How are people with liver mets doing?
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Crone,
I have liver mets and i had carboplatin + gemzar, i am ILC and i got 25% reduction in my tumors. But some people with IDC are responding better. I hope your doctor finds the right med for you.
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Thank you, Woody.
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Crone,
Try chemoregimen.com. The breast cancer section is very thorough.
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Crone...there are people that had gemzar & had good time on it...Denny is one. My only chemo w/stage 4 has been Navelbine. I'm off now & hoping to stay stable. I so hope this next tx works for you!
SyrMom...so sorry about doxil's terribly harsh ses after only 2 tx...it sounds painful
. Have you had scans lately? My new onc has taken me off Navelbine after 22 mos...and I'm nervous about just herc/perj/femara..thankful for the break, but like you, wondering. Hoping for the right meds for you!0 -
I started on a new clinical trial this week. Mifepristone (RU486) + Eribulin (Halaven). I'm coming into a Stage 1 trial so am hoping they have the dosing figured out already. Been having pretty steady progression since chemo stopped last January. Tried A/A twice and BLM0128 clinical trial. Hoping this one is effective
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Good luck Jimmie!! What was the reason for going off chemo in Jan? Did it stop working or too many ses? I've been stable w/good tests for quite a while so onc took me off chemo...sorry, I've prob said it too many times, but you said steady progression since you went off. It's beginning to worry me...even though I'm glad to be off. My old onc said I'd be on forever-no breaks. Ugh. Hope the new study keeps you around a longgggg time!
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I was on a clinical trial of Taxol + Avastin and had a CT scan that was misread. After 8 months chemo my 2 liver tumors were almost undetectable, now I have 5 with the largest over 4 cm.
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Was the ct misread to say your tumors were not detected...so they took you off, thinking NED? Sorry I'm not sure what you mean.
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They thought I had progression, but I did not.
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ohhhh sorry Jimmybell , so the other treatment was working , i am so sorry. I hope this one will get you back on track. Prayers.
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Woodylb,
So sorry to hear your chemo was cancelled. I'm confident that the injections will have you all fixed up and ready for next treatment! I'm at a low point with cell counts, too, but next week is my off week, so I'll start building up again. And thanks for the warnings on salads...I eat a Wendy's salad 2 to 3 times a week and sometimes a McD salad. Guess I need to be more careful...ugh...I love their salads.
Penny - Hope you're feeling much better after the fever.
RonnieKay - Congrats again on your wonderful test results. Enjoy the time that you can be off chemo - what a blessing!
CT scans for me this Wednesday...fingers crossed and lots of prayers, please. Get results on Dec 1st.
Hope everyone has a blessed, healthy and Happy Thanksgiing!
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Chichi,
My session was postponed for a week exactly, so i will be getting my dose on tuesday as usual they will just skip this one. Also, i will be getting a reduced dose for the whole treatment by 25%. So my bone marrow doesn't completely corrupeted. I am happy with the decision.
I wish you good results on your scan and will pray for you keep me posted.
Penny i hope you are feeling better . God bless you
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Morning, all. Catching up on all the posts. Hope everyone is doing ok or better. I'm doing well. Just having a problem with my feet. They tend to get swollen and itchy. The oncologist put me on Gabapentin for neuropathy. My husband thinks she won't give me navelbine this Wednesday (day before Thanksgiving) since it's been pretty rough on my counts, heart, and now my feet. I told him don't be so sure. Scans are first week in December, which is coming up fast - WOW!
NJoy - How are you? Haven't heard from you in a while.
Jimmiebell - hope the new trial is good to you.
Chichimaine - looking forward to hearing good news about your scans this Wednesday!
Woody & Ronnie - love reading your posts. You're both so special to me. Glad you both seem to be doing well.
Prayers for all,
Penny
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Oh Facebook, I think my aunt went thru and "liked" all my posts...which brought up my 12/12 post saying I had a 3rd dx of liver mets (6 months earlier they'd followed my diep flap surgery). Anyhoo...people read the post, not the date & thought I'd been rediagnosed...ugh. I ended up sending out a post, explaining my good news about getting to take a chemo break, but staying on biologics. What I realize is they all now think I'm healed. I didn't add the...there is no cure. I did say if it comes back (2years is the longest I've gone & 12/21/14 will be that!), I'll be stronger for treatment. Anyhoo...ugh. Just was waiting a while longer to be open about no chemo. Guess I'm just a little weary of being optimistic...it blindsided me a couple times. Ok...pity party over!
