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To chem or not at 80
Help, help. I have grade 3 triple negative invasive ductal bc. Lumpectomy. 10 mm tumor that I caught after negative mammogram and negative exam by my PCP months earlier. Pathology negative margins and 4 negative lymph nodes. Had 5 days local radiation. Surgeon says no chemo, 90-95% likely cured and says chemo too hard at…
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Treatment Zoom Meetup (Tuesdays) place to keep chatting
Update: Hi all! We apologize -- in thinking about creating these threads, we actually thought it might be more practical to have all groups (Tuesday and Thursday) to post on the same thread. This way, if you attend more than one meeting, you won't have to submit any updates to more than one thread to reach all of your…
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Treatment Zoom Meetup (Thursdays) place to keep chatting
Hi all! We apologize -- in thinking about creating these threads, we actually thought it might be more practical to have all groups (Tuesday and Thursday) to post on the same thread. This way, if you attend more than one meeting, you won't have to submit any updates to more than one thread to reach all of your friends.…
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Newly diagnosed - waiting for MRI and appt w/ surgeon
Hi all, I'm a 33 year old mom of 4 who was just diagnosed with IDC. I had a mammogram for a lump I found back in December and they also found several groups of pleomorphic micro-calcifications. I was sent for biopsies, one for the lump and one for the calcifications and both came back as cancer. The information has been a…
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LDF
My story is long, I will try to make it short. I was diagnosed in 2006, had lumpectomy, chemo, and radiation on my right breast. The surgeon did a botch job that has made my breast a mess. January 2021, diagnosed with 2nd cancer (same side, same type), had a bilateral mastectomy with expanders and implants, plus chemo. The…
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Starting radiation in January 2023?
i start radiation on 1/3/22 and am interested in connecting with others who are on a similar schedule. I just finished chemo snd was very lucky to have only modest side effects. Now dreading radiation even though almost everyone says it is easier than chemo.
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BCI questions
Hello, I am in year 4 of tamoxifen and have struggled the entire time. I have profound fatigue and just feel flat, as if someone took away my ability to feel joy. With that being said I recently tried a break and went on 10 mg to see if it would help. I felt the same on the 10 so I am back on the 20 mg. I spoke to my MO…
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New Guidelines: Treating High Calcium Levels in People W/ Cancer
New Guidelines on Treating High Calcium Levels in People With Cancer Jan 4, 2023 The Endocrine Society has released the first guidelines on treating high calcium levels in people diagnosed with cancer. Read more...
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What helped you pass the time?
I had a core needle biopsy yesterday on some calcifications found on mammo (Birads 4B). It’s a holiday weekend so I’m not expecting results until the end of next week. What does everyone do to keep themselves fromgoing crazy while they wait? 🙃
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New Guidelines: Screen All Surgery Candidates for Cannabis Use
New Guidelines Recommend Screening All Surgery Candidates for Cannabis Use Jan 5, 2023 Regular cannabis users may have more pain and other complications after surgery, so new guidelines recommend asking everyone scheduled for surgery with anesthesia about their cannabis use. Read more...
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Mental Health Resources from Breastcancer.org
Surprised it’s only 1 in 4? You’re not alone. After being diagnosed with breast cancer, it is common to experience many emotional highs and lows. For some people, the effects of trauma caused by breast cancer can linger for months to years after being diagnosed. Here are some useful links from the pages of…
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Cancer Screening for the LGBTQ+ Community
Whether you identify as LGBTQ+ yourself or you're close to someone who does, Don S. Dizon, MD, shares three things to be aware of when it comes to breast cancer screening. Everyone deserves respect, dignity, and the best care possible. Find lists of welcoming screening providers at the National LGBT Cancer Network.
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Podcast: Low-Dose Tamoxifen to Reduce Risk After Chest Radiation
Low-Dose Tamoxifen to Reduce Risk in Women Who Received Chest Radiation Jan 6, 2023 Dr. Sandhya Pruthi explains a study on using low-dose tamoxifen to reduce breast cancer risk in women who received radiation to the chest as children. Women with a higher-than-average risk of breast cancer often take tamoxifen to reduce…
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will be starting soon...now I'm nervous
Hi All. This whole thing still has me in disbelief. I seem to just be trudging along the path. and hoping. I am so very lucky, it was early, it was small, two surgeries but now have good margins. So the next step is radiation and talk to oncologist about hormone therapy? I am still learning terminology, still confused,…
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Reoccurrence after bilateral mastectomy
In June 2020, I was diagnosed with hormone negative, her2+ IDC breast cancer. I received TCHP before a lumpectomy, followed by radiation and 12 cycles of Herceptin. In August, 2021 I was considered in remission. Then in January 2022, I was diagnosed with IDC, triple negative, inflammatory breast cancer. I had chemotherapy…
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Start tamoxifen, Yes or No?
