Got Cancer? AGAIN????

nosurrender

This fabulous new forum was started by BCO for those of us who have been visited by the Beast more than once....

I hope you will check in here. I know there are a few of you out there!!! I will start.

First dx: 9/2001, tripneg, chemo, rads and lumpectomy

Second dx:2/2007, LOBULAR, ER/PR ++, bilateral mast., chemo A-T-C, and then I think rads.

please add your own experiences!

"We beat you once you SOB- and we will beat you once again"
Charlie Daniels

Toronto

OK, I'll play too.

First dx was 01/98, ductal ER/PR+, lumpectomy node negative, rads and 5 years of tamoxifen.

Second dx, other breast 01/06 ER/PR- HER2+, neoadjuvant chemo - dose dense AC and taxol, tumors just about disappeared, then lumpectomy, rads and 1 year herceptin.

Erica3681

Here's mine:

Diagnosed July 2003: Right breast, DCIS and 3mm invasive tumor, stage T1a, grade 1, ER/PR+, Her2-, 2 wide excisions to get clean margins, SNB (negative), radiation, Tamoxifen.

Diagnosed July 2006: Left breast, DCIS, intermediate and high grade, ER+, bilateral mastectomies, no recon, SNB (negative), tested for BRCA gene mutation (negative). Onc stopped Tamoxifen and started me on Femara.

I stopped Femara after 5 months at the urging of my breast surgeon, who felt the risk of bone loss outweighed the benefit for me, now that both breasts have been removed and given my very early stage cancers (onc said that was a "reasonable" decision in my case).

SoCalLisa

I had it twice also..I had a lumpectomy and chemo first time..second was in the same breast so I had a mastectomy..then tamoxifen and arimidex...
Two years after my first(four years ago) I had ADH in my remaining breast and had an excisional biopsy and continued the arimidex.
I guess I am still waiting and seeing about possible number three

lastminuteD

Count me in!

12/05 2 months before 44th bday - dx .2cm IDC, mastectomy w/reconstruction, no lymph node involvement, taking tamoxifen.

2/06 BRAC tested negative

3/06 now 45 yrs old, found lump in reconstructed breast, biopsy = IDC, had PET Scan today, see onc Tuesday am.

Scared out of my mind. Have a pain in my lower back along my spine and have noticed a place on each rib cage that is sore also.

Dawn

missunshine

Me too!
1997-34y/o, IDC, ER/PR+, 1 lymph node, lumpectomy, chemo, rad., tamoxifen for 5 years, BRCA neg.
2007-44 y/o, DCIS other breast (lumpectomy), supraclavicular node on side of original bc(ER/PR+, Her2 neg., still BRCA mutation neg.), they are calling this one a local regional reocurrence. I had ovaries removed right away(to get rid of estrogen); then chemo , rad.(AGAIN!)and am now on Arimidex and will have bil. mastect. w/ DIEP reconstruction in May. No more mammos!
It's definitely more scary the second time. I just didn't expect it after almost 10 years!
Now I pray it never comes back!! We can beat this again!!!
Good luck to all of you!!

missunshine

Good luck on Tues. It sucks to have to wait! I'll add you to my prayers!

nosurrender

OOOH! Thanks for all these replies! I know that there are others out there.... check in!!!
we are starting a very COOL CLUB!

nosurrender

I see that two of our girls from 2005 have been rediagnosed...
Girls, if you read this please join us. We are here to help and to understand and to figure this thing out TOGETHER!

Jillt

Here is my story....

I was diagnosed 12/04 at age 39, stage 2a, triple negative, lumpectomy (SNB clean), dose dense ac, taxol, rads completed 11/05. All the Docs said "we caught it early" and "no need for genetic testing". I had a CT scan before I started chemo that showed 2 very tiny spots in my lungs that they told me not to worry about (too small to biopsy and they could be lots of non cancerous things) Tumor markers normal

Dec 2005 - normal mammogram

March 2006 - normal clinical breast exam

In June 2006 I find a new tumor opposite breast, We try 2 cycles of taxatore and xeloda and it is not responding, PET scan normal in 6/06 except for the breast. I have a mastectomy(SNB clean) at the end of July. 6 cycles of Gemzar and Navelbine, PET scan normal in 8/06, I get tested and find that I am BRCA 1+ !! Docs still say this was a "new cancer", still triple negative, "we caught it early" I start making plans to finish off the girls and remove my ovaries.

I have a routine scan and tumor markers in January 2007. Tumor markers are elevated, I felt fine, Scan shows up to 8 spots in my lungs, I had one biopsied and it is breast cancer- triple negative AND TWO OF THE SPOTS ARE IN THE EXACT LOCATION AS THE ONES IN MY VERY FIRST SCAN. Now I have lung mets - but I guess I had them all along. I have just finished my second cycle of CMF. I find out next week if it has been working.

I have had the pleasure of being diagnosed 3 times, but it is probably one cancer that we did not know had spread at the very begining.

