mets to lung
Comments
-
chanah: I've seen two of my three children marry now and it's awesome.....congratulations! All those little ones are so special. We call our two grandchildren my "medicine," as they are truly so incredible to me. Big congratulations and enjoy your wonderful family time. Hugs. Jean
0 -
Thanks Jean
0 -
I got my CT results today from my onc...no significant change in lung mets since last scan in September!! He said that what is there isn't large enough to measure so he's keeping me on my same treatment plan--faslodex and arimidex. My CA 27-29 was 135 this month so he's wanting me to stay on this combo since I don't have any bad SE on it! I was so happy about this news; my daughter took me out to lunch to celebrate!!
I hope everyone has a good night! I know I'll sleep better after getting a little positive news!
Judy
0 -
Naturelover: That is indeed good news. No change in treatment too! I hope you and your daughter had a wonderful lunch! Jean
0 -
Good news, naturelover! My scans are coming up next month and I'd be glad to hear, "no significant change."
0 -
To Jean and carpe_diem and others here:
Thanks for the encouragement on here!! This site helps me in more ways than I can say!! To think that my MO talked about my exercise program is just awesome!! There is a study out about running and estrogen levels!! I haven't read it but plan to. For those who can't run--and I can't at all right now--any form of exercise is good for the body--it helps us fight this awful little disease!! It doesn't shape my life or who I am at all!! Sure I have to go to the MO monthly now but I see that as a good thing because he can catch something quicker that way!
carpe_diem: The arimidex worked for me for 6 years!! I hope you continue to get good results with it!! It's an awesome drug. It quit working for me along with Faslodex but then when the drugs were combined, I'm getting decent results with both of them and I'm so thankful!!!
Hang in there everybody! We're living longer and have a decent quality of life!!
Judy
0 -
so happy to hear good news, Naturelover, way to go!!
I dragged my sorry ass to yoga this morning & it totally changed my head space - from down & blah, to a better attitude. Am trying to do something every day, just very fatigued at the moment, but I always feel better for doing something.
0 -
Carol, I hope your fatigue gets better as you do more yoga!
Judy, "not large enough" is a very good thing to hear from your doctor!!!
There are some of us here who are celebrating some big events in May! My son is graduating from The Maurer School of Law in Indiana University. Last September I did not think I was going to make it to May. I was so short of breath and was told that I had more than a hundred tumors!
Let's all hang in there until the cure is found. Keep doing what is working and find the beauty in each day.
Love,
Brenda
0 -
Hello, I'm new here and very thankful to have found this group. Spent all Fall with a cough that I thought for the longest time was just a symptom of my ragweed allergies. But when the ragweed finally went away, my cough got progressively worse. And worse. And worse. Finally had a PET scan that showed fluid around my left lung. Had thoracentesis done, and they found cancer cells in the fluid. I started chemo January 15th. TCH + Perjeta. My first infusion was pretty rough, partly because I was in such bad shape going into it, plus being 2 days post surgery (had port put in) didn't help. Started having trouble breathing with the first drug (Perjeta). They put me on oxygen and had to stop the infusion for a while. Managed to finish up the rest of the drugs, but it ended up being an all day affair. Well, almost all the drugs. About halfway through the Carboplatin I started having trouble breathing again, and my oncologist decided I'd had enough for that day. The good news is that I saw almost immediate improvement in my cough after that 1st chemo treatment. And once I got through the nasty S/E's, I was actually feeling much better than I had been in quite some time. My 2nd treatment on February 5th went much better. No problems at all with the infusion, and again I feel like my cough and breathing continue to improve. The cough isn't gone, but it's WAY better than it was. I can actually take a deep breath without having a coughing fit. I stopped using my home oxygen unit this week and my O2 has been staying in the 97-98% range without it. A big improvement over where I was a few short weeks ago. I still have this uncomfortable feeling in my chest when I breathe that's hard to describe. Not painful exactly, just uncomfortable. Keep hoping that will get better soon. Next chemo will be next Friday, and I'll be halfway through. I think I'll be having another PET scan at the end of March and hope to see this cancer in full retreat. I'm off to read through some of the older posts in this thread. I'm still feeling pretty clueless...
