Chemotherapy for Stage IV
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Hi Waves: I was recently diagnosed with liver mets and wondered if you had any more information about the radioactive pellets? I haven't even started chemo yet (Tuesday will be my first) but like to know what else is out there. Are the pellets in addition to chemo? I hope you're doing okay.
Marybe: I started a new post asking for some hope and then read through this thread. Your 1998 diagnosis was exactly what I needed to read. I went on the internet today (some info is just too old and WAY too scary) and found some articles about life span after liver mets (48 months, no one having survived five years and just got terribly upset and down. This is two days new to me and I do believe I will, once again, stay off the internet. I did for my first Stage III diagnosis and it was a smart move. Thanks for posting and giving me hope.
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Hi marybe....I am sorry that the nasty beast spread in your liver....'don't lose hope...I hope the new chemo regimen will work. It's been 10 days since my 2nd chemo...I feel lucky that I don't feel much side effect....went out with Hubby and my 11'month old baby this morning, bought her dress for her first bday.....since I start chemo....I started to feel good and almost feel normal....i can now
Spend the day cooking and cleaning the house and taking care of the baby as well..... I
Am just amazed how my body is fighting this disease.....considering I have extensive
Bone and liver mets. My onco asked me what pain reliever I have been on...I said not taking anything.....and was surprised....i am hoping and praying for us each day that We can get through this/p>0 -
@ treso...i am interested about the radioactive Pellets as well....hopefully someone can provide us the info....I have 3 lessions on my left and right liver...measures 2.5cm....My onco says that
My liver enzymes went back to normal on my first round of chemo....I have been encouraged and hoping the ct scan after my 3rd chemo show some good results......0 -
Treso, I am sorry I did not see your other thread ,but am glad I gave you some hope. Believe me when I first found out I was Stage lV in 98 and that my liver was one of the places they saw cancer in the scans and after I went to the library and got a book so I could read about Stage lV, I thought I was a goner. I forgot exactly what the statistics were, but it was something like 50% survival rate for 5 years.....however, with each passing year, I worry a little less and think I am am as likely to die in a car accident as from cancer. One of my friends swears it is going to be a car accident since she is always telling me what a terrible driver I am!! Point is, you can't believe all the statistics....we are people not numbers. Sweetangel, thank you for your kind words...it has actually been in my liver for a long time, is just now getting much larger which is what has my onco concerned....me as well of course. I am glad you are tolearating your new treatment well...know it takes a lot of energy to care for a baby and I am praying that this treatment works wonders for you. AmyJo knows about the pellets....I think she said they are doing the procedure at Duke.
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sweetangel-I too am getting a scan after my 3rd TCH which is next Friday. The scan is planned for a week later. I have a huge liver tumour and 1 smaller one and 4 golfball sized ones in my lungs. I am worried because my breast tumour doesn't seem to be getting smaller. It does feel like it isn't as attached to my chest wall-it feels wigglier.
Onc says we will talk about what comes next based on the scan. Since I left the old Onc (who wanted to take out half my liver the first week of May) I have had only 1 visit with the new guy. I want to go in with all the right questions about the pellets, and RFA and anything else I can gather about livers.
Glad you had a good day with DH and baby. It was beautiful here yesterday. I blew off a BC seminar called "The Many Faces of Breast Cancer" because I wanted to spend the day in the yard. It was for advanced BC and I am sure it would have been good but I needed sunshine worse than cancer info. Also, the featured speaker was my old Onc who on all 3 of my office visits came in saying had to cut it short because of speaking engagements.
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Lilylady.....How big is huge?. I am not discounting the pellets or surgery on the liver, BUT if you have it in other places, to me I would think a chemo that is going to go after everything would make more sense. You can get the liver all cleaned up (not a very technical description I know), but if you have breast cancer in other places, what's to keep it from going back to the liver? Believe me, I am a heck of a lot more concerned about it being in my liver than in my bones (although I must say finding out I had a met in my skull did not thrill me), but when I went and talked to the onco/radiologist at the hospital re possible RFA or chemoembolization on my liver tumors, he felt that since it was in other places and also since I had several tumors in my liver, that the way to go was systemic treatment, rather than targeting just the liver....who knows, I don't, that's for sure, but I thought what he said was quite logical. Unfortunately the chemos I did after that did not work, although maybe they did since they are saying my bones are unchanged, but now I do have more mets in the liver and the largest is 3X3 cm. Some days I just get sick of this whole thing, but I don't want to give up so I will most likely be starting Halaven on Wed. and will just say my prayers and cross my fingers and numb toes and hope it works on everything, lungs, bones and liver. I am saying prayers for all of us.