Jill

LindaLou53

Ok, guess I should join this thread also.

July 2000: 2 weeks after my 47th birthday was dx with Stage 2A IDC Right breast. Lumpectomy, SNB, micromets to 2 nodes. ER/PR+, AC/Taxol for 8 rounds total. 37 rads. Tamoxifen 1 year, Femara 3 months, quit hormonals in 2003.

Nov 2005: Routine 6 month checkup mamms were "clear" but on physical exam doc found a "thickening" of the Left breast. Excisional bx revealed ILC. Bilateral mastectomy Dec 2005, no reconstruction, ER+/PR-, 23 nodes positive, Stage 3C. 6 rounds of Taxotere/Xeloda. 27 Rads to 3 fields. Now on Aromasin. CT scan in Jan 2007 was NED. I am taking Zometa IV every 3 months as preventive for bone mets.

I am convinced that the ILC was present in 2000 and just went undetected during all those years of followup exams and Mammograms. My onc says their protocol now is to do breast MRIs on women at high risk or who have already had one breast cancer.

Linda

tos

December 02 dx w/IDC stage II grade 3 triple neg, rt side lumpectormy, 1 node positive. ACT/Rads.

February 07 dx w/IDC, new primary, on left side, I don't have all the info yet as just had my bilateral mastectomy last week but do know we are triple neg again, stage 1 if no nodes and grade 3. Also had a port put in so know I'll be doing chemo.

The second time seems harder than the first to me atleast for now.

nosurrender

Ok so here's the deal...
we all got that sentence repeated to us that we never wanted to hear every again.... "you have cancer"
But I have found one common thread in all your posts.......
STRENGTH, KNOWLEDGE, and a KICK ASS attitude....
I think that is more effective than CHEMO!!!

WE WILL BEAT THIS SOB NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES HE TRIES TO CUT IN ON NED!

xxoo,
g

zarowny9

hi,was dx in 05 at the age of 29.Stage 2 grade 3 triple neg 4 nodes pos,had lumpectomy, chemo,rads
In 2006 my braca testing came back pos..so i had a double mast in april and in oct i had a complete hysterectomy.
In Jan 2007 recurrance to supraclavicular nodes[3]
doing clinical trial with taxotere/avastin/placebo
stage 4 at 32.......

Dawn

SoCalLisa

You have it right, No Surrender...
We strut the attitude!!

Rainenz

IN JAN 97 DX WITH 3.6CM MEDULLARY CA IN LEFT BREAST ER/PR- AND 6 POS NODES. HAD LUMP REMOVED, 6 X AC AND 30 RAD.
JUNE 2006 ANNUAL MAMMOGRAM SHOWED ACTIVITY IN RIGHT BREAST THIS PROVED TO BE IDC ER/PR- WITH OUT LYING DCIS AND 29 INVOLVED NODES HAVE HAD MAST THIS TIME FOLLOWED BY CHEMO OF 4 X FEC AND 6 X TAXOL AND FINISHED 25 RAD END MARCH 2007.

IT IS A CRUEL BEAST BUT WE WILL FIGHT IT GOT BE HERE TO SEE MY GRANDCHILDREN GROW UP

LORRAINE

skirk

Diagnosed in 2004 with idc and had a mastectomy and 3 rounds of FEC. Then in March/07 had a Pet scan, and two lymph nodes in supraclavicle showed positive for cancer.
Treatment this time will be zoladex and radiation to kill this S.O.B. I am 44 and want to be around for a while yet!!

nosurrender

Oh my! It is such a good thing Melissa and Tami started this new forum! Look how many of us are out there!!!

TOGETHER we will fight and win!

Monique42

Hi there, well here I am as well. Diagnosed Dec 2001 Ductal CA in left breast,no nodes, lumpectomy, chemo and rads. Dec 2004, right breast Lubular Ca Stage 3 l node involved, lumpectomy chemo, decided to have bilateral mastectomy (glad I did as 1 lump small .8mm found again), I think I should have had bilateral mastectomy from the getgo.

sharebear

I'm also now a club member. 32 years old in 1995 when I found the first one. Lumpectomy, radiation, chemo, 28 nodes removed and all negative. Thought I was cured. Had the test done a few years later and tested positive for BRCA1. Had the ovaries removed at age 38. Now at age 44 it's back. On March 15 I had a bilateral mastectomy with tram flap reconstruction. I'm tripple negative. Makes it aggressive and hard to treat. Although my petscan did come up clean I'm headed for four months of chemo every two weeks. I just had my port put in but the area is very irritated where it was placed. I'm now on antibiotics to try and clear that up before they'll start the chemo. I just think after that much surgery my body said hold on and didn't like the port. It's red and the skin hurts and it's kind of itchy. Hopefully I start on Friday. I was suppose to start on Tuesday. I'm going to shave my own head before the hair starts to come out. My kids are going to give me a mohawk for photographs before we shave it all off!

Fighting with an attitude!