0 -
Hi Carol: Just wanted to send warm thoughts your way and welcome you to the thread. May you continue to feel improvement. Jean
0 -
Carol, hang in there with all of us on here!! I have really enjoyed being on this thread--I've learned a lot about lung mets, etc. I'm all for hanging around for the cure!!!
Two years ago when I was Dx w the bone mets, my MO told me that he expected the cure within 2 years and that they were on the verge of it then! I truly believe that it is just around the corner and I want us all to keep fighting!!
Hope everyone has a great night of rest!!
Judy (Brenda, that's wonderful about your son graduating from law school!! I know some have children getting married too! Congratulations!!!)
0 -
Welcome, carolsue! Breathing better is definitely a good sign that the chemo is working! Yay! Great news.
Judy, thank you.
Hugs,
Brenda
0 -
Hi ladies,
I dont come on here very often anymore but wanted to share my fabulous news with you all and pass on a much needed boost to anyone whose affected by lung mets. Saw my onc today and he told me that "the lung mets have disappeared" after 3 years of living with this knowledge that my lungs are now clear. I sat there in total shock and can't believe how lucky I am, it appears that something is working at getting rid of the bad cells. All the drugs ie: herceptin/tamoxifen, juicing, hemp oil (in the early days), the supplements and the weekly spiritual healing are all worth while, obviously I can't say exactly what it was that obliterated them but the important thing to remember is that soemthing did work. If you want to know what supplements I take or what diet changes I've made I've listed it all on my blog http://livingwithsbc.blogspot.co.uk/ (apologies but I can't seem to make a live link or copy and paste anything on this site).
There was only one grey area and thats on my liver there is a mass there but they still cannot define exactly what it is it could be cancer that is stable or it could be fatty tissue, my onc is writing to the radiologist to ascertain what tests we can do to find out exactly what it is that shows up on the scans whatever it is has been static and non moving now for quite a long time and he wasn't overly worried about it although he did say we are going to keep an eye on it with 3 monthly scans.
I hope this update has inspired you all that there is hope, we can beat this thing. I sincerely hope and pray you all have an outcome as good as mine.
Sending you all lots of love and light
xxSarahxxxxx
0 -
Sarah,
Thanks for sharing your great news! It took you 3 years but you got there eventually. You give a lot of us hope. I wish you decades of more good news!
Brenda
0 -
That's wonderful news, Sarah! This is my third bout with breast cancer, but I'm new to Stage 4, and your story fills me with hope.
0 -
Congratulations on this great news, Sarah, and thanks for sharing with us!! I'm w your onc--if it's worked on your lung mets it's probably not an immediate concern elsewhere!!! Great news!!!
Judy
0 -
Thank you for sharing your good news!
0 -
Hello lung mets experts-I'm wondering if anyone has had a similar experience...a year ago I was diagnosed Stage 4 right off the bat when a PET showed 2 small nodules in my right upper lobe and the bigger one was + for breast cancer on CT guided biopsy. I did perjeta, Herceptin and taxotere and my next CT about 4 months later at the end of chemo was full of ground glass opacities in both lungs that seemed to be due to a reaction to the taxotere and indeed my shortness of breath and cough that had started about 2 cycles in got almost completely better after stopping. This month we finally did a follow up CT which showed a 9mm "ground glass" nodule left lower lobe that's persisted and gotten more solid since last summer and another 14mm one in left upper lobe that is new (and much bigger than my original mets on the right side!) My onc does not feel these new lesions mean anything, or at least not enough to change treatment right now because I'm fine and the nodules may be gone next time we check. But I felt fine when I was first diagnosed, too! Of course I hope she's right, but it's hard to feel totally confident. Has anyone else had confusing CT's and trouble figuring out if they've progressed or not?
0 -
Sarah, that's great. Your news gives me hope, as I am on Tamoxifen too. and am taking extra good care of my body.
Were the lungs the only place where you had mets?
I hope nothing is in your liver. The liver seems to be the most mysterious organ when viewed through scans. Always something mysterious. I'll check out your blog, too. Thanks for the link.
0 -
Hello ladies, I hoped to never have to join this club, but today learned that the results of my PET scan showed two spots on my lungs, one at 7mm and one at 17mm. My onc is fairly certain they are malignant. Next week will have a biopsy to find out for sure. Am still in disbelief and numb. Could sure use a pep talk right about now. I was diagnosed 11/10 with stage 2 TNBC, had lumpectomy, chemo and radiation, passed the 3 year mark in 12/13 and was just staring to breathe easier, now this.....