Hi all, I had performed unilateral (left breast) mastectomy + DIEP FLAP end of May and now in my recovery. I was suffered from high grade DCIS. One month post-op, i had my follow up visit in my oncologist office. He advised to start tamoxifen to prevent my right breast cancer risk. The advise is to take it for 5 years. I…
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Breast Reconstruction Surgeon Recommendation in Los Angeles
Hi everyone, I had a breast reconstruction with under the muscle silicon implants 10 years ago. My left implant looks deformed and shifted to almost under the armpit. I also feel, on and off, a shooting/stabbing pain in that area (it's not the heart) that partially numbs my left arm. I think this might be caused by the…
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What determines the cancer staging?
I’m curious. What determines your cancer staging? Is it the initial breast biopsy pathology? The clinical pathology - oncologist’s assessment? Or the pathology after surgery?
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Treating estrogen responsive cancer naturally
Hello please post here ONLY if you are researching or using natural tx to address hormone responsive cancer. Please stay on topic - no posts about standard drugs or ovary removal. No posts about general anti cancer. Thread for people who need alternatives SPECIFIC to hormone responsive cancers Will share my own research…
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Free: NatraCure Cold Gel Packs for NatraCure socks
I have 2 sets (4 gel packs each) of the NatraCure Cold Gel Packs for the NatraCure socks used to ice feet during chemo. Free to anyone who needs them. PM me with your shipping info and I'll ship anywhere in the US. Kim
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Lab results
My liver enzymes have been elevated since staring taxol herceptin weekly. After #6 tx noticed some bloating lower abdomen as side effect. I had # 7 today the NP orders abdominal liver scan just wondered If anyone else on this tx has this issue. Now kind of worried. I am 1c grade 3 no lymph node involvement has lumpectomy…
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Thyroid Cancer
I had double mastectomy 3 weeks ago with right lumph node involvemt, during pet scan before surgery, thyroid cance was found, havingit removed tomorrow, is this separate type of cancer,a coincidence or what?
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Considering preventative mastectomy
I have been having unilateral, spontaneous, clear and occasionally bloody nipple discharge. After 9 tests (3d mammograms, sonograms, MRI, sono guided biopsy and MRI guided biopsy) my last biopsy came back with a dx of atypical sclerosing papillary lesion with epithelial proliferation with mild atypia and rare mitoses, as…
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Abnormal signal on right rib in MRI
Hi, I've been reading the posts here and found them helpful. My wife is 28 years post treatment. Thankful for that. She's been having some problems with her arm and shoulder. Our doctor prescribed an Xray, which found nothing, then an MRI of the shoulder and rotator cuff. That was all fine. But the report said there was…
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Arimidex shortage?…
Just got a phone call from Express scripts regarding my refill of Arimidex. They told me it is not available at this time and uncertain of availability. I have enough for awhile since I get 90 day supply, it this does sound good. I have a call in to my oncologist Has anyone heard anything Thank Ber
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Bone Density Results
My MO ordered a bone density scan to establish a baseline before starting anastrazole. I had never had one and I was shocked when the results indicated osteoporosis (T-scores ranging from -2.7 to -3.6). Now I am a little freaked out. How bad are those scores for a 58yo? Is anastrazole a bad idea? What should I do to help…
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Surgery on 12/5 and still waiting for Oncotype DX results
I'm mainly writing to vent, but if anyone can explain why chemo (if needed), is supposed to precede radiation, I would be interested to know. I had a lumpectomy and sentinal node removal on 12/5. Fortunately clean margins and no lymph node involvement. Two tumors side by side, the larger is 1.3 cm. Nottingham Grade 3.…
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MBC Approved Treatments, Dealing with Side Effects, and More
Are you facing a treatment change and questioning what drug may be next on the list? Dealing with treatment-related side effects? Or wondering about cutting-edge research? If you answered Yes to any of these and want science-based information at your fingertips, read my book, "The Insider's Guide to Metastatic Breast…
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A break from BCO
Dear Friends, I'd like to start by wishing you all a happy, merry everything as we approach the holidays! BCO has been a wonderful place for me over the years and I truly appreciate the support and input I have received. Some of you may be aware of the fact that over the course of 11+ years I have been the recipient of…
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New Findings
I am new, and this is my first post. I am 53 years old and post-menopausal since my mid-40s, confirmed by hormone testing. I had my mammogram screening a few weeks ago and was called back for additional diagnostic imaging due to a finding of a "developing focal asymmetry" compared to my 2020 mammogram. They found a small…