recruirence of cancer in her2 positive

parweenali

recruirence of cancer in her2 positive

parweenali

I had breast lumptactomy on April 2006 and took herceptin + chemo for one year.  I just wonder that is anyone who did this kind of treatment and if their cancer came back?  After how manyyears?

jam4eyes

Hi,

I found a lump in my breast in 2005, had a lumpectomy for a DCIS lump 3.2 cm, margins had a second cancer that was less than .5mm, but very aggressive (HER2/NEU+ ER+ PR-). I opted for a modified radical mastectomy-NO lymph node involvement .  My cancer was stage 2.  I did 4 treatments of AC then tamoxafin for three months than a year of Herceptin (a treatment every 3 weeks).  That was followed by arimadex for almost a year.  Oct ‘07 I told my oncologist about pain in my back that I was experiencing, she ordered a bone scan which came back as normal, all of my tests look normal.  Nov 2007 I came down with a cold that lasted for almost a month.  I saw my primary care physician during that month cause I was concerned that I couldn't shake the cold and my lymph nodes had enlarged...he thought the enlarged lymph nodes were due to the cold, but when the one lymph node hadn't gone down to normal size in Jan of this year he decided a biopsy was best...after an MRI showed a tumor... pathology report-Metastatic  breast cancer (HER2/NEU+ ER+ PR-), PET scan showed the cancer in my backbone/hip (6), my liver (1), lymph nodes (2), and adrenal gland (1), ....the tumor on lymph node that was biopsy more than doubled in size in one-week between the MRI and the PET....VERY aggressive cancer.  Feb I started back on the Herceptin every 3 weeks and a Zometa treatment every 4 weeks-which has taken care of the cancer in my bones.  Later in Feb I took XelodaI (oral chemo for 9 1/2 days) but I had a very bad reaction to it...CTA showed no pulmonary embolism, but showed the cancer had spread to my right lung.  My April PET scan showed the cancer in my bones gone, the original cancer stop in my liver and one lymph node (the one that had doubled in size)had also stopped growing, but over all the cancer is spreading.  I stared getting Herceptin every week...and Taxol once a week for 3 weeks then off a week...I have 2 more weeks of Taxol before I get another PET scan. 

I had the BrCa 1 and BrCa 2 tests done...I don't have the gene...so they oncologist thinks the cancer might (they don't know all of the genes in BC) be environmental...I worked near power lines for a number of years and I currently live and drive in an area where there are the High voltage power lines....many people believe that the electro magnetic field created by power lines causes cancer in certain people...who knows....that could be a good grant for study...oh well

My goal in life is to outlive my husband...so, if Joe Black wants me he has hunt me down and fight me and my cancer team (Oncologist, Oncology nurses, Cardiologist, Primary Care Physician) cause I am not giving up or in to this cancer!  Positive attitude is everything in fighting cancer...don't give up, I'm not!

Sorry this is so long.

Maple

Thank you for sharing your story.  I just finished my year of herception at the end of May.  That was after treatment starting last January - lumpectomy followed by modified mastectomy/reconstruction, 4 dose dense A/C, 12 weekly taxotere.  Now I'm just on tamoxafin and lupron to keep me in chemically enduced menopause so that the tamoxafin can work.  Just had a PET scan and I don't get the results until Monday.  Been freaking out a little, but your post is such a very good reminder that even if I don't get the results that I want that I have the strength to go another round!

sassyone

I was dx'd Feb 05.  Triple positive, 5 of 14 nodes positive, Stage IIIA.  I had Dose Dense A/C, Taxol/Herceptin, then Herceptin every three weeks for a total of 18 months.  Currently on Lupron for Ovary suppression and Arimidex.  NED so far and planning to stay that way!

mimi1030

My mom was dx Aug 04, Age 49, Stage 1, DCIS 2cm, IDC .5mm, no nodes involved.  Her2 +++, ER/PR -, LB mastectomy, chemo 4 rounds A/C, Herceptin not available to early stagers in 2004.  Cancer free for 3 years, then random PET/CT for other reasons picked up her mets to the liver and bones.  Oct 07 started weekly Taxol/Herceptin for 3 weeks with 1 week off.  Monthly Zometa.  PET/CT Jan 08 revealed complete metabolic response to therapy, liver tumors went from numerous to 2 tiny ones less than 1cm, shrunk by 85%, bones are healing.  May 08 CT scan revealed liver and bones healing, scarring is seen in the areas of prior mets in liver, sclerotic areas in bones where prior mets to bones were located.  She will have more scans in July to see if everything is cleared.  She has never had any symptoms of her mets and still doesn't, no pain nothing, she has no side effects from chemo at all, a little bit of a runny nose once in a while from herceptin.  She feels good, she gets on with her life and she is doing just fine. 

She will not give up, she has too much to do....and she is raising my 12 year old sister at the same time too.

Michelle