Lymph Node Positive Survivors
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1 out of 2 positive.
I finished radiation 6 months ago. Had my first follow up Mammogram and ultrasound a couple of weeks ago and my MO wants me to see my surgeon because there are 2 lumps that are probably benign on the same breast. I made the appointment but had to cancel because the night before I was having spasms in my left leg and could hardly walk that morning. I still havent rescheduled. Thats what I am actually researching today and am so glad I found this thread. Should I be worried? Has anyone had lumps found so soon after treatment?
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I do the same thing SusanaQ!!
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I was stage 3 IDC, 0/12 nodes, no vascular invasion but my tumor was 11 cm. i refused chemo also. only had a mastectomy. i am 14 months out, and do not regret my decision either.
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hi ladies,
I know this is an old thread, just curios how many people here had one micromet.
My mom has one micromet on one nose and we got 3 different opinions and all seem to be not too concerned with this. My mom is leaning towards chemo anyways but doctors still are unsure if it would be beneficial.
Any experience with this ?
I just want positive reassurance if that makes sense. There is a lot of fully positive multiple nodes and negative nodes on here but not too many micromets
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cinsby - get in and get those checked out. I had a recurrence 31/2 yrs after initial. It was local/regional. That was a year and a half ago. Better safe than sorry and remember getting tested doesn't make you have it or not, just gives you more options (or relief that the lumps are benign). If you can't walk into an appt, have someone drive you and wheel you in!
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is this your take on all the lymphnodes ? Her other ones were negative. They also tested her internal mammary and that was negative as well.
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opt 4 life and any others, hope you all are still doing well
I was dignosed in dec 2016 , did chemo first we thought was working as no one could feel tumor , font know where it hid!
Surgery may 20 ,2017 tumor was still same size etc as were 3 of the 29 nodes removed.. plus they discovered a new tumor forming in left breast
Good thing i opted for Bmx did not have recon..
I should get my drains out tomorrow.. looking at radiation and arimidex
Would love to know how any of you are doing no
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bad mamo on 12/29/16 official DX 01/11/17. stage 3A and 1A 4/17 nodes.
BMX w clear margins on 02/15/17 done 6 out of 8 DD chemo. Probably get 33 radiations dear lord not more than that.
Since the day 1, I knew recon was not an option for me. I wanted to get the healing asap. I am doing every thing not to go thru this ever again. In my mind, recon is for the brave warriors. And I have PTSD about my boobs.
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i agree reba, on the recon, my margins were vlear thank goodness , i did chemo first .. now looking at radiation starting beginning of july , so we can compare notes
Geez for someone who hates rollarcoasters ! This is one hell of a ride
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Howdy ya'll,
MamaOz, I'm still hanging tough. Hanging like the 3 node positive, aromasin taking, hot flash having, 3D mammo getting, PALLAS trial test subject I am. Lol
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thanks opt4 life! A sense of humor goes a long way!!
Whats the pallas trial ?
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Its a trial for Stage II and III folks like us. Half the folks get palbociclib/Ibrance --drug usually reserved for Stage IV; and the others like me just get our AIs. They test us every 60 to 90 days and we fill out a huge questionnaire that's basically trying to gauge how you are fairing with the drug and your AI OR with the drug alone.
Other than my knees aching like crazy when I climb stairs or sit for a while, I'm doing well and still do everything I used too albeit slower and with a 25 lb. weight gain I'm working on
You should read up on the trial and see if your oncologist participates. Mine believes Ibrance is very promising. She has dozens of patients doing well with it.
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Opt4Life, could you please post a link to the trial, I'm considering trials, but not sure I'm in the group that it would be useful for.
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At what point can you start with this trial??
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I'm also enrolled in the PALLAS trial, but am a control subject...so I just take an AI. Was hoping to get the Palbo, but what can you do? In order to enroll, you have to be within the time window of one year from diagnosis. It's for hormone positive, HER2- patients with a high risk of recurrence. Here's the link to the trial:
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Missed it I guess. I was diagnosed Sept 2014, started chemo 1st week of December 2014 and finished Feb 2015. I can only imagine with stats like mine I am a high risk of recurrence. No Oncotype was done.. any other way of telling whether you are high risk of recurrence?
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I think I am also high risk of recurrence. Wish I could join the ibrance trial.
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I didn't have the Oncotype done, but recently had the Breast Cancer Index done. It came back high risk for recurrence at 13.1% if I stopped aromatase inhibitor after 5 years.
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Actually, stages 2 and 3 are eligible for PALLAS; they put a limit of stage 2A's to 1000 participants. Steph--you're within a year of diagnosis...why can't you participate?
