Just diagnosed with mets

wifessupport

Hi All,

My wife was initially diagnosed with breast cancer in
August 2012. It was IDC with lymph node involvement. She went through
neo-adjuvant chemo with Taxol + herceptin for 12 cycles and then 4
cycles of FEC + herceptin. Surgery (prphylactic mastectomy and
reconstruction ) followed by radiation. Her 52 doses of herceptin
ended in August-2013. However, she started seeing rash on the radiated
area and we went to the oncologist on 01/14/2014 and they did a
fine needle biopsy and confirmed they saw cancer cells in the rash.
They did a punch biopsy and it was PR+60% and Strongly Her2+ve.

We completed Carboplatin+Taxotere + perjeta + herceptin as treatment. Finished radiation to the skin in July.  Did a final punch biopsy on September 9th and it came out clean.  All the CT scans came out clean end of August.  She is still continuing Herceptin + Perjeta and we were planning to continue it for another year minimum.  We we all happy that it was all going good.  However we noticed a ring like blemish, not itchy not painful but just like erythema annulare.  We did a biopsy and the preliminary reports showed malignant cells.  We are still waiting on final pathology results but right now I am kind of dazed and need some hope.  

Has anyone experienced this a recurrence while in treatment. 

Thanks in advance for the answers and suggestions.

Wifessupport

dlb823

I'm so sorry about your wife's possible recurrence.  I can't address skin mets specifically, but in general, yes, women with mets can and do have what we call progression while on a particular drug or drug combo.  In that case, we say the drug or drugs are failing -- which they tend to do as the cancer cells get use to them and figure out a way to grow in spite of them -- and a change of regimen is made.  

My only suggestion -- assuming the new spot is more mets -- is to possibly consider getting a second opinion, especially if you are not already at an NCI-designated cancer center.  I'm suggesting this because I personally feel those of us with mets -- especially mets that are not behaving well -- need the expertise of those who deal with nothing but bc 24/7 -- not a local onc who has to keep up with research on a wide range of cancers, and probably does not have as much experience with more complex cases.  If your wife isn't being treated at an NCI-designated cancer center, here's a list of them.  You can always take the information they give you back to a local onc for follow through, but a second opinion IMO would be a wise choice, just to be sure she's on the best tx path.   http://cancercenters.cancer.gov/cancer_centers/ma...

Good luck, and please keep us posted!   (((Hugs))) to you both ~ Deanna