TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

TonLee

Congrats Gee, that's awesome!!

And thanks for the info about going to a spa, I didn't even think about that!  I'm so doing that in June!!  WOO HOO!

Omaz

TonLee  - Did you already do your rads?

TonLee

Omaz,

No.  I will do them after I get my expander fully expanded.  It may be two months after I finish chemo, maybe longer since I'm still not healed and can't be expanded until I heal.

My last chemo is March 22nd.  I'm hoping my PS will be able to expand me April and May, and start Rads in June. 

mom_of_2

Hi Girls....

I am 2+ years out from my last Herceptin and I hate to tell you this (but I wish someone warned me) I still continue to go through cycles of losing my eyelashes. I will have what I consider my old lashes back and will wake up with my pillow covered My brows thinned during chemo and never grew back and the ones that do get plucked right away because they grow straight out! Thank goodness for eyebrow pencils to fill in the bald spots.

On the positive side...I had a little scare a few weeks ago and have been taken off of Tamoxifen temporarily. This REALLY freaked me out but both my medical and surgical oncologist said yes Tamoxifen is a bit of an insurance policy BUT Herceptin is the key to treating triple positive BC. 

 Be happy...triple pos seems to be the lesser of the breast cancer evils now thanks to Herceptin. 

Ca1Ripken

My lashes were the same way... they came out about 5 weeks after chemo ended (so I thought I was spared too) and my last chemo was Sept 14 or 15.  They just 'cycled' back off again... but it wasn't terrible because little sprouts were coming in before they fell out; so they are very short right now!! 

And, I too never had any reading problems prior to chemo, and had to buy reading glasses for close-up stuff... I swear it's because all the information on the pill bottles is so small!!  LOL

Ca1Ripken

GeeWhiz - awesome!!!  You go girl!!

TonLee - I worked around nukes for a while in the military too... hmm.  And, maybe its just because we've been through it or we are more aware, but I am heart-broken by the number of new cancers showing up... like I said, maybe it is just that everyone comes to me about it now, but find a way to help us live with it already!!!

pejkug3

I had my first TCH on 2/24.  No scans, MUGA, EKG - nothing before.

My chemo nurse mentioned that my onco may ask for a CT after chemo, but no heart test was done prior.  Just a chest Xray.

Hmmm...

Omaz

pejkug3 - I agree with hillck - You should be getting an ECHO or MUGA to check your heart.

TonLee

Leanna,

I noticed the increase of cancer cases before, but it DOES seem to be happening to younger and younger people.  Today at my treatment center (#5 DOWN!!)  there were THREE new women in their 20's!!!!  It was their first treatment and I was flabbergasted. 

Omaz

TonLee - Despicable disease.

sunflower71

Tonlee-# 5 done, we have one more to go!  I hear more and more about younger women getting BC.  I felt the lump at the age of 38, they told me it was probably a cyst, I was too young, yadayada.....8 months later I decided to insist on a mammogram. 

lago

I had a MUGA before treatment but I checked today. They do not do MUGA through treatment. Not sure if I will get one at the end either. "Monitor" and "evaluate" are very general terms. It doesn't mean MUGA or ECHO. I know every time I go they ask about shortness of breath and heart palpitations. I believe the did the MUGA first to make sure I didn't have any issues to start with.

The only blood test I get now that I'm doing Herceptin only is to monitor my hormones to be sure I stay in chemopause. I'm on Anastrozole (ALs) starting this morning.

geewhiz

Lago...my onc will not test hormonals. It drives me crazy. I was 42 at diagnosis and haven't had my period since chemo....but it seems irresponsible to put me on tamoxifen without checking my levels occasionally. I have a 3 month check this month. Maybe I will stomp my foot a bit.

lago

My onc is checking my hormones only because if I don't stay in chemopause then I can't be on Anasastrozole or any AL. I t would have no effect if my ovaries where still functioning as premenopausal. She would have to switch me to Tamoxifen like you. Usually (standard care) premenopausal women who go into chemopause are on Tamoxifen for a few years 1st then switched to an AL.

My onc is not doing this to see if it's working.

motherofpatient

You really need to ask about the heart test and then ask every three months to make sure you get it. Be your own best advocate.

Smile_On

TonLee I'm one of those young people--I had just had my 27th birthday when diagnosed.  I have a friend in my area who was diagnosed at 28, and many here on the discussion boards.  I think that doctors, medical staff, and women need to be educated about breast cancer occurences in young otherwise healthy women.  Unfortunately many young women have cancer that was diagnosed in later stages because we don't get routine mammograms and rely on self-breast exams and clinical breast exams.  My breast surgeon also said that she sees many young women whose concerns about a lump were poo-pooed by their family physician or that their doctor took the wait and see approach.  I was so lucky that my doctor acted fast in ordering an ultrasound and then a biopsy.  I think people need to know above all else that they do not need any risk factors to have breast cancer.  It happens to people of all ages, of both sexes, at all health & fitness levels, with a family history or not.  I would hope that my battle with breast cancer does not scare my family and friends, but that it does influence them to monitor themselves regularly.

pejkug3

I'm 35 and not one HOUR before my mammo (which was amazingly self scheduled) the gyno told me that I was too young, my nipple discharge was probably hormonal and I should come back when I'm 40.

