TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP
Comments
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Sduch1
Welcome to the forum! As for your echos ....wow...they are great! We have lots of ladies here who hav e had serious cardiac issues an have had to stop Herceptin and many have had much bigger drops in EF.....my ef started @ 62!
Do not know about proton radiation therapy....very interested to hear about it..
Hi chrissera,
I had neo TCH as well followed by lumpectomy. I continued with herceptin every 3 weeks right through the entire year.
I started anastrozole..I'm post menopausal... Right after radiation. I had no nodal involvement but had radiation as well.0 -
Thank you so much for responding! That is what I'm worried about---feeling sick going into rads. Its also around the time I need to go back to work. I don't know how to avoid getting run down.
Once I learn more about proton radiation, I will post about it in case anyone is interested. My gut is saying to go with standard radiation. Not sure I want to be the experiment in this case.
Sarah0 -
Thanks for the info. I have not had a Herceptin infusion since August 31, and am not scheduled to meet with my MO until October 26. Is that too long inbetween infusions? One of my concerns with the waiting period between finishing neoadjuvnat chemo and surgery is that the cancer could start to grow back? Is that stupid to think that?? I find myself checking the area of the lump all the time to see if I can feel it again?
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Thanks for the info. I have not had a Herceptin infusion since August 31, and am not scheduled to meet with my MO until October 26. Is that too long inbetween infusions? One of my concerns with the waiting period between finishing neoadjuvnat chemo and surgery is that the cancer could start to grow back? Is that stupid to think that?? I find myself checking the area of the lump all the time to see if I can feel it again?
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Chrissera,
Some ladies have had to stop hercptin for periods because of heart and other issues but I think the majority of us get that herceptin every 3 weeks for one year. I will have a total of 17 infusions.
There may well be a reason for the break but I would call your mds and ask.
You will find that we ALL worry about delays and breaks in treatments because we fear it will come back in the interim. We have lots of layers of security blankets...0 -
sduch1 MGH is the top hospital in the country and one of the top cancer treatment (in the top 4 I think) in the US. Sounds to me like you are getting excellent care. You don't want to overtreat. All these drugs/chemos have SE. I'm very worried about my bones on Anastrozole. If you don't need it you don't want it. My onc & BS don't do tumor markers because they don't feel they are reliable. They do work for some people but not for others. I got a pass on rads so I can't help too much there. Don't worry about not being triple + . We're all here for you. BTW I started to feel much better 5 weeks PFC.
Leigh22 Talking with other women who have been there helped me so much. I was hooked to this site. As you can see I'm a post ho. But we are all here for each other. It does get better eventually… really it does.
Hi chrissera
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Sduch...
We each hqndle these treatments differently so keep that in mind. I got thru chemo with very few SES... I felt worn down but pretty good very soon after TCH chemo and even better in the 4 weeks through lumpectomy. I had a rough time with rads however. Most women breeze though rads and get some fatigue at the end. I did face down rads and have clustrophobia. I struggled thru 34 treatments and was exhausted for weeks at the end.0 -
Welcome to the newbies!
sduch - I found that it took about 6 weeks until I really felt stronger. That may be longer than most but I went into chemo coming off five surgeries in the 2 1/2 months that preceded it.
This is the NCI blurb on proton radiation:
Proton therapy: External-beam radiation therapy can be delivered by proton beams as well as the photon beams described above. Protons are a type of charged particle.
Proton beams differ from photon beams mainly in the way they deposit energy in living tissue. Whereas photons deposit energy in small packets all along their path through tissue, protons deposit much of their energy at the end of their path (called the Bragg peak) and deposit less energy along the way.
In theory, use of protons should reduce the exposure of normal tissue to radiation, possibly allowing the delivery of higher doses of radiation to a tumor. Proton therapy has not yet been compared with standard external-beam radiation therapy in clinical trials.
Here is a link to a Washington Post article regarding the use of proton radiation specifically for breast cancer:
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My radiation oncologist told me the latest thinking on rads is that there will be fewer more powerful ones...stronger dosing. Not sure if tht's what proton rads is.
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chrissera agree with ashla and kay, i would put a call in to your MO, unless there is a heart function or other health related issues you can continue with H until your surgery. I was on a three week chemo schedule and had my first H on its own exactly 3 wks after, then at 5 wks surgery then the following week H again0
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I had my left TE put back in about 6 weeks PFC but had no problems continuing on my Herceptin schedule. I set up the surgery for the day after Herceptin so that I would have three weeks until the next one. My PS is a stickler for driving restrictions so I needed the max time until the next tx.