Ooops, need to edit to correct tumor size....just looked at report and it says 6X6cm....guess that 3X3 was wishful thinking or my part.
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My big liver tumour is tennis ball sized-on the right lobe and a a couple of small-about 1cm on my left lobe. That's what drove me to get another opinion. It made no sense to me to say they were taking it out May 4 when they haven't even scanned to see if the chemo was shrinking it. New Onc said it was inappropriate this early in the treatment to even think about it. Old place was saying I would be "curable" if they took it out.
Because I am neo-chemo I had only talked to the BS twice. Once for the biopsy (core) and the other time to check the port after she installed it. That's when she said they wanted to do the liver surgery but wouldn't give me any further explanations. Old Onc wasn't willing to go into details either. They said liver guy would explain it all. I left and am not looking back.
Like I said in y earlier post I am worried the chemo isn't working that well bcause the breat tumour doesn't feel that much smaller-but also have had only 2 tx. next 1 is friday.
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Lillady and Marybe,
Now I am worried as well. Even though my ONCO says that my liver enzyme went back to normal, I can feel that my breast tumor got bigger. I told my ONCO that when they biopsy it, it was only 0.98cm (which surprised me coz she didn't know) apparrently my ONCO blames her resident dr. for not getting the measurement initially.... thought I can tell that after the biopsy it went bigger, not sure if it is a reaction from the biopsy.
When I went back for my 2nd chemo Check UP......Her resident dr. measure my breast tumor it is now 5.0cm. It is way bigger.....(I HATE THE FACT that she always have someone around doing her stuff...different resident dr. everytime)....I am now concerned that the chemo isn't working? I can't wait to finish the 3 cycle of FEC....then we can decide if we need to switch the chemo meds. Though when I try the CANCERMATH website, I would benefit more if I get 3cycle of FEC and 3 cycle of D.......sometimes it is very confusing.....I might get a second opinion if things didn't work out.....
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Sweet, Are they doing chemo lst to shrink the tumor and then doing surgery? If the liver enzymes are normal and they were not before that is a good sign. It seems to me that not all chemo works everywhere.....my bones supposedly stayed the same, but tumors in my liver got larger and increased in number.
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Marybe,
My Onco said we can decide about surgery after my 3rd cycle, if the tumor shrunk then I can have the surgery. I will have blood test and will check my liver enzyme before my 3rd chemo...hoping that it is still normal....someone said it could flactuate...or the level enzyme could change everytime.
Is it possible for the liver tumor to spread and even increase in size even while on CHEMO? I thought the chemo is supposed to stop it or shrink the tumor. I hope you find the right chemo combo for your liver Marybe.....and eventually will wipe out all the tumor.
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sweetangel: I'm glad you tolerate the chemo well. I tolerated my first round when I was Stage III quite well so, I'm hoping this will be the same. I had taxol before and will be getting taxotere and xeloda. What is your regiment?
Treso
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Marybe: Thanks again for your words of encouragement. When I told a friend about my first dx with bone mets back in 8/10, I also expressed how weird it was to see the bus coming at me with the display on the front that read "Metastatic Breast Cancer" in giant neon letters. Her response was "Hey, if you can see it, you'll have time to get out of the way." Well, I've never forgotten that and, it looks like I'll just have to work a bit harder now to get out of the way with my newest dx.
Treso
p.s. Be careful driving!
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I like that...If you see it, you'll have time to get out of the way. SweetAngel, Hate to tell you this, BUT if the chemo is not working the tumors can increase in size and even multiply....that is what happened to me....HOWEVER, it does not mean that is happening with you and I never know anything for sure until they take a scan and can SEE it. The waiting part is always the hardest and even though I don't like to have scans ands xrays, I am always the one asking my doc is it time for scans? because I always want to know what is going on. I find that what I imagine is always worse than reality. Believe me I am not looking forward to tomorrow one bit since I am starting Halaven.....but hopefully it will not be as bad as I am anticipating.
