mets to lung
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Welcome robin
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Robin, I am so sorry for the way your oncologist discussed his thoughts regarding your new symptoms. In fact I am angry. I was diagnosed a year ago this week with metastatic breast cancer with mets to the lung. it was much information to sort out but even though I am in the medical field the immediate thoughts were to decide on the right med oncologist and treatment facility . Since I needed a biopsy of the pleural lining of the lung. things moved quickly. In a short time pathology determined that the cells of the pleura showed adenocarcinoma and were estrogen positive and Her2 positive. A "good" thing (so to speak) since treatments are available to work on the cancer cells.
I pointedly asked one of the pulmonologists what the survival stats were..he answered in what I knew were stats in a general sense. My pulmonary surgeon was very upset and put it all in perspective with regard to my estrogen and Her2 status. None of us are like cans of soup at the grocers...we do not have an expiration date stamped on us. As individuals each of us responds to treatments in our own way.
I have been taking Faslodex and Herceptin every 3 weeks for a year.....side effects have been limited to some tiredness the day after treatment.....tumor markers have been in a steady range and imaging to date has shown no progression. My oncologist will react to any change with treatment adjustments. Robin I really feel good that my oncology team not only works with me but sees me as an individual. I wish you all the best as you find that special oncologist and take the next step to find out what is really "going on" biopsy wise. Hugs, Peg
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I was told to ask the BRAIN questions:-
B = benefits of tx
R = risks
A = alternatives
I = your intuition
N = what if we do nothing
xxx
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I have cancer in lymph nodes and lungs. Four yrs and going strong.
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Thanks Peg! I agree I need to find an onc who actually cares about me instead of throwing statistics at me. I live in Knoxville and my family is in Alabama, so I will be moving back there very soon. My sister works at Huntsville Hospital and she has an appointment for me after Thanksgiving with one of the hospitals best. I am glad to hear you are stable with you treatment, and it really seems that your Dr. cares and wants you to get the best treatment out there.
Way to go Barb!!! You have giving me very encouraging news!! Happy for you!
Robin
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Hate when drs do thaet
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robin, it is awesome that you are able to move close to family .... And better doctors. Have a happy thanksgiving and a safe move! I have chemo tomorrow, yeah, after too long a break! Counts were up last week so it's a go. I will have plenty of help preparing thanksgiving dinner. So glad to get back to do something to fight the beast!!
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A big HUG and Thanks to all of you ladies with the positive emails. I see my beautiful sister has now posted her story below. We are on our way on Monday to our last visit with the terrible oncologist and we will get a referral to Vanderbilt. I sure hope we get someone who is top notch! If anyone reads this and can recommend someone good at vanderbilt, please please let me know.
Krista
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best wishes, robin and kristy. It helps to have a sister jto stand by you. I don't know how I would have made it all these years without my sis!!
Another good note, my counts were high enough for me to have chemo today so I am back i fighting mode! Yeah! Three months was too long for me to be off treatment!!
Happy thanksgiving, my metster friends!!
Blessings, glenna
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Hi
Well i have not been on this chat forum for years - my bad I guess not offering support - but I needed to walk away and move on and live not be breast cancer. Well here I am again.
14 days exactly from my original diagnosis (Dec. 12, 2005) my original diagnosis I was 30 years old - it was invasive ductal carsanomia with lymph node involvement - I did ACT chemo and rads- big lateral mastectomies with reconstruction - tamoxifin for 5 years then ooperectomy then back on tamox after 2 years off. Last Nov came off of tamox due to DVT and blodd clots. At the time of clots my tumor markers (ca 15-3) went up 356 test test test - couldn't find cancer - went on letrasol markets got down to 159 as of sept. - markers jumped up this month to 209....... start all the testing again....
I am now told that my PET scan shows spots on my lungs. Not one - some big enough to measure some very small (I have no idea what this means). So this is me - completely lost and feel like a fish out of water.
Oncologist called me on the phone Friday "sorry I didn't want to do this over the phone, but I'm away all next week and I didn't want you bring told this by your gp or you getting your hands on the report and me being away not being there for you. The results of your last pet scan are in and there are some spots in your lungs that light up - the report indicates that these spots are ........ (me fading to black)........ some spots have been measured some spots are so small they didn't measure...... (me zoning out)............ we will change you from letrasol to a stronger estrogeren blocker and talk about chemo.......... (um he was talking I was not absorbing)....... I will see you Monday Dec 8 so we can talk about this"
Ummmm i think I asked some questions - like is this bad? My cancer is back? I honestly don't remember much about the conversation......... cancer - lungs - chemo ------ holy crap mental shut down
I don't know anything about this - I don't have any knowledge about this ---- ask me anything about breast cancer and treatment and surgeries - I know that ------- this I got nothing:(
So I jump on here - find this thread - gotta say you women rock!!!!!!! Finally some people that know stuff!!!!