Penny...my PT asked why I didn't take gabapentin...she said it's amazing stuff...most of her patients w/neuropathy have great results. I hope Wed tx will be kinder. What about your heart...does she think your function will stay where it is, recognizing the txt? Tell me you won't be cooking turkey
. We were going out but decided to do a small dinner (us & DD, DH & GD). Chichi...hoping for good scans! I just saw mine online & I have some "fatty liver"...I know Jo had that, anyone else? It also showed my early stage hernia...another result of diep flap...why oh why did I do that
. Oops...got on the pity train again!Woody...what kind of seafood to you have on your side of the world...just wondering
. And will pray Tues tx goes well...but not 10 hrs...unless you blog 0 -
Good to hear from you Penny and know younare out of the hospital. I hope the med ofr the neuropathy will soon relieve you from the swelling of your feet. I know how uncomfortable that is. I worry though about your heart, did you check with a cardio to see if you can continue on nevalbine? I hope we hear good news for you in December it will be our early Christmas gift. You are very special to mee too. Take care, and if you are still too tired don't do your session before thanksgiving. Rest a while , a lot of prayers to you and chichimaine on your scans. (( HUGS)
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Lolllll RonnieKay, you are allowed some self pity form time to time. Your story about facebook made me laugh becuase i do not even bother to explain to anyone anymore what is wrong with me because it does not fall through anyone's head. This time around i didn't even tell my mom , because i sensed she cannot phantoms the truth , it is too hard for her, so we decided my sister and my two brothers and I not to tell her anything. I just toled her i am changing meds, she does not understand cancer for her canceris a death sentence and all she dies is pray the wbole time , she just turned 77 . For my aunt, cousins and famiy members i do not bother to explain anything.
On the other hand who told you you would go for two years only? You may be in remission fir a while , you will not be cured maybe so but the stupid cancer can go to sleep for a while longer
)) and i hope this for all of us.Now about the good part of my world lolllll , we live near the red sea and it is beautiful , it is very rich in corals , and fish. We have all kind of seafood, shrimps, lobsters, crabs, octopus, and all kind of delicious fish
and it is cheap lolll.Next time i will eat on your behalf just tell me what kind you like !!! God bless you .
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Penny, I agree with Woody and RonnieKay...take a rest...one week won't make a big difference in the treatment and it will allow you to become stronger for when you start again. Thinking of you and sending prayers.
Woody, you can eat some lobster for me!! I'm originally from Maine and so miss my lobster! Glad to hear your dose is only being lowered. You're an inspiration to us all with your fight! Thanks so much for your prayers...I pray for you, too!
RonnieKay, I am sooo with you and Woody on just not bothering to explain anymore. Even my husband doesn't understand that the treatments are forever...that there is no cure. He keeps saying "When you're finished with the chemo, things will be a lot better!" Poor man. He is ever faithful in going to each treatment with me and getting me lunch and a Coke while we wait.
I think it's that people don't really want to know, so they prefer to just believe what they believe. That's ok with me. I'm certainly not giving up hope or thinking of stopping treatment, I'm just very thankful that I have all of you wonderful ladies on here that know the real truth and help support each other and allow each of us to tell it like it is. Thanks to you all!!!
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Thank you Chichi, we are sll here to help each other support the burden that cancer is. I am happy you are taking thins easy and i hope the price of that chemo will show in the scans.
Lollll i will eat as much lobster as i can on you behalf and RonnieKay's if she'de want me to hehehe.
You know we live in such a material world that people really even when they are nice , they prefer not the hear sad stories, or pain or anything like that. I can understand this and i really don't feel bitter about it. It is their right. As for my close friends and family , i really can understand that they want to bekieve that we will live forever. My husband since the beginning of my disease is with in every step. He knows the truth but he choses faith and hope. My son on the other hand is the only one who knows he can lose me at any moment. He deals with by trying to make me proud of the man he is becoming and by getting closer to me at times and distancing himself at other times. I just believe it is a lot easier for me to accept what people are and deal with my problem my way. My prayers, and learning to get close to god are the strength behind all of this, and suddenly i am no longer scared. I take each day as a blessing , and live it as is. This gave me serenity and made my life and the lives of my loved ones much easier and i have jesus to thank for the peace i feel inside. I love each and every lady on this bo board, and you are all present in my mind and prayers . Hugs to you and waiting for good results from you and Penny God's willing
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Has anyone had Adriamycin for liver mets? Looks like this is what I'll be doing next at a lower dose - indefinitely. I understand there's a maximum dose because of cardiac issues & I also understand it's a tough chemo for many. The hair that started to grow back while on weekly taxol, lashes & eyebrows will, again, be a thing of the past - ugh! I'm looking to get as much education and tips for handling the side effects as I can.