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Hi Folks, and thanks Marybe for remembering me. I have been out of the loop for a few days. Am halfway thru my 2nd cycle of Xeloda and Tykerb and things are pretty manageable except for a huge, all-over, itchy, stinging body rash. I mean all over! We had a big fancy 10th Wedding Anniversary party this weekend, and my face was as red as a beetroot due to the rash. I am assuming that folks just thought that I was unskilled with makeup - HA! Per the oncologist, I am treating with benedryl and cortizone cream. Any other suggestions? Oatmeal baths? Cornstarch? The great, great, great news for me is that my CT scan showed shrinking of my lung mets, and after only part of one cycle! I was so happy I nearly danced on the examining table. Now I am going to give myself permission to not worry until the next scan. I think it might be happening, and I would love to meet NED someday. Love to all, SUE
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To add to what Mary said to sweetangel. Chemo can work on some tumours, and not on others. At present I'm on taxol-which has reduced the pleural mets, but not the ones in the liver.In theory the chemo should stop the spread-but it's not as straightforward as that. Many chemos will fail-otherwise we would be in the position of being able to be cured, or at the very least attain NED for a long period of time. I've had existing tumours grow whilst in various chemos, and it's devastating. All we can do is stop, and try another chemo-until such time as there are none left to try.
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Marybe - I don't know if we are to use these discussion boards for messages, but I know that you are starting your new chemo today. Thinking of you and sending as much good karma as I can muster your way. Your body and your strong will has beat the monster back over and over, and will do it again - we are all with you. SUE
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Sue, I think we are allowed to use these boards for whatever we want so long as we are not trying to sell a product, berating or bullying someone for their opinions or using a lot of profanity. I thank you for your encouraging words. And yes, I know I have done it all before, but it isn't making me feel any better about starting a new one today since even though I have read the thread on this chemo and have the paper listing the SEs I still do not know how it is going to affect me, nor do I know if it will work. That's the big thing....SEs are much more tolerable if the chemo works. Sometimes, I find myself thinking, It shouldn't be this difficult, just to stay alive. But the whole thing is, I DO want to live so really don't have much choice except to try what my onco thinks is going to work. I will keep you all posted.
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Hi Ladies, Good morning and hoping that everyone will have a great day!!!
@ Treso, I am on FEC 6X, fluorouracil, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide....If after 3x cycle the chemo regimen seems not working then will probably switch to a diff. regimen. I heard taxol has the reputation of getting rid of tumor. I will discuss it with my ONCO. I hope taxotere and xeloda works well with you and shrink the tumor. Let me know how its going.....I see that we are both ER+, PR+ and Her2-....
@ Marybe, sending big hugsss to you.....wish you can tolerate the chemo well and works this time. I am still praying for you and looking forward for a good news at the end of your chemo cycles.
@ SUE glad to hear about your lung tumor shrinking....I hope it's all gone by the end of your chemo cycles. With regard to the RASHES, during my 2nd chemo, I had a lady next to me who's allergic to her chemo regimen, everytime she starts to feel the reaction, the nurse had to stop the chemo and administer the benadryl through IV. I am not sure if they are doing the same to you. Are they giving you benadryl during the infusion to stop the allergic reaction? your ONCO should be able to help you with this. I hope you meet NED pretty soon....I am wishing as all to be NED....:-)
@ Elaine, that is so sad, I mean not knowing which chemo works? I hope there is way for ONCO to know which is really going to work so we don't have to TRY and TRY......I just wish that we all get lucky to hit the right REGIMEN....so we can all be NED.......wishful thinking :-).....sending hugss to you.....
@ LILLADY, your scan is getting closer...I hope the chemo is shrinking the tumor. Sometimes it is very confusing...what advice to get? different opinions comes from two diff. ONCO. But seems like NEW ONCO is doing a good job, I hope he came up with a good plan on your treatment.... and that it is something that is going to work.......all the best on your treatment and keep believing that we can get through this :-)....
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Had my lst halaven treatment today and I am feeling just fine....know it is too soon to tell. He had me get a Rx for zoffran filled....I said I normally do not have any nausea with anything, shall I just wait and see and he said No, Get it filled so you aren't waiting at the pharmacy if you do get sick. I met a woman there who has been on halaven since Jan and her scans came back clear....if that happens to me, I won't care about the SEs. It's always easier to handle SEs when the treatment works. Sadly there is really not a way to be certain a chemo is going to work....they have statistics and can go on trial results, but there is no guarantee. Someone told me about a lab in CA where they can test the cancer cells and supposedly figure out exactly which chemo will work on your particular cancer, but my onco said it is for other types of cancer, not breast. Anyway, he has excellent results with this one so I am hoping to be one of his success stories. I don't always agree with the man, but he has kept me going for 13 yrs after my Stage lV diagnosis so he's doing something right. All we can do is keep on trying.
