Got Cancer? AGAIN????

Padiddle

Just to update the previous posts I posted about a second cancer.  It was determined this is not a second cancer, but metastatic disease to the left breast with cutaneous metastasis (skin mets) on the right chest wall.  ugh   Jean 

Enjoyful

Thanks for the update, Jean!  I'm thinking about you.

Padiddle

I get so darn confused.  It is yet to be determined if I have a second primary bc, or progression of metastatic disease.  A tumor board is meeting this week.  I'm being sent back to surgeon next week.  I had left sided lumpectomy last month for IDC (no clear margins), and two skin mets removed.  Went for PET scan which revealed left sided axillary lymph node issue and spine mets.  Onc discussed case with two colleagues who had differing opinions, so he is presenting this case to a tumor board.  Original diagnosis (2000), metastatic dx (2009), left sided dx 2011 have all revealed similar pathology.  Onc commented that if this is a new primary that behaves differently than the metastatic disease, then we need to be more aggressive.  I don't understand how you can get a new breast cancer when you are in treatment for met disease.  Where can I find info on this? 

In the meantime, onc took me off FEMARA and I started Megace.   Jean

Aerial

Jean, this disease seems to have a mind of it's own--I'm sorry to hear you are going through this.

I guess, I can say this is my third cancer since they just found bone mets on my lower spine (on the fourth of this month).  I had my first doses of Faslodex and Zometa a few days ago.

I'm not a violent person, I'm usually a soft spoken, easy going type but, right now I have the urge to take up some kind of weapons training.  I think a meaningful new hobby could be target practice...(just kidding...kinda)

Let's keep giving cancer the stink eye and beating that SOB back!

Padiddle

Aerial:  Sorry to hear you have spine mets too.  I get Zometa every month.  The first Zometa drip was unpleasant for me (flu like), but only that first one.  How did you find your first Zometa drip?  I am having a mastectomy on the left breast Wednesday (Nov 30) to reduce the tumor load.  I'll be totally flat chested now as I did not have recon on the right and will not have recon on the left.  Hang in there!  Jean

Aerial

My first Zometa infusion went okay until 12 hours later when I woke up at 3 am with, chills, shakes, body aches and a fever of 100.4.  (I am very thankful I had no stomach trouble!)  I spent one whole day in bed, took Tylenol and the smptoms faded over the next day.  I hope, like you, I'm side effect free next time!

Thanks for sharing your experience, Jean--I'm determined to hang in there!

Padiddle

I had the left mx on Wednesday (Nov 30).  I'm feeling okay.  Drain going well.  Go back Monday morning to see surgeon.  Using Advil for pain.  Most pain is in underarm area and near sternum.  I had bone mets to sternum, so I'm thinking that it is just aggravated or something.  Since I need an IV arm for the Zometa infusions, only one lymphnode was removed from the left side.  This lymphnode lit up on PET scan.  The whole concept of mastectomy for an already known stage IV person was to reduce tumor load.  We'll see how this goes.  Since this whole left sided issue came up along with skin mets to the right chest wall (while in treatment with Zometa and FEMARA), have been changed to Megace.  Zometa stays the same.  Spine mets stable.  Jean