Jackson

Hi. I was diagnosed in Feb. 2006 at age 35 with stage 3 IDC in my left breast. Did chemo first, then mastectomy, then rads. I finished up my rads in Oct. 2006. Less than a month later I noticed a couple bumps on my other breast which turned out to be cancer in the skin of my other breast as well as some mammary nodes that showed up on a PET. My original cancer was ER+/HER2- and the new one is ER-/HER+. My oncologist and my surgeon disagree about whether this is a new cancer or mets from the original. My onc thinks it's a new one, my surgeon thinks it's a mets that changed pathology. I tend to agree with my onc. My current treatment is Xeloda, Herceptin, and Aromasin. I was so mad when I found out about the second one. I had just finshed my rads and was feeling great. I knew I was at high risk for a recurrance but thought I'd have some time. Now it seems I'm going to be on treatment for the rest of my life which is so depressing to think about.

nosurrender

Welcome, welcome welcome!
This list keeps growing... there are a lot of us out there. More than I thought!

I am so glad to meet my sisters in this second/third round fight!

reader218

I noticed several of you were 30 something when first diagnosed. Me too.
1-1993(age 35)IDC right breast T2 N0 ER -, PR-. Lumpectomy & radiation. They recomended chemo but I refused.

4-2006 (age 48) DCIS and IDC right breast with metastasis to the right lung. ER +, ER +, HER2 +. Lung Lobeectomy 5-06. Chemo, Mastectomy 12-06.
Now I'm on Herceptin and Arimidex.

Nice to know I'm not alone.

Brendatrue

I was 38 when first diagnosed: Stage I, no + nodes; had quadrantectomy, CMF chemo, rads. I was 49 last year when diagnosed with Stage 1, same breast, no + nodes; had mastectomy, declined chemo after OncoDx testing, now taking Arimidex, with Evista for bone health. When I found clinical signs of the second ca, I KNEW it was cancer again. That's also when I realized that I had breathed a sigh of almost relief with my 10 year survivorship anniversary. Breast cancer can be such a sneaky disease! I am learning again how to live with hope and vigilance (but not hypervigilance) over my health.
Brenda

newter

What is a quadrantectomy? Never heard the term before.

nosurrender

Yes, it does seem like those of us going around the cancer bend again were first dx'd young!

Newter, a quad is when the take like a pie shaped wedge or quarter of your breast instead of the entire breast. Bigger than a lumpectomy but smaller than a mast.

tessie51

Well, I was diagnosed in Nov'06 with breast cancer, had a mastectomy in Dec '06 on my right breast and am now on chemo. When I went to my Oncologist in April '07 I told her that I thought I felt a knot in my left breast but that it might be my imagination. She felt my breast and also felt it so I am going for a mammogram on 5/2. When I had a mammogram on both breasts in Nov '06 they only saw the cancer in my right breast and that my left was clear. Is it unusual for IT to come up afternot being there 6 months ago? So far I don't know the results but I was just wondering how it could be there now when it wasn't in Nov.thank you.

Ivylane

Hi Ladies:
Round #1 - 1991...right breast lumpectomy for .08mm IDC. ER/PR pos. HER neg. 0/23 nodes positive. 6 mos CMF, 33 rads. 2-1/2 years Tamoxifin.

Round #2 - 2006... left breast.. 3 tumors, .06., .08., 1.2cm. SNB negative. IDC again. This time ER+, PR-, HER+3.., Bi-lateral mast with tissue expanders. 4AC, 4 Taxol. Now on Herceptin and Arimidex.

They call this a new primary but who the heck knows?
Hang in there everyone. We ARE a tough bunch aren't we?

bethany68

Hi!

Had third mamm of my life. Bad results, skin thickening and more density. I had a complete mastectomy, the first time (4/2005). Now, just 3 days short of two year anniversary, since left IDC diagnosis.
Had about 8-10 views, immediate ultrasound, radiologist then said we need an MRI, go see surgeon. Saw surgeon, on Monday; his first question after breast exam was how much chemo did you have before and what kind? Let him know that it damaged my heart, and oncologist said I couldn't do it again. Then he said how serious would you be in just having another mastectomy? Rather than going through the motions beginning with the MRI, then biopsy; blah, blah, blah.

I'm scheduled for a mastectomy mid May to early June; don't have the date yet with my plastic surgeon. Having expanders placed on both sides for implants. Surgeon said only problem could be is that when they find the cancer in the breast, they'll have to go back and take lymph nodes. As long as that doesn't interfere with my implant future, that'll be fine. Hoping no rads or chemo will be required; hoping for the best....

Beth in MI

tos

Well I was 56 the first time and 60 the second time so no spring chicken here but I feel young!
I'm seeing my Onc today and am going to ask him how they know if the new cancers on the other side are new primary's or something else, I'll let you know what he says,

Ivylane

Forgot something....both times, Stage 1, grade III

Pam: good luck today and I would love the answer to that. I never remember to ask my onc.

NS: How was round #1 chemo yesterday? Hope you tolerated it well.