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Marybe: Glad to hear your first treatment went well, so far. I'm getting my first Taxotere tomorrow but have had Taxol already so, I'm not expecting much difference. Rough day at work, though, telling my coworkers about my latest development. I never told many people about my bone mets last August since I continued working. Can't deal with the head tilts and pity. My last day of work will be 5/15/11 as I do much better in treatment when I'm not working my full time job. I have several part time jobs and it is all too much to deal with. I realized that I don't take care of myself properly when working so much. I'm not one who needs to continue my "normal" routine. This will be my "new normal" and my job is to allow myself to be first in line so I can heal. After getting some good scan results and taking time to recoup from chemo, I'll go back to my full time job. This is so different now. When I was Stage III, I could see an end to the treatment and surgeries. Now, I know I'll be doing something for good. Which is fine as long as it keeps me here. Sorry I went off on such a tangent. I apparently needed to vent a bit. Thanks for listening.
Treso
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Treso, That is what these threads are for, to vent. For me, working helps and I just hope I am able to do it....had already cut down to about 28 hrs per week and am going to see how it goes. I actually went to sleep tonight which is good considering it was my lst day of steroids for awhile....took the dog out and now hope to go back to sleep. I woke up with this tingling jolt going up from my foot and thought what the heck and had actually forgotten I got chemo.
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Marybe - Glad things are good so far. Your oncologist sounds like he is on the ball - was a good idea to have the Rx "just in case". It really helps to have a Dr. who knows you well (13 years - wow!). My guy has been "on my case" for 10 years, and I feel like I have a partner that I can trust and can even argue with - you too? Take a breath, keep on truck'n, and knock the monster on it's bum. SUE
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Well I got my CT Scan results today. The report was badly written. But basically it said my new lesion to the liver in Feb have remain the same size this scan. My onc gave me the option to stop chemo today but I said another month. My scan are going to be read by someone else. I meet with dr three weeks later. Who in their right mind would agree to go through 2 more treatments of chemo. The four I have had didn't hurt me so two more won't. I did find out I can go back to taking taxmoxifen. I was the one way back when who want to switch from tamoxifen to arimidex.
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poohfan, You are not out of your mind to do two more...if the tumor has not increased in size, the chemo is working...unchanged is stable and stable is good. Was the tamoxifen working for you before?...are you still premenopausal (even though I am sure the tamox and chemo probably induced menopause) I went to aromasin from Tamoxifen and the aromasin really worked for me.
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two more sound good and worth doing poohfan good luck with it all
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Ladies, I have changed my mind about two more chemos. I might have a small area of basel cell melanoma on the cartlidge of my ear. I am sure I have to be off avastin before the dermatologist would remove the cells on my ear since avastin causes you to bleed easily. I did some soul searching this weekend and my gut is telling to go to tamoxifen. My oncologist would never have mentioned it to me if I was not stable.
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Poohfan, I am no doctor, but I don't think melanoma is something you should just observe....it is quite rapid growing, isn't it? How long do you have to be off avastin before you could have the area on your ear removed. I know a women in the treatment room had to have toe surgery and she was only off it for something like a month. Is the problem with avastin bleeding or the fact things don't heal as rapidly?
I may or may not have had some sort of a SE with the halaven last night....woke up about 4 AM aching everywhere.....it was muscle, not bone. I was thinking Hmmm, maybe I am dehydrated since I had a drink and also two cups of coffee at the wedding reception dinner I went to....but I also had about eight glasses of water with my meal so I am sort of thinking the two would counteract each other. Anyway, I took a muscle relaxant I had from the orthopedic dr and woke up groggy, but am no longer aching....problem is I cannot take this pill and go to work or get much else done since it does make me very sleepy. I am just going to sort of play it by ear today and hope it was a fluke one time happening since this is not a listed SE.
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DREAM & REDEEM from American Express apps.facebook.com Check out my photo at the Memorable Miles photo contest from American Express. Vote for my entry and help me win 100,000 miles!Would you be so kind as to cast a vote for me?. Seriously doubt if I will win, but it never hurts to dream and since I am finally getting a new passport, miles to pay for a trip certainly would come in handy. Thanks so much.
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I voted for you marybe
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Thank you,bbb....I now have 3 votes I think. I always like to have something to look forward to and a trip sounds like a good thing to me.
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