Ibrance (Palbociclib)

Anonymous

MaleBreastC - Xeloda also is a popular next line after Ibrance. Depends on the MO really, and your own particular cancer. Because its similar to Ibrance in what it is targeting, it may not make sense to switch to a similar, but slightly more powerful, CDK 4/6 inhibitor.

cowgal

MaleBreastC - You should look in Anne Loeser's book "The Insider's Guide to Metastatic Breast Cancer". Anne goes by Bestbird on here and she routinely updates her book. The book is available on Amazon as well as online for free on here. She has all sorts of information on all kinds of breast cancer treatments and also has a section for male breast cancer patients. If you can't find the link, I will see if I can find it for you when I get a chance.

MaleBreastC

Cowgal- Thanks, I could not find the link for free download, will try agsin

candy-678

MaleBreastC- You can PM Bestbird and she will tell you how to download or order her book. I got one when I joined on here. Good info.

KBL

MaleBreastC, try this link. Go to the very bottom, and it says view/download pdf

https://www.insidersguidembc.com/order

Checka

Hi all, hoorays for vacays and also for sharing new resources- there is so much to learn. I've just finished my first two weeks of my Ibrance and at my labs this week my ANC was lower than MO would like, so I'm taking this week off. Labs again next week to reassess and adjust. Not surprising based on what I've heard from you all. I am fine taking a week break, but also realize the importance of having the medication to do everything possible. Will get back on soon enough.

Tanya_Djamila

Checka I don't know if you mentioned how many mg you take. They started a lot of us at 125 and many of us reduced to 100 or 75 after low blood numbers. It takes time to figure out which dosage works best for your body age etc. Enjoy your week vacay!!!! I'm on my regular week off and I always start feeling better during that time.

KBL thanks for posting the PDF I definitely haven't read it yet.

Take care all

Tanya

Anonymous

Good morning, Ibrancers! I was out of town last week visiting my parents and sisters in the Palm Springs area. It was a fun visit. Both my sisters and their husbands were there (with me and my husband) which was extra special - we all live in different areas and are not able to ALL gather that often.

Checka, enjoy your week off of Ibrance. You are correct, it is a common issue. I had two dose reductions and my blood work is pretty decent on 75mg of Ibrance so I don't need the add'l week off. It took me about a year with my doctor starting on 150mg, having to have the extra delay a few too many times, dropping to 100mg. Same thing and dropped to 75mg. At that time she mentioned I could switch to Verzenio but after 4-6 months on Ibrance I had NEAD on scans so didn't want to switch meds when it was working well. Your trip to Maui is coming up - you will have so much fun!

MaleBC - I, too like to try to "read ahead" to anticipate what could be the next treatment for me if/when I have a progression. When that happens my oncologist would most likely do a biopsy of the progression (if possible) to check for any new mutations. Due to this, I try not to get too far ahead reading up on treatments. I will say that I am encouraged by others on here who may have a small progression and their oncologist doesn't necessarily abandon Ibrance or a cdk 4/6 altogether. It really depends on the specifics of the patient's cancer types and the oncologist. I feel like the job of oncology is part doctor and part "mad scientist" ....for lack of a better term.

I have my quarterly petscan this upcoming Thurs. I have no new pains or concerns but we all know the scanxiety that starts! A week ago I felt completely rational about the upcoming scans but last night, I unexpectantly lost it with my husband who asked my opinion on plans for later this summer. I snapped "let me get through my scan this week and the results before I can decide if I can do anything"..... not pretty but there it is!

SF-Cakes - I love your Calvin and Hobbes comic strip, it is so very accurate! Hope you are doing great!

KBL - I saw somewhere on here that you had fantastic news on a recent scan, congratulations !

I have seen so many cute rabbit garden statues with easter coming and need to buy one. Miss our Rabbit in a big way, I know we all feel the same.