I hate hate hate that anyone had to go thru breast cancer the first time - it f'ing pisses me off that any one has to go thru it again and again or live with it!!!!!!!!
So this is me - where do i go from here???????
Me and adivan (who seams to not be helping!!!)
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Me again
What about biopsies? Is that done?
What about staging is that even a thing now?
What treatments are common?
Can I fix this? Do I get to be fixed? Omg!!!!!
Is this something that stays around forever?
Do I get to be cancer free again??
Breast cancer in my breast - we cut that off - what happens now????
Ummmmmm sorry.......... but FUCK!!!!!! This sucks!!!!!
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Hi, poniesandpuppies. I'm pretty new here, but I was diagnosed with lung mets from the start. It's very scary and surreal, and I blanked out a lot at first. Your oncologist will help you decide on a treatment plan. Everyone's different and (as my doctor says "Not every cancer has read the rule book") so it's hard to say what's next for you, or even what's common. A lot depends on what kind of treatments you've had already and what your hormone receptor status is.
If those spots on your lung are cancer from your original disease, then you have metastatic breast cancer. You don't get to be fixed now, but you could be symptom-free for a long time, if your treatments are effective. The closest we get to cured in the MBC world is something called NED, No Evidence of Disease, which does happen and which we all hope for, for ourselves and everyone else with this illness. Don't be frightened by the statistics, they don't tell the whole story, they don't necessarily reflect current treatments, and they group lots of different kinds of cancers together, all of which have differing prognoses.
Someone will be along with more experience than I have with your situation (recurrence vs new dx) and will have more helpful advice. I just want to say, you are not alone and you can do this.
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I'm sorry you find yourself here poniesandpuppies. I still feel new to this, but I have learned some. I was dx with mets to spine and liver at the start and now we are watching spots in my lungs. My onc mentioned a lung biopsy for me, so it is something they do.
This is the toughest time, I think, getting your head wrapped around everything. I was glued to these boards for the first couple weeks- the ladies are wonderful and have great information to share. It is a new way of thinking and I'm still adjusting but as NineTwelve said there are some folks that are NED for a long time.
I'm not sure there is a typical approach, I think it all varies greatly but for my part I was on weekly Taxol for 12 weeks to shrink tumors and now tamoxifen to keep my ER+ buggers down.
Hang in there!
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We are so sorry ponniesandpuppies that you had to come back, but your post is so telling. It is frightening to have any sort of BC related scare after the first time round and we feel for you. We hope the spots respond to treatment well.
Your zoning out upon hearing such news is so true. All our best wishes for this horrid time of waiting for clear details.
The Mods
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Ponies and Puppies.......After about a year of "not feeling so great....some rib pain...and increasing fatigue, I was diagnosed last November with MBC/mets to the lung. A biopsy was not needed because of a pleural effusion noted on a CT of the chest. After the chest surgeon removed almost 2 liters of fluid from the pleural lining of the lung , my O2 SAT returned to 97%. I felt better and was "ready to go home". Not so. We talked about the need for a further biopsy other than the fluid biopsy and it was decided that a VATS procedure to analyze pleural tissue cells would provide definite answers.
Yep...adenocarcinoma cells...same as found in my original dx ER+ and Her2+. Since the VATS procedure with talc was minimally invasive I was home in a few days....ribs a little sore but Tylenol with Codeine helped with that. Since the hormone and Her2 status were confirmed I was a candidate for Herceptin and Faslodex. I have been taking those drugs in treatments every 3 weeks and Surprise! very little side effects....just some fatigue the day after treatment. Boy was I pleased with that! The docs include TMs CA 27/29 with routine labs and routne heart muscle function via echocardiogram. All in all I was a gamut of other emotional issues from fear of the unknown to loss of the status quo and all that goes with that. Sometime last Spring I asked my oncologist if I could fly out to be in AZ with family...He said..."Why..not.....you are doing great and you have other fish to fry"....be back in 3 weeks". I finally felt free and that I can do this! You will have a range of emotions but please know that there are more treatments available now than there were just a few years ago....and please keep away from those stats they are misleading and become those monsters in the dark that hide under your bed.
Let us know what you and your oncology team are planning for your treatment and follow up.
Hugs, Peg
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ponies and puppies, so sorry you are finding yourself here with the lung metsters. You are so young to have to be dealing with this stuff. What a terrible way to have to find out .... Though I understand your doctor calling you and I would've wanted that phone call rather than waiting or hearing from someone else. Still sucks that you weren't able to sit with your dock absorb the news, and ask questions. I can totally understand why you were numb! Given her ativan time, it will kick in. Just so you know, I was diagnosed with lungs mets in 2008. Still hanging in there, scans, changing treatments when I need to, praying for NED! Once you and your onc have decided on a treatment plan you will feel better. Somehow just knowing we're doing something to fight this disease gives us strength! Yes, you can do this
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Dear Poniesandpuppies,
I can't add any more to the wonderful responses so far.