Anyone get neuropathy or hand/foot syndrome from it? What about the nail issues, nausea, vomiting, big C or big D?
Thank you.
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Syrmom , i got adramaycin as a first line treatment for my BC not for my liver mets. I cannot take it a second time. No hand and foot syndrome , the hair will fall fast, my nails did not blacken but they became weak and brittle , i kept them short cleaned and used oil on them. I have had a mild nausea but no vomitting, mild fatigue in the afternoon mainly. While giving me the med , they also used anti nansea and anti vomitting and i took motilium at home. I got also 5 shots of neupogen every time i took it to keep my WBC in line, my heart was checked twice during treatment. But remember our bodies are tired from so many treatments you may need to be extra cautious not to catch an infection during the treatment. I also was given prenventive anti biotics after each session mine was every 21 days how are they giving you yours?
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Syrmom, I also had Adriamycin at my first diagnosis along with Cytotoxin. They called it the big red push or A/C. My dosage was every three weeks. I had that four times and then went to Taxol weekly for 12 weeks. I tolerated the A/C fairly well...lost my hair after the first dose. I had no vomiting, but think that was due to anti-nauseau iv they gave me with it as well as being on steroids for three days afterwards. I did not have any cardiac issues and really very few se's except for those I mentioned above. I agree with Woody...as we've already been going down this road for awhile, out bodies are weaker, so be sure to let your onc know of anything unusual right away. Keep us posted on how you are doing.
Woody, My youngest daughter is the only one who truly understands. She was diagnosed with BC at 29 years old, Stage III, ER+, HER-. She had a bilateral mastectomy as I did, then chemo and radiation. She just hit her 5 year mark!!! NED!!! I am so happy for her.I'm thankful that it is I that have the recurrence and not her. I know our God doesn't make deals, but I have been praying for years that she be spared to raise her young boys and I would accept the recurrence for myself. It appears God has allowed that to happen and I am at peace with that. I would never tell her that, but she does truly understand the concept that this is incurable and that chemo is forever now. We talk every day and share all (well, except for that prayer I just told you about, lol). I wouldn't want her to feel any guilt. Her boys are now 10 and 12 and need their momma for alot of years to come. I continue to pray that God gives them to her. I'm so happy to hear that you have drawn closer to God and that you know that Jesus is the reason for your peace...the peace that passes all understanding. So glad you are hear to "talk" to! Will keep you posted on results.
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Thanks for all the advice - maybe I will ask to take the week off, especially considering it's the day before Thanksgiving (no, I'm not cooking - going to my brother's).
Prayers for all,
Penny
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Hi ladies!
Yep Ronniekay I have fatty liver...never drank...very little.:( so I was told it ebbs and flows, diet, stress, lack of exercise, probably Fettuccine Alfredo lol! Oh and chemo will affect our livers.
You must be enjoying that break Ronniekay!! Crossing my fingers and toes for all of us! Xoxoxox
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Hi ladies,
Ronnie i had a fatty liver before my cancer even though i am not a drinker, but it is called non alcoholic fatty liver , it is a disease alot of people have whoch may turn into cancer but rearely. It has not cure except low fat food and exercise.
Chichi i am so sorry about your daughter, i didn't know , but i would have chosen the reoccurrence for me than to her too. I am sure God heard your plea. And i agree woth you she should never know because the guilt will make her miserable. Waiting for your good results . God bless you.
Penny i am so happy you are not cooking
) and that you will be with family for thanksgiving. I am glad you are considering not taking the dose at this time. I truly believe it will not effect the course of treatment. God bless you wonderful ladies and gives answers all your prayers. ((HUGS)
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Hi everyone! First of all let me tell you how inspiring you all are! My mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 (liver and bone mets) in July. She took Aromosin for 5 years and was cancer free (she was stage 3 when she was first diagnosed in 2009). It looks like the cells mutated and are no longer hormonal, that's why Aromasin stopped working. A biopsy confirmed the change. Her cancer now triple negative. She is in Brazil and her chemo combo Taxol with Avastin and I noticed here in the US they stopped doing Avastin for bc. Has anyone had any experience/stories with this combo? Her scans are scheduled for the fist week of December so we will learn how effective it had been...