0 -
AimeeMac, am sorry to hear about the lung mets, what a blow, after 3 years, damn this disease. Welcome to the club I also didn't want to join, but these threads have been a great source of info & comfort for me. I only made my first 3 month checkup when they found my lung mets. Mine range from 3mm to 12mm, and are "numerous", and I've been symptom free, & have enjoyed a year of more good days than bad. Been on a couple of great holidays, sky dived, do yoga & swim a bit. Spending lots of time with family & friends, feeling very loved.
When they first told me I was stage 4 I fell into the black hole for a bit, I took it as a death sentence. But I was wrong, there is hope! It's a hell of a thing to be told, very scary, but there are many different chemos (even for us triple negs) & I just hope you find one that will keep you stable, at the least, for a long time.
Feel free to rant here, this is the place to let it all out cos we're in the same boat and understand.
Big hugs
0 -
welcome Carolsue, great to hear of the improvement you're having with breathing/coughing. Here's hoping your scan will bring good news. I also have that "not really sore, but uncomfy" feeling with my breathing, it's a new thing for me, thanks for putting it into words!
Been having more sob which is worrying and have been feeling generally crap. Am on my week off Xeloda now so I'm hoping it'll get better. Am also due for a scan at the end of March, so we'll see then.
Sarah, great news! Thanks for bringing in that hopeful ray!!
0 -
Thank you for you kind words CarolBen. Yes, I am in a dark whole right now. Trying to keep this news from the family until we know more. Just curious if there is a "gold standard" chemo regimen to start out with lung mets? did your onc suggest radiation, surgery, any other treatments? I am just trying to get more educated before my next meeting with the Dr next week. My biopsy has not been scheduled yet but should be early next, and meet with her when results are into plan course of action.
0 -
AimeeMac, welcome.
I am ER+ so I don't know first line chemo. I am on Femara. It keeps the growths in the lungs somewhat in check. A few new ones come or grow as others shrink or disappear. I have SOB, an odd feeling breathing and generally just sense something is wrong -also, sensitive nodes in a few places but they don't show as cancer on CT so far. It is all mild enough most of the time that I don't think about it everyday anymore. I have hours - sometimes days, where it has little impact on my life.
0 -
AimeeMac, I had great results after my first treatment for lung mets. My combo was carboplatin and gemzar. The result was so good it could not get any better, according to the doctor. Hang in there. Triple Negatives respond very well to chemo. Do you know yet the status of your er, pr and her2 for the mets? I did not have a chance to find out because my tumors were eradicated after the 3rd tx. You may want to biopsy before starting chemo. You never know. I had more than 1 kind (see my dx below).
Hugs,
Brenda
0 -
Michelle,
Welcome to the group! I hope you find information that will help you!
Hugs,
Brenda
0 -
Caria,
Maybe you could get a second opinion and ask another doctor to look at your scans. Were they done with contrast? Were they all done by the same facility? How many doctors interpreted your results? You should have the written results in your possession. I'd be like you, wanting clearer results.
Hugs,
Brenda
0 -
Hi Ladies,
I am not sure I am joining the 'club' yet or not. I recently had a CT scan looking for clots as part of a response to Chemo, and there is a 4mm nodule in my lung. The feedback I am getting is that it is a 'wait and see scenario'. Has anyone else experienced this?
JAB
0 -
Adnerb, thank you for your thoughts and suggestions. I am waiting for a callback tomorrow to see when the biopsy will be scheduled, so don't know yet if it's TN or what the suggested therapy will be. I really had hoped that the chemo and radiation had gotten all the cancer but I guess it didn't. My onc is supposed to be excellent, but I am going to consider all options and all doctors and be the best consumer.
0 -
JAB,
Ever since my first CT-scan in September I have had this very tiny "cyst" in my liver that the doctors were not very worried about. It was still there according to the last scan and the doctors are still not worried about it. They don't think it is cancer. What they were treating were the malignant tumors in the lining of my left lung. You need to ask them why they are not concerned about your nodules. This will probably put your mind at ease.
Hugs,
Brenda
0