As far as other ways to determine risk of recurrence, I had neoadjuvant chemo so they used the RCB (residual cancer burden) index and they also calculated the CPS+EG score. You can find more about both of those on Google. There are some online calculators, too, like Predict and Cancer Math that you can input your data for a risk percentage. I know doctors utilize Adjuvant Online!, but I think that website is under construction. If you do Cancer Math, make sure you do the "Therapy Calculator," because that will include all of the treatment you've done.
ThinkingPositive, actually I think your stats are pretty good...if you put them into these calculators, I think you'll be pleased with the results!
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thanks mom of twins. I also go for it's of time where I don't worry about it and then al of a sudden I start worrying constantly.
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ThinkingPositive, me too!! Although I always worry about it.. but then I will suddenly let it totally consume me. Ugh. I hate it. So scared about recurrence.
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Hi guys, MO wants to put me on a couple rounds of xeloda after radiation. Anyone here has xeloda as adjuvant treatment? I am totally fine to throw the kitchen sink at it.
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what is Xeloda for? I keep wondering why I wasn't offered anything after my treatments? Hoping I did enough.
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Treating Residual Disease With Xeloda Improves Survival in Women With Early-Stage, HER2-Negative Disease
Please google this article
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Just noticed this thread and wanted to share with you that I'm 11 years out...had 10 positive nodes with extracapsular extension and skin involvement. VERY messy! Before & after diagnosis I've maintained a healthy weight (although I exist primarily on cereal, Lean Cuisines, and Ben & Jerry's!), kept up a regular exercise routine and don't smoke/drink. At the moment I'm lobbying hard to stay on my Arimidex - it's been taking a toll on my bones, but I just can't muster the courage to give it up yet
My best to all who visit here - Julie
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steph here is survival statistcs in your article and monthly price is about $212 for 1 pill @ 150mg. Drug is not covered at silverscrpt so I assume that is total cost. My letrozole is about $500 plus per month if insurance didn't cover. Are the two drugs taken together?
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After about 5 years of follow-up, the researchers found that women who were treated with Xeloda after surgery had better disease-free survival than women who didn't get chemotherapy after surgery:
- 74.1% of the women treated with Xeloda were alive with no recurrence
- 67.7% of the women who didn't get chemotherapy were alive with no recurrence
Xeloda also improved overall survival:
- 89.2% of the women treated with Xeloda were alive
- 83.9% of the women who didn't get chemotherapy were alive
When the researchers grouped the women by age, hormone-receptor-status, cancer grade, or type of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, they found that Xeloda still improved survival.
"Overall survival was significantly improved by capecitabine adjuvant therapy for non-pathologic complete response or node-positive patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy," said Masakazu Toi, M.D., Ph.D., of Kyoto University Hospital. "The balance of benefit and toxicity would favor the use of capecitabine in the post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy situation, but prediction for the therapeutic benefit needs to be investigated further."
Like most chemotherapy medicines, Xeloda can cause side effects.
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Sugarplum - congratulations on 11 years survivorship! That's very encouraging to hear! I am 4 years out from diagnosis. I had a micromet in my sentinel node, although another provider told me that it actually was bigger than a micromet. I used to worry about everything about my diagnosis - ike how big is a micromet, should I have done radiation, how much are the margins exactly, what sub type of ILC do I have and how does that affect my treatment plan, what kind of chemicals are in my implants, which clinical trial I coulda / shoulda / woulda joined etc. The list goes on...
I had a "challenging treatment plan" according to one doctor I consulted for a 3rd opinion. There were lots of "oops" moments and "technical difficulties" with various docs and surgeons. So, I had lots to worry about and boy, was I good at it! I used to stay up late every night to research and obsess. I printed out enough studies to paper the wall with. But I eventually realized it doesn't help my sanity.
Sure, I still worry about recurrence. But what has changed is my attitude. I learned how to meditate. I realized there are things that are in your control - like eating right, exercising, reducing stress, yada yada, lol! I'm still working on those. Mainly I try to appreciate the little things - moments of joy that go by so quickly sometimes you barely notice. Things that money can't buy....the stuff that's really important.
I wish you all the best
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ThinkingPositive, I was diagnosed at the same time you were. I had my chemo prior to my mastectomy. I had residual disease. I read the article about Xeloda improving survival rates in cases like mine and just last week asked my MO why I hadn't received it. She said it wasn't available at the time I was undergoing treatment and it would do no good to take it now. I'm really upset that I missed the boat on this drug. I have a high risk of recurrence and would have gladly taken anything to help cut that risk down. Right now I'm taking Arimidex as my only defense against recurrence which doesn't give me a very secure feeling considering my cancer was only 25% estrogen receptive.
Wishing everyone the best.
Kaya
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Kaya, did MO say why xeloda would do no good now? How close to end of radiation does it have to be
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marijen, thank you for your information! My MO does want me to take xeloda and letrozole together. Yes, I still have one positive node with marcromet after neoadjuvant chemo.
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