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Fhaido,
So sorry to hear about your mom's cancer mutation and her liver and bone mets. I have liver mets and spinal mets. Before my cancer mutated to her2 positive, i was put on aromasin and it didn't work alone, then i was put on Xeloda which succeeded partially in containing the disease but didn't finish the treatment since my change in .her2 status compelled my doctors to consider another options. But before that, my doctor had told me that if xeloda does not work he was considering putting on Avastin and taxol . He told me he knows Avastin is no longer part of the treatments in the USA however , it is widely in use in Europe and with some people it is giving good results. So i hope your mom is one of those people , already taxol should do a good job and hopefullyy Avastin will continue the rest. You did not mention what was your mom's first diagnosis was she IDC or ILC, lobular or ductal cancer? I hope soon your mind is put at ease. Keep us posted. You may want to check on the stage IV forum if there is a thread in Avastin. I know some ladies on the board had it, but i do not remember whom. Good luck to your mom and prayers
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Bless you, Chichi....definitely a Mother's love to spare a child any pain. I'm sure you were, are, and will be (for a long time), the inspiration she needs to raise beautiful, happy kiddos! I'm sorry she had to go through this disease & prayers that she stays NED for life!
Yahoo Penny! Wish I could go to your brother's! Hope dr approves your Wed break...and that time will be a boost of strength!
Add me to the fatty liver club, Jo & Woody!! No drinking here either...and I've eaten better in the last 2 years than ever...not fair!!! Just saw ct results...ugh...that's new, and it showed my beginning hernia-diep flap gift
. It also showed 2 lesions shrunk by as much as 4 mm...that's what scares me-it says stable AND shrinking. If it's still shrinking, shouldn't I still be doing chemo...I don't like this Fhaido...wishing your mom good scan results!! Glad you've found a place to come for support...amazing love abounds!!
Oh Woody...my mouth is watering...thinking of lobster, crab & shrimp (and butter!)...octopus, well, I'll share that with others!!! I'm a farmer's daughter so meat is of no interest to me...grew up on steak, chops, chicken...fed them, then ate them
. We were at Pike Place Market yesterday...icon of the Northwest...and there were 5# bags of fresh King crab...for $150. So lucky you, not cheap here! I'm feelin like bad grandma...Margaux's watching Sesame Street while I blog...that's how much I love you guys!!!
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Woody, my mom's diagnosis was IDC. I have been reading about Avastin and you are right, it is still used in Europe and South America. I am sure hoping that she is one of the cases in which Avastin is effective... Thank you.
Ronnie, thank you! I will let you know about her scans. She just turned 57 and is the best Grandma ever! We need all the prayers we can get and we will include you all in ours! Xoxo
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Ronnie i missed your your witty and lively posts!! Stable and shrinking is good and feel lucky they .stopped your chemo for a while , it will give your body time to recover just in case you will need more chemo. I think the break will be good for you and hercep/ perjeta should be able to keep it at bay for a while ( i hope longer than a while much longer ). So stay put and i hope you will see more shrinking, plus do not worry the chemo effect stays a long while in the body.
Guess what ? I may not be able to get my second dose of taxol tomorrow either. My platelets plunged to 75,000 and if by tomorrow they are not up to 100,000 they cannot give me taxol, now i am worried. I will also check the tumor marker tomorrow. Yukkkk. This all messing up my plans to be with my family back home for Xmas. So pray i get my dose tomorrow.
I love margaux 's name it is so french and there is no harm in revisiting Sesame street hehehe i will bring back the ever existing child in you .
Do not worry too much about the fatty liver if you look you will find mist american have it, just make sure to watch the fat intake and carbs plus exercise which i am no longer doing by the way hehehe so i cannot ask to do something i don't do hehehe. Everytime inam eating my seafood i will be thinking of you and praying that one day we may meet and enjoy it together and i will eat for Chichi too even though there no lobster tastier than the main lobster.
Penny i hope your MO agreed for the break and i hope you spend thanksgiving with your brother.
I love you all , you beautiful and winderful ladies. We have a lot to be thankful for in this blessed holidays, so on our behalf i say thank you lord for having each other, thank you for our loved ones, thank you for all new treatments. Blessed thanksgiving to all of you. ( with my chemo brain hehehe i may forget) . ((HUGS))
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Woody - praying your platelets go back up so your Christmas plans don't change. Keep us posted.
:-) Penny
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