sorry you are in this situation. I too am hopeful that you can recover from the chemo damage, and then possibly move on to hormone management, and that it will not cause any additional problems for you. If you are bummed out send me a PM if you would like, I will always answer you. Sending you nothing but support right now!
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Chrys23,
So sorry that this has been a tough road. You may rant all you want!!
I try not to criticize other posts but I would like to say something to those who have had an easy time with surgery, chemo, rads etc. I am glad it was easy for you. I am glad that your facility pampered you. In am glad that your positive attitude and maintaining a normal life made this easy for you. But please bear in mind that for some, all of these things will not help to mitigate side effects and bad reactions. It is simply not possible to control all of these things! We are all very different and despite the efforts we make and our medical teams make, some will have a tough time. Yes, we should all make an effort, as should our docs an nurses, to curb se's but let's not imply that this is always possible if only we do the "right" things. My love and prayers to those who are struggling and cheers to those who are having an easier time as well.
Caryn0 -
Just wanted to say I have not yet met anyone who has had an easy time with chemotherapy for treating breast cancer. I too had issues with chemo, didn't think I would make it to my last AC, but I made it and then on to Taxol, but had to have it reduced because of complications. For me, as I get further out from finishing chemo I realize that I made it through and want to try to encourage others because I know the journey sucks. Perhaps the words I choose may not be the correct ones, but the intent has always been to help.
I really struggle on whether or not to post stuff because I don't want to offend or upset anyone, I only want to encourage and be helpful for others who are on this journey because of the support, advise and encouragement I got when I was really feeling like crap and wanted to give up chemo, or being just plain scared.
Peace
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In all honesty Chrys - I would not do the last chemo as too risky with your reactions. Again, you have more options with Tamox and AIs. I ended up in the ER during my AC treatments with different side effects than you. AC is very toxic and as others have mentioned one of the hardest chemos. I did see a patient sitting next to me during chemo who had a reaction and it was scary. I called the nurses for help because the patient was unable to speak due to breathing difficulty ---- good thing my Benadryl hadn't kicked in yet or I would have been asleep. The nurses didn't see because they were working on other patients and TV on --- no one saw/heard this patient.....
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Proud mom,
I think we should all post, the good and the bad, so we can have an idea of the range of se's or lack of, if we are lucky. My objection is to those who feel that via attitude, medical facility etc. all se's can be prevented. This implies that if you have se's, you and/or your medical team are not doing something to prevent it. The truth is that despite all efforts, medical, physical, emotional or spiritual, some people will have se's. These will range from mild to intolerable. It stinks because the implication is that sometimes we just can't control things and no one likes that feeling but that is just the reality of it! Caryn0 -
Yes, totally agree that all side effects cannot be curbed or avoided. These are toxic drugs and I may be wrong - - but I think sometimes to relieve the symptoms the medical staff can only try to flush the body with saline IV. Goal to dilute the chemo and calm down the side effects. Unlike a snake bite where you can get an anti-venom shot - - what is available as an anti-chemo antidote except Benadryl, prednisone, other? Anyone please correct me if I'm wrong!!
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Crystal... so so sorry for all your problems... Chemo can be easy for some, like my co-worker who seemed to never have any side effects to someone like you who can't catch a break... I guess this is true for all things... Some sail through surgery while others, like me, had numerous complications... It sucks when its you. I envied those who had no issue and wondered why I had the problems... no rhyme or reason... As far as the last chemo... I think only you can decide... Can you manage to get through enough to have completed the full course?? Even if it means a miserable month?? For me with the surgery, I knew I'd be miserable, but I also knew it was a short lived misery... and in the long run would be happy I had done it...
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Chrys23, I'm sorry to hear about the awful side effects you're experiencing. How scary not to be able to swallow! Personally, I think you're right to skip that last treatment. I don't think the stress and the side effects are worth it, and you've done 3/4 treatments already.
I hope you will post here again, to let us know how you're doing. I don't think you have been ranting, and if you have ... well, you deserve to!
SpecialK, thanks for the answer about the size of macromets. Apparently that's what I've got, "greater than 2mm" but it doesn't say the exact size on the path report. I don't think I'll be asking for details on that little tidbit ... ;-)
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I appreciate all of the kind words of support -- thank you for allowing me to come and share my experience; even if it hasn't been the most pleasant. It means a lot.
BDavis: To be honest, I had to call the emergency on-call dr again today; hard to swallow, severe throat spams, burning and itching skin and welts -- and it happened to be my Onc on call. He even mentioned today on the phone that he may not want to do the last treatment; that the risks for me are just too dangerous. If that ends up being the case; at least I did all I could. I really don't want to take the 4th and final treatment next week and then I end up in the ER or dead because my sensitivity to the chemo (not exaggerating). If I'm having this bad of a reaction now and it's cumulative -- the final one next week may do me in - in all seriousness. It's not worth the risk to me. I have a husband and my son just turned 21 yesterday. It's been like hell at home with everyone seeing me suffer. My next question would be -- if I do have to stop and God forbid I have a recurrance, how would I ever be able to take chemo again? I guess my body has already answered that fact for me.
Seems to me my Onc has never seen a case like mine either. He said on the phone he has never had anyone have an allergic reaction to A/C. But that can't be true....I guess there is a first time for everything.