I didn't really worry about what the gyno thought.  I knew that I was walking from her office to the mammo clinic.

And my life has been different ever since...

Iamstronger

Pejkug3-i too think you should be getting monitored with ECHO or MUGA

libraylil

pej  good for you!  I am telling you any kind of discharge would scare me in for a mammo.  In the past I had "skipped", just got busy during the summer etc.  I always scheduled after by annual gyn "grand opening".  For the past 3 years I have been regularly scheduling (thank goodness).  If I had skipped this summer, things could have been ugly.

Smile on   It scared the crap out of me to see all of you in 20's and 30's that are being diagnosed.  This is an evil disease for anyone, but my daughter just turned 27.  I see how scared she is for me.  All of you are too young to have to deal with this.  The physicality and esthetics are hard enough for us that are older, but a sucker punch for all of you younger peeps.

libraylil

TonLee

SMile on...it is shocking how many young women are getting BC.  My aunt swears its the hormones in the food, the pill, and general lack of exercise.  Whatever it is, I am so sorry it is happening.  There is no way I could have even begun to deal with this in my 20's.  I'd have lived in the River DeNile until it killed me.  I almost did that this time!

Best of luck to you all. 

lago

I'm not so sure it's the "pill" or "lack of exercise." I was on the pill for such a short time in my early 20s. I've not been an exercise nut but fairly active most of my life. I think it's all the crap we breathe and the increase of artificial crap in our food. I swear living in the city is also an issue although I love living in the city. I also was never a big meat eater so maybe hormones in the chicken got me but who knows.

My mom and sister both have kids and I don't so maybe that's it even though my sister had kids after 30 (age 32 for her 1st).

TonLee

Yeah, not saying she's right...lol.  She told me my thyroid stopped working from standing in front of the microwave.  She even printed studies and brought them to me!

I buy hormone free milk.  But I also believe BC is a right time right place disease...there have to be the right conditions for it to grow (whatever they are).  I took the pill for 20 years, didn't have my first child until 27...didn't start mensus until 19.

But I also worked with nukes and around radiation that is considered "not safe levels" today.  I nursed my sons, and they both preferred the non-cancerous side.

Who knows.

I never will.

And I'm ok with that.

Omaz

I asked my rad onc about how BC gets started in the breast.  She explained that maybe a few cells get wonky and then they divide and make more cells that are defective and they make more cells and then you have this area of defective cells some more wonky than others.  I think influences during breast development can have a huge impact, like during childhood and adelescence, maybe even in utero. 

carberry

whatever it is thats causing BC we need to keep fighting for the earlier testing.  I know when i was in my twenties, that was that farthest thing from my mind, and never thought to ask the docs. I now encourage my daughter, who is 24, to get the mammo.  She can now say "she has a family history"  which I did not have.  I can remember as a child standing outside and watching the planes fly low to "crop dust" the fields, and I am old enough to have lived in the homes and schools with asbestos.  OH THE THINGS WE DIDNT KNOW!

lago

Oh and I forgot to add. I was told my tumor started 4 years ago (well now 4.5 years ago). 5.5 years ago is when I started the first very stressful job for a year. Yes I do think stress is part of the equation! I also had some stressful times about a year before that.

TonLee

Omaz,

Cancer cells have a superhero complex.  They just refuse to die!

lago

Cancer is more like cockroaches. They will die or cease to multiply given the right treatment. The trick is finding the right treatment.

TonLee

Ew Lago...lol

I prefer to think some of our cells have mutated immortal, and the rest just haven't caught up in the evolution yet!

lago

Then I hope wonder woman comes to your rescue

 

Wouldn't it be cool to wear these instead of those pink rubber bracelets for breast cancer?

Omaz

I think we were talking about having MUGA or ECHO with herceptin and how often etc.  I just came across this info at the FDA while at work -perhaps it is old -?

HERCE PTIN@
Trastuzuma b
WARNINGS:
CARDIOMYOPATHY
HERCEPTIN administration can result in the development of ventricular
dysfunction and congestive heart failure. Left ventricular function should
be evaluated in all patients prior to and during treatment with
HERCEPTIN. Discontinuation of HERCEPTM treatment should be
strongly considered in patients who develop a clinically significant
decrease in left ventricular function. The incidence and severity of cardiac
dysfunction was particularly high in patients who received HERCEPTIN
in combination with anthracyclines and cyclophosphamide.
(See WARNINGS.)

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2002/trasgen082802LB.pdf