TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

The steroid you get for chemo is enough to cause acne. If the acne calms down right before the next infusion and then flares again right after, it could be the steroid or the chemo itself.

Jerseygirl, losing my hair was very hard for me to deal with. Vain? Who cares. It is difficult for some people, more difficult for others. Now, at 3 months after chemo, I have thick hair regrowing and some people have even said they like it at this very short length. I miss my very long hair, but it'll get there. I think I buzzed my hair to about half an inch a few days after my second infusion.

jersey girl - I also had acne during chemo from Herceptin/Perjeta - lots of tiny whiteheads that would just pop up out of nowhere. My chemo nurse prescribed clindamycin (sp?), a topical ointment. It did the trick, and I haven't had any since, even though I'm still getting the drugs

Blownaway-I started on tamoxifen as I was pre menopausal. The worst se was horrendous hot flashes in the day. I tried everything, including Effexor and none of them really worked well. Right at three years, I had a bad Pap smear with endometrial cells that shouldn't have been there. Not cancerous. Ob/gyn called my onc and I was switched to an AI immediately. Ob/gyn doesn't like tamoxifen, but my onc was fine.

My old and new onc were leaning toward ten years. I asked the new one his thoughts about 3 years of Tamox and if that counts in the total. He said let's talk at five years, but he really felt like five years minimum on the AI.

Moni-a lot of oncs, (both of mine included) don't feel the ca27.29 is accurate. I get them anyway, and the new onc says he will do them, but he says there are too many variable that cause changes. He went on to add that they have all this info coming in, especially new genetic tests, but even if it shows a mutation or something weird, they don't know what to do about it. He feels the next ten-fifteen years will bring extraordinary information and treatments.

I get prolia shots. I asked the new onc when they decide you don't need them anymore if your density comes up. He said good question, lol. No real answer. He suggested a dexascan every years since mine wasn't very bad to check. He also said they have found that if density is going to drop, it does so for the first couple of years and then slows way down

formydaughters - I did feel better once off Herceptin only - I started to have low grade headache and fatigue toward the end. I was already on Femara, but could still perceive an improvement in how I felt once the H was done. I felt so much better a couple of months after chemo ended that the Herceptin SE seemed minor, but I too felt there was a cumulative blah feeling the last few months of H. 

formydaughter, I'm glad to hear another MO say the same thing. She had spoke to two other MOs and they agreed with her. We all want our treatments to have minimal SE but sometimes it doesn't. Don't feel bad. You certainly don't want that depression! Tamoxifen has been around a long time and has a good track record

Hi Chaga. We're all here

Welcome chaga, the weekly Taxol was so much easier on methan the AC.

Hi Ladies ... I hope everyone is doing ok ... I finally (after a 5 week wait )had my 4th and last A/C treatment Tuesday and a Neulasta shot on Wednesday. My white blood count dropped to low and it took awhile to come back up for treatment. On March 31st I am suppose to start Taxol once a week for 12 weeks along with Herceptin and Perjecta. I think I am not looking forward to all the steroids. The hot flashes are already back, ( 60 years old ), the bone pain is rough, along with the fatigue and neurothopy in hands and feet. Gee, I can't wait for it to increase ... just kidding ...Is a MUGA scan better than an echocardiogram to check heart functions ? ... I had an echocardiogram before I started treatments. The PA said MUGA scan this time then changed it back to echocardiogram.

Hello everyone....I'm new here and just wanted to say hello. The more I read, the more I realize there's lots to learn. I knew nothing about breast cancer before my DX. I had BMX 3 weeks ago, but have not met with a MO yet....I'm trying to get that set up this week. I'm stressed about treatment since I don't know what the MO will recommend. I have an appt with my BS tomorrow and should get my last 2 drains out....yay!!!

Hugs to all!!!

formydaughter - I'm on Herceptin and nothing else, will start Tami probably tomorrow. Last Chemo was Oct 29. My ears still ring, I still get some visual floaters (but reduced since chemo) my fingers, wrists, hips, knees and anckles are 'arthritic', I'm fatigued, but no where near as bad a 6 weeks after last chemo, still have some neuropathy in feet and toes.

hope that the acne clears, face is dry, trying almost everything to see if one or the other works....no luck so far, no more white heads but deep pimples that hurt below surface. Anything I should ask for? Open to suggestions. What is neocutis? Is it a script?

Thanks all, going in thurs for second round of chemotherapy. Send prayers please.

Thanks for the welcomes!

SpecialK...neoadjuvent treatment wasn't really discussed. I had needle biopsy on the 3cm mass on the right breast which came back IDC...then MRI showed DCIS in the right as well. MRI also showed several suspicious areas in the left which needed biopsy, but BS recommendation was BMX and I was in agreement. She said since I wasn't trying to save my breasts, it was up to me which I wanted first...surgery or chemo. I opted for surgery first. In hindsight, i wish I'd consulted a MO while making those decisions, but was I in the lala land of shock when I got my DX.

Anybody see the report on NBC tonight that 13% of DCIS goes undiscovered due to a bad reading....35 percent of atypia (i think) and 17% of dcis is overdiagnosed causing unneeded treatment?

Encouraged everyone with a diagnosis, dense breasts to get a second opinion.

Took my first tomoxifen at dinner tonight. Glad there is something to help reduce reoccurrence, sad I'll be on some drug... oh the wows of this marathon we are all running...