Again, thank you everyone....
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Crystal... You can't risk your life for the chemo... so I think you know the answer... As for recurrance, the odds are in your favor, so know that... and you have done 3/4 so you have that too...AND you'll do hormone treatment, which is good for us ER+/PR+ women... It must be scary for you and we all feel for you, but trust it will improve as you progress past the chemo... Not sure how long it takes to get out of the system... A few years ago I was admitted to the ER after some unexplained abdominal pain... in the end it was determined that I had had an allergic reaction to my allergy injections... One in a million and I was the one... SUCKS. Please call me if you need to talk.
Betsy
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Hi Chrys23,
I am so sorry that you are having such a hard time! I definitely wouldn't dismiss your side effects. They sound serious and scary. You have been very brave and tough. I think that even if you quit now, you would still have gotten a lot of benefit from all that you have done.
If you go forward with the final one, you might consider a couple of adjustments that might make it more tolerable: 1) reduce this dose - maybe by 20% or some such number 2) ask for a 'slow drip" and extra pre-meds. By slow drip, I mean 3 times as long as usual. I got this because I have a history of allergic reactions. In your case, if the tight chest and swollen tongue is happening within hours of the infusion, it could help. 3) wait an extra week for your body to recover. I had high liver enzymes on my second chemo and had to wait a week longer. Not in my initial plan, but that was what my body needed.
I think that either decision is good. Only you know what is in your heart. Chemo is only part of the journey. The estrogen blockers are even more important statistically in warding off recurrence so you should also weigh that in your decision. Peace with whatever you decide.
best, Beau
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Chrys - No way would I do the last one. I feel like I read somewhere that people who end up not being able finishing the last round still pretty much got the max benefit as if they did them all.
etherize - I had extracapsular extention too so my cancer was prepping to break out (if it hadn't already - scary). CT & Bone Scan were clear but it's still so scary to think about.
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Chrys---I am a year out from my chemo for my Stage 2 BC (1 node involved). I sailed through my first three chemos and thought....this isn't so bad....then the last three (Taxotere) hit me quite hard and I really had a hard time. It is so different for everyone. I had a severe reaction to my last chemo (go figure) and was back visiting the hospital a week later but gradually the SE went away. Sending hugs your way for a relief from the awful SE that you are having.
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Hello everyone -- I've posted the below on the August 2011 chemo board as well, so my apologies if any of you have seen this already. Thanks so much for your support and comments; it is much appreciated. I've been resting, getting my strength back and staying off the boards for awhile -- I feel a little better than last week (thank God), but still have some throat issues at times (feels like a golf ball in the back of my throat) and I still have itching issues.
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My oncologist called me today; he will NOT administer the final chemo tomorrow (Friday 10/7). He actually said that it would be detrimental and dangerous to my health to continue. He stated that since they don't know what "agent" is causing the severe reactions, to proceed would not be in my best interest. I think he also feels comfortable in the sense that my OncoType score was 16 and I did at least have 3 out of 4 treatments. I asked him if they could prolong the steroids or give mor benedryl, but he said NO -- too dangerous. So, I wasn't the one to say to stop, but it was him. He just won't do it. He said the only other option was the CMF protocal of drugs, but he said it may be a waste of time to give me that. He had actually told me the same thing after my 2nd Taxotere became problematic.
I am still traveling to Philadelphia tomorrow to the cancer center to talk to him in person. He told me if I am coming to "convince someone to give me a final dose of chemo; it;'s not going to happen". Yikes!
He told me I should move right in to Rads and to move my consult appointment up from November 1st. I was able to do that and I now have a Rads appt next Wednesday.
It's weird to not sit in the chair tomorrow, but at least I'm going in to talk to the dr in person. It feels scary too -- I pray the 3 treatments have some benefit in the long term.
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Chrys23,
Did the chemo ok (4-AC, 12 T). It wasn't easy. Everyone said rads were a piece a cake compared to chemo. Most people sail through rads. Not me. My skin started to burn after the second treatment. Got through the 33 rads but almost didn't make it. Everyone is different.
Penny
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chrys23 - I am relieved they are not doing anymore, I was worried. I am sure that it makes you nervous not to complete chemo, but it just seems too dangerous for you. I sure hope rads is easier for you!
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Thanks for that, I get very nervous about time passing. They said they would not take out more nodes. My drs in chicago all say i don't need chemo. Only the Sloan dr, who found the cells and vascularization feels chemo is called for. so i am going to new york. It is very difficult to travel but at the same time I feel I will be in good hands. Decisions, decisions.
did you choose bilateral mastectomy? I keep bringing up having the other breast removed but everyone says no. Well, right now i just want to get rid of the cancer.
They say i am so estrogen positive and an onco score of 14 is good so arrimidex should work. but does it get rid of micromets? the onco said he'd check with the radiologist to see if i need it but he never got back to me. am i supposed to follow up with everyone? it seems that way.
things don't seem to be well coordinated which increases my anxiety.
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So how big is 20 cells? I have 100 cells and have no idea how big that measures.
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BDavis,
I'd like to apologize for my snarky behavior earlier in this thread. There is no excuse. I'm sorry.
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