When I heard the word "metastasis" last year I thought that death was imminent. It did not help that I was in the hospital for 5 days because of shortness of breath (SOB). Today I am a lot more calm. I have an oncologist who knows what he is doing. He is also a very good listener. Don't hesitate to ask for a second opinion if you are not happy with your treatment plan. I can almost guarantee that you will feel better once you have a plan in place.
I know many ladies from these boards alone who have had lung mets for years. Hang in there and please keep us posted!
Love,
Brenda
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It wasn't my best Thanksgiving! Around bedtime thanksgiving night I started having pain in my right rib area. The pain was so bad I kept taking Oxycodone, just wanting to get some sleep. Didn't happen! My husband took me to my onc appointment and neulasta shot on Friday because I couldn't have driven. My ONC knew right away something was up since I rarely complain about pain. He admitted me to the hospital. I had a ct scan and got the results on Saturday. 4-6 new nodes on the liver, suspicious for liver mets. Two of them near the surface of the liver and pressing against the diaphragm (which was the cause of the pain). My onc prescribed the fentanyl pain patch which is really helping!
Will be getting some more testing and will be changing chemos. I have to get the carboplatin that I had on Wednesday out of my system before starting the abraxane on dec. 17.
Just another turn in the road! Guess I'll be joining the liver metsters thread!! Never fear, I won't be leaving my friends here!
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Oh Glenna, sorry to hear this, and hoping that the Abraxane does the job on the liver mets. I'm thinking of you and sending you prayers and healing thoughts.
Love,
Brenda
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Darn Glenna, I am so sorry that you are having such pain but am glad that the Fentanyl patch is helping. Seems like a long "wash out" time for the Carboplatin. Are you in a clinical trial? You are in my prayers for some good solutions to your new "visitors" Hugs, Peg
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thank you thank you thank you
You ladies are simply amazing!!
Reading your stories and getting feed back has been so helpful today!!
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Glenna so sorry
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GatorGal, I hope you are on the mend.
Ladies, may I ask if lung mets presents itself with any symptoms? I just wonder if there are signs that I could be looking for, or if a progression to the lungs is only discovered by scans.
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Mrs. M, when I presented with my lung mets Inhad been having chest pains. I went to my Onc for a routine check up and mentioned that I would like a referral to a cardiologist. She asked why I thought I needed that and immediately said "I would be more worried about lung mets than heart issues" and set up a ct scan for that day! The radiologist happened to be someone I had known since my original breast ca in 1987 (his very young wife had BC and they had been in a support group I was involved with. Unfortunately she had a very fast growing Cancer and passed away). When he came in the room to give me the results in person, I knew. So, for me, it was chest pain.
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Momon, the long time period is because I'm going to florida dec. 6-12 to help my 84 year old mom decorate for Christmas. Guess I'll be able to tell her in person!!
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Gatorgal, so sorry about the liver mets! I hope the new treatment kicks its butt, and that your visit with your Mom is everything you wish for.
Mrs. M - Shortness of breath is a big symptom for lung mets. If you find yourself breathless doing things that used to be no problem, coughing at the end of every laugh, if you have a wheeze or a rattle when you breathe... I had those symptoms, from fluid around my lungs, caused by the cancer on the pleura (lining) of my right lung. The fluid was found by x-ray, accidentally, really. Cancer was confirmed by PET scan.
ponies - come back and tell us how you're doing, and what they give you to fight with. You got this!
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MrsM
mine were found after a long time rise of my ca 15-3 markers-- being crazy elavated ranging from high of 357 lowest 156 and the popping up again - 3 pet scans later the cancer found a home in my lungs - all year we have been trying to find the cancer - so last scan showed lungs --- I wouldn't say I have any symptoms presently --- although last fall I had a dvt and multiple PEs --- wondering if they are linked in some way -----
Sorry not I'm not much help
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Thank you for your replies. I have had a cough and a sort of laryngitis, almost no voice, for several weeks. I often get something like this when the weather gets colder. However, I went to express care and got a z-pack (antibiotic) which pretty much did nothing. I still have the cough. What I sometimes cough up is not yellow or green, still clear (sorry if too much info). But I never had a cough linger this long.
I have an appointment to see my regular physician tomorrow.
I am scheduled for a ct/bone scan on Thursday, which was scheduled months ago. I am hoping to get some relief from the cough; we'll see.
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Keeping my fingers crossed that it's not on your lungs.
Mine was a dry cough, though, without any phlegm coming up, and I had it for several weeks. Mostly it felt like a pressure whenever I tried to take a deep breath, bend over, or laugh.
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Mrs. M, hoping for good news!
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