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Ladies believe it or not, I have had herceptin on and off, but mostly on since 2003 and have never had any heart issues. I go every three months for an echo and a stress test. I've been told that the longer you stay on the herceptin does not increase the chance for heart issues, that there is the same chance of having an issue early in treatment as there is later in treatment. I don't know my exact numbers, but I've been told that there has been no change over the years. I'm just waiting for the TDM1 to become available.
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Wow I just read a novel catvhing up on everything.
Welcome to all the newbies and u will learn so much here, these ladies are amazingly in the know.
Arlene they are going to interview u? Wow how exciting and I don't like the term survivor either, it reminds me of the TV show.
And pink just doesn't do it for me--to cutesy and cancer is not cute at all.
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Yay Leigh22 for clear scan :-)
My surgery is ON! All confirmed that my BS' back-up plan has been put in place and I have to be there by 7am tomorrow morning. It is 3.30pm Thursday here and I just packed my little bag with loose pants and button shirts.
So glad to get this done (BMX with immediate muscle sparing free TRAM). I just know this is the right thing for me :-)
Jenn0 -
Jenn good for u--it'll br over eith in no time--and of course as soon as u can let us know.
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Jenn good for u--it'll br over eith in no time--and of course as soon as u can let us know.
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Jenn good for u--it'll br over eith in no time--and of course as soon as u can let us know.
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Probably too late to reach you prior to surgery but best wishes Jenn!
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Yay Jenn! Good luck tomorrow (or today). I get so confused with this time change thing with my Aussie breast friends.0
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It's 10.30pm and hubby and I don't seem tired for some reason... Less than 12 hours now. Thanks for all the kind words ladies :-)
Jenn0 -
Lago..
Morning...
You getting deported in the ORwith light anesthesia? My record with anestesiologists is the pits. I understand their position but the few times I've needed their services I've had trouble and woe.0 -
Good luck Jenn!!!0
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Omaz...
i'm even more confused!!!!0 -
Wow. You all have been busy.
Welcome to the newbies. I hope you find the information you need, and probably some you don't
Chriss, you posted that you're getting a SNB, ALNB, AND Rads to the axilla?
How many positive nodes do they say you have? I understand you've done tx, but before tx started, how many nodes?
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Ashla - I think we are luminal B which means we benefit from both chemo and hormone therapy.0
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jenn awesome news! good luck w surgery! i know how much you wanted this day to happen
ok "breast friends" as lago puts it. I'm having a meltdown today. I don't think anyone can listen to me anymore. My friends and family have all pretty much moved on from BC and here i am. I went w my friend yesterday to her plastics consult. She already had a msx no recon (they wont do it here if you are having rads). So she is doing the fat grafting procedure which basically eliminates the need to move fat/muscle from your back or tummy. Well im having the lat dorsi flap procedure done in 2 wks and i am having major cold feet. I am seriously doubting having that back flap done and possibly risking permanent issues with movement. Im only 43 and i am active. I was never offered the fat grafting as it is only done in this one hospital. Keep in mind this is canada, public healthcare. Not so easy to change hospitals/docters etc. I called my nurse today and asked her if i could at least try to get into the alloderm trial (its only on trial here in canada) she said she would speak to the study nurse and get back to me
im so frustrated bc i see all you guys having implants/recon with rads and no back surgery. I am in tears right now
sorry for the rant
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lago - You have been saying it for a while, I remember!0
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jenn awesome news! good luck w surgery! i know how much you wanted this day to happen
ok "breast friends" as lago puts it. I'm having a meltdown today. I don't think anyone can listen to me anymore. My friends and family have all pretty much moved on from BC and here i am. I went w my friend yesterday to her plastics consult. She already had a msx no recon (they wont do it here if you are having rads). So she is doing the fat grafting procedure which basically eliminates the need to move fat/muscle from your back or tummy. Well im having the lat dorsi flap procedure done in 2 wks and i am having major cold feet. I am seriously doubting having that back flap done and possibly risking permanent issues with movement. Im only 43 and i am active. I was never offered the fat grafting as it is only done in this one hospital. Keep in mind this is canada, public healthcare. Not so easy to change hospitals/docters etc. I called my nurse today and asked her if i could at least try to get into the alloderm trial (its only on trial here in canada) she said she would speak to the study nurse and get back to me
im so frustrated bc i see all you guys having implants/recon with rads and no back surgery. I am in tears right now
sorry for the rant
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