Hope all are doing well:)

KBL

aprilgirl1, thank you so much. I hope your husband understood. Even when we feel good, the anxiety creeps in sometimes. Hugs

MaleBreastC

Hi

I am on Faslodex and Ibrance 3rd cycle, I have PET Scan coming up in a week, am wondering what to expect ? Do these drugs start impacting in 3 months ?

Any experience if mets reduce in 3 months ? Hope I see regression 😔

RK2020

Male BC - Yes, these drugs can definitely show improvement in 3 months. My first post treatment scan showed stable and shrinking mets and no new mets. Good luck. I’ll be in your pocket on scan day. Let us know your results.

Anonymous

MaleBC - like RK2020 said , yes, these meds can show they are working on the first scan. My first scan showed reduction in size and FDG uptake across all my Mets and a couple of the tiny ones showed they had "resolved". My oncologist is looking for stable disease most importantly so if this scans shows no new mets and the previously noted mets haven't grown in size or FDG uptake that will be good news.

In your pocket for your upcoming scan! Mine is this Thurs 3/3.

RK2020

AprilGirl - In your pocket on Thursday. I’ve got a good feeling your results will be happy news.

I don’t usually nap but I might have to rest my eyes for a few minutes this afternoon. Tonight’s charity event with friends doesn’t start until 5 and yesterday’s block party that started at 4 almost killed me. Lol. Don’t these people know that I can barely drag my butt off the couch by that time of day? But it feels good to get out and forget about BC for a bit.

Ciaci

Just heard from my Oncologist - the "weird thing" on the PET (and, subsequently, on the MRI) isn't cancer. She consulted with the radiologist and the radiation oncologist, and they are 99% sure it's a hemangioma, or benign tumor. We'll re-scan in 3 months, but do nothing about it for now. She says it's not accessible to biopsy, so we're just going to keep an eye on it.

Thank you SO much for all the positive thoughts!!

Chicagoan

Great news Ciaci! What a relief!

RK2020

Yah Ciaci! Great news. 🎉

SF-Cakes

Ciaci, such great news!!

And phooey to this new layout/design, I'm finding it hard to see things now. But glad I saw this!!

SF-Cakes

Aprilgirl, I'm in your pocket for Thursday!

Hollyli1202

April - in your pocket. I too bark at my hubby when it's scan week and he wants to plan ahead.

MaleBC - in your pocket!

Ciaci - That's fantastic news!

sf-cakes - I hate this new format, too. It's harder to read and see what is new. Also pages load so slowly.

Anonymous

Ciaci - great news! What a relief!

KBL, SF-Cakes and Holly, thank you for the pocket duty! Scan anxiety just sucks and I know you all can relate. My husband does forgive me for barking or being overreactive but it is a bit ironic that I have quarterly scans for 2 plus years and this happens every time. I am not a therapist but it seems like he gets anxiety about my scans and that makes him want to PLAN an upcoming vacation right now vs putting off such planning for a few more days while I have the tests and get results. It is funny in a way that only you all can understand;) I feel like I am on autopilot today. Tomorrow is scan day and until I get results I need everything calm and to only watch short comedies (I am rewatching the series 30Rock when I have time to watch TV). Yes, I am working but I don't want to make any decisions or watch any stressful news (which is all the news right now).

We went to a "surprise" birthday lunch yesterday for a friend who is going through chemo for earlier stage BC. Her kids planned a really nice lunch at a mexican restaurant next to a theater and the party included a matinee showing of a new movie, Dog. This was not clearly explained in the evite. I didn't know anything about the movie but my husband and I stayed for it. OMG. It was a very stressful movie about a war veteran and a dog that had also been a military working dog - both have PTSD and a lot of issues. I knew nothing about this film but it's listed as a comedy and maybe it's because it's my scan week AND Ukraine is under attack but it was not a fun movie to watch - my husband actually teared up during it which is unusual. It has a "happy" ending but honestly, not until the very very end. Phew.

