Topic: 2 different types of cancer in seperate breasts-anyone else?

Jun 6, 2017 10:40PM pink_is_my_colour wrote:

Well, here goes. Saw the Chemotherapy Oncologist today. Didn't realize there were specialists within Oncology.

Friday, June 16 will be my first round of Chemo. I get three rounds of Fluorouracil, Epirubicin, and Cyclophosphamide. Then after that another three rounds of Docetaxel. CAT scan from last week shows something in my lumber spine. Oncologist thinks it could be a Hemangioma of the vertibrae. One thing she said that I thought was kind of odd was that if the cancer does come back it'll be stage IV.

And so it begins. Hoping that I'll be lucky with few side effects.

Jul 20, 2017 07:47PM avmom wrote:

jworrell, make sure that your nursing and oncology team know about your restless legs. I had leg discomfort so severe when doing Taxol (I did 4 dose dense, on a two week cycle, not weekly) that I was prescribed morphine just to get some sleep. I also ended up with pretty severe neuropathy by the end (both hands and feet) but my feet are still not normal, after more than 2 years I did not ice, but you might ask about whether icing your hands and feet during infusions might help.

AC was rough for me, too. Some things about Taxol that were different from the AC were, for me:

*. I had a bunch or neurological symptoms, including some expressive aphasia (searching for words - chemobrain), some facial tics and eye twitches, some incontinence - by the end, i would joke that I couldn't cough without peeing my pants, and any flatulence was only safely expressed in the bathroom!

*. My tummy tended to be very acid, though that was kept under control with OTC Zantac (300 mg/day). I was still pretty nauseated, so it might have been related to the masses of anti emetic drugs I was consuming

*. Watch your fingernails and toenails. I moisturized mine and kept them polished, but they got pretty loose.

2 down, 10 to go. You've got this!

Donna

Jul 20, 2017 08:35PM Libber wrote:

Hello jworrel and all. Yes I had two different types. On the left side. Stage 1. ER/PR positive. HER2 negative. Grade 1. On the right. Stage 1 grade 3 triple negative. I had 4 A/C dose dense chemo sessions followed by 4 Dose dense Taxol sessions. Had bi-lateral masectomies and 28 radiation sessions on right side. Then 6 months of Zeloda. Also reconstruction with silicone implants this past December. I have been on an AI inhibitor for just over a year now.

I have endured treatment for both. Have worked through all. Has not been fun but doable. I work in healthcare industry. Have had tremendous support through all and I know I am fortunate in that regard. Also DH is retired and played a tremendous role in supporting me through all of this.

SE's can be frustrating but those go away after treatment. I did have neuropathy. A few accupuncture treatments resolved that. I am T1 Diabetes 37 years so have an extra predisposition to that issue.

There are few of us with different types in each breast. But my docs assured me this does not change the outcomes. Focus on treating the more aggressive side/type. I am only about 1 1/2 yr cancer free but no more concerned than others at this point in my recovery.

Jul 22, 2017 07:27AM obsolete wrote:

Having had incremental BC 3 & 4 years ago, concern & worry have become my "new normal", even though I'm not constantly preoccupied with BC, as I originally had been. One eye, I think, always shall remain open to other possibilities out of fear of the "unknown". Not only with rarer exotic BC subtypes, there are still too many unknowns in BC.

[Multi-centric DCIS grade-III, Mixed Invasive Mucinous grade-II multi-focal, Invasive Solid Papillary grade-II, LX & BMX, hormone therapy, ER/PR+ HER2-]

Never quit believing. Best wishes to all.

Jan 20, 2018 08:21PM LizMarie1 wrote:

I was diagnosed with DCIS left breast and LCIS right breast, had a BMX, clear margins, lymph nodes no cancer, no chemo or radiation or tamoxifen required , ER/PR negative.

Mar 6, 2018 10:38AM Oceanbum wrote:

My right breast was Stage 1 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Grade 1/3 +/+/- with calcifications that were Focal Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia. Diagnosed 3/6/17.

My left breast was Stage 1 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Grade 3/3 +/+/+ with a group of nodules that were Ductal Carcinoma In Situ. Diagnosed 3/21/17.

I did chemo with Taxotere, Carboplatin, Perjeta & Herceptin first. Then I had a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction in Sept. I had my exchange surgery in Dec. I started my maintenance Herceptin treatments shortly after surgery and I have one to go!! I am on Tamoxifen. I started it in the fall, too.

Mar 15, 2018 07:43PM jworrell wrote:

I meant to post earlier, but I finished all treatment Dec. 8th 2017. It was a rough year last year, but I'm grateful to be done. I still have a fear the cancer will return. Everytime I have any ache or pain, I instantly think it has returned. I hope that gets better with time. I'm on Tamoxfin currently. I go for my 3 mth follow-up next month. This experience has definitely made me a stronger person.

Mar 16, 2018 07:23AM coachvicky wrote:

@ JADS6517

When you write: My big concern is that they are acting like that second cancer site doesn't matter, doesn't play into the treatment plan at all.

That could have been me speaking.

I had those same types of nagging questions. My insurance allowed me to go out of state for a second opinion of my entire treatment. I paid the copay and travel expenses. It was well worth the trip. I got all my questions finally answered from someone who does not know my hometown oncologist or where he works.

After much thought, I wrote my oncologist a nice letter thanking him for his care and that I would be seeking follow-up care at another facility. I probably should have done this earlier but as you know there is so much going on it takes time to catch a breath.

Best wishes.

Coach Vicky

Mar 18, 2018 07:27AM Peregrinelady wrote:

Mar 18, 2018 09:09AM Moderators wrote:

kod, welcome to Breastcancer.org. Indeed, these are good questions to ask your treatment team next week. Very glad for you though that they found it!

Mar 20, 2018 03:33PM - edited Mar 21, 2018 03:12PM by Oceanbum

jworrell, your story sounds so much like mine. I wouldn't have known there was cancer in the left side had we not done the MRI. The mammogram didn't show it. The left side was an aggressive mass and twice the size of the right side. So had we not done the MRI I hate to think where I would be now or down the line. I thank my surgeon for that. And will always credit her for saving my life!