New format - I can't scroll back far (I get an error message) so I can't tell if I am missing any posts from others. I am not enjoying the new format and hope they are working out the issues.

Hi to all, hope you are all doing well!

RK2020

I’m so worn out from trying to navigate this new format. Wait, wait, wait to load a page. Then I clicked “log in to reply” and after entering my credentials it took me to some kind of a Home Page. I saw that you can send the admin a message about your issues and they also started a Glitches thread. Learned that we should all check our personal settings. Took me forever to find them and then I couldn’t change them. SMH. And of course the page speed made trying to find my way around extra frustrating. Ahhhhhh. After all that, I forgot what I was going to say to y’all. Unbelievable.

Have a good night. Lol.

Dancemom

rk2020, right there with you on trying to log in and see posts. Wishing you all well and a restful night.

SF-Cakes

i posted this elsewhere, but now i can't find it: did e e cummings create this update? is there a reason why capitalization is now banned?

The bright white pages and smaller font hurt my eyeballs.

MaleBreastC

I have been asked to get CA 15-3 done, am worried

How is it useful ?

What are the good/bad ranges and what do they suggest ?

KBL

MaleBreastC, I get my tumor markers checked every month. They work for me but not for everyone. Some can have normal measures and still be full of cancer. Mine have never gone back to normal, and my 15-3 started at 220 when I was first diagnosed. I would go ahead and get it. If it works, it’s a good tool to know if it starts to creep up that something might be brewing. I believe a normal 15-3 would be under 30. I am now at 97 with the Xeloda that I’m on and Faslodex. I feel it’s. good to have a baseline.

Sunshine99

malebreastc, my MO includes those on my monthly bloodwork. I get my CEA and CA 27.29 checked. Some MOs use them, others don't. My numbers have always been in the normal range, including with my first cancer diagnosis in 2007. It's just another thing to track. Try not to worry about it (easier said than done, I know.)

Anonymous

Hi All - it's been a struggle to log in:/

Malebreastc: my monthly blood work includes the CA 15.3 and CEA . Onc said its "standard protocol" for cancer patients to order these montly now and mine have never been elevated. Some people, like KBL they are a good indicator of something possibly brewing.

Pocket duty - many thanks to all of you! I felt the support! Scans last thurs and I got the results late that afternoon. The recap is "no PET/CT evidence of local recurrence, nodal disease or distant metastatic disease" I saw my Oncolgist today (and had my fulvestrant injections too) and she reviewed it all as clear and no issues so HAPPY DANCE COMMENCES!

SF-Cakes - ee cummings is the perfect description of this new, lower cap tiny font. You have a great sense of humor!

Hope everyone is doing well and this "new, improved" discussion board works out the kinks soon. Please let us know if anyone needs pocket duty!

Just took my Ibrance and started cycle 28

Anonymous

Hi All - it's been a struggle to log in:/

Malebreastc: my monthly blood work includes the CA 15.3 and CEA . Onc said its "standard protocol" for cancer patients to order these montly now and mine have never been elevated. Some people, like KBL they are a good indicator of something possibly brewing.

Pocket duty - many thanks to all of you! I felt the support! Scans last thurs and I got the results late that afternoon. The recap is "no PET/CT evidence of local recurrence, nodal disease or distant metastatic disease" I saw my Oncolgist today (and had my fulvestrant injections too) and she reviewed it all as clear and no issues so HAPPY DANCE COMMENCES!

SF-Cakes - ee cummings is the perfect description of this new, lower cap tiny font. You have a great sense of humor!

Hope everyone is doing well and this "new, improved" discussion board works out the kinks soon. Please let us know if anyone needs pocket duty!

Just took my Ibrance and started cycle 28

RK2020

Aprilgirl - I’m thrilled to hear your good news! Go girl go!!

candy-678

Aprilgirl- Happy Dance !!!!! Congrats.