Vague Idea of Type, Fast Growing??

Linneam

So my mom met with at least 3 different types of doctor's today. They told her she was stage 2B with a good prognosis, that it was fast growing, but it should respond well to chemo. She didn't write down what type (probably IDC?), but she did think it was hormone receptor positive. They said it grew about 3 cm to 8 cm in 2 weeks????? I really hope my mom misunderstood and it grew 5 mm, not cm. Yikes!!! Would it still be 2B if it was that big, with one positive lymph node?

She will be starting with chemo first. She will be getting a PET scan (is that typical? Praying for no mets!!), an echo, and a port placed next week. Chemo will be once every 3 weeks, since my parents have to travel about 80 miles to get to the hospital. Surgery depending on tumor response in the fall, and radiation after. My mom wasn't able to tell me what type of chemo- best guess?

What would you have liked in a chemo care package?

I live in Hawaii, my mom's in Colorado, and I have a baby due in July. We were planning on visiting in August. Will my mom be able to be around kids (will they be worried about her catching germs,etc?) How tired do you think she will be at that point? I'm planning on getting a hotel vs staying with them in case she doesn't feel well. Anything else you think we should know?

Thank you again for your help!

ElaineTherese

* It's probably IDC; about 80% of breast cancers are IDC.

* Nah, if your Mom's cancer were 8 cm with one positive node, she'd be like me (Stage IIIA).

* I got a PET scan before chemo, too. It provides a baseline image that can be compared to the post-chemo PET. My post-chemo PET showed that chemo had wiped out the active cancer in my breast and node.

* Chemo for IDC generally comes in two flavors: Taxotere + Carboplatin or Adriamycin + Cytoxin and then Taxol. Since she's getting it every three weeks, she may be doing the Taxotere + Carboplatin regimen. Of course, some women get Adriamycin + Cytoxin every three weeks, but Taxol is often done weekly and might be too inconvenient for your parents. I'm wondering -- since she's getting an echo, she may be getting Adriamycin, which can affect her heart. If she is getting AC, her MO will monitor her heart carefully. Another possibility is that she's HER2+ -- with that kind of cancer, your Mom would be getting Herceptin which can also affect the heart. If so, she might be getting Taxotere + Carboplatin + Herceptin + Perjeta.

* Chemo packages would vary according to individual. Is there anything your Mom might like to do during chemo, like knit, crochet, or read? Lots of people just sleep through it, to be honest.

* In a chemo package, food would be unwelcome because chemo can change the flavor of foods, and you never know what food you will tolerate during treatment. (I became very fond of French fries; never liked them before.)

* While doing chemo, it's important to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Are there non-caffeinated beverages your Mom likes? Some of the gals on my chemo board got soda stream machines so they could find something tolerable to drink. (After the first month of chemo, I was sick of water.)

* Some women require a lot of rest during chemo. Does your Mom subscribe to Netflix or a service that might help her pass the time?

* Your Mom will probably lose her hair. But, she will probably want to figure out her own way to address the hair loss.

* Every woman reacts to chemo differently. I had a rather easy time of it, but I was relatively young (46), and didn't have any pre-existing conditions.

* Yes, chemo can harm the immune system, though her oncologist may prescribe Neulasta to provide some protection against the loss of white blood cells. So, many doctors advise that chemo patients avoid crowded areas with lots of germs. But, I think if you all use hand sanitizer liberally, you could pay some visits to Mom with the kids in tow. (By the way, I taught university students during chemo, and only got sick once.)

Good luck!

Bootscootin

I agree with everything Elaine said. In reference to how she will feel in August for a visit from you and your baby, speaking as a grandmother myself, she will be thrilled to see her grandchild and it will take her mind off whatever is bothering her. My four year old twin grandsons visited for a week during chemo and although I was very tired and we had to limit our outings, we had a wonderful time. I had the Neulasta shot and continued to work at my job as an elementary school speech pathologist.

Linneam

You were right on the money, ElaineTherese. My mom was able to go through her notes and let me know she is ER+/P+/ HER2+++. She will be getting Taxotere+Carboplatin+ Herceptin+Perjeta. I don't know very much yet about HER2+ tumors-just that they got nice, new, effective treatments for it

ElaineTherese

Linneam,

About 20% of breast cancers are HER2+. Being HER2+ means that your mom has an overexpression of the HER2 protein. This protein is responsible for telling cancer cells to reproduce; having too much means that cancer cells divide very quickly. That's why HER2+ cancers are typically Grade 2 or Grade 3, and also, why they used to produce some of the worst outcomes. Since the discovery of Herceptin and now Perjeta, HER2+ cancers aren't as lethal as they used to be. If you want to find out more about HER2+ breast cancer and the discovery of Herceptin, go to the PBS website and search under videos for Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies. HER2+ breast cancer is discussed during Episode 2, "The Blind Men and the Elephant." Best wishes to your Mom!

BlueKoala

I am undergoing chemo and have three young kids myself. My oncologist told me not to worry too much about catching anything from them (while still being careful, but it was infections within my own body that were an issue (eg. urinary tract infections)

Linneam

Just wanted to give a quick update. My mom's tumor is really 8 cm (ultrasound in mid-May showed it to be about 2 cm, so this stuff is no joke), and she saw paperwork that listed her as stage 3. She will get her PET scan results tomorrow. She is doing well after getting her port and echo. Chemo starts Monday- time to do some tumor a** kicking!

ElaineTherese

Linneam,

Yes, different scans will show different assessments -- my original scan suggested that my cancer was 3.9 cm, but that turned out to be 5 cm+. I thought I was Stage II, but ended up Stage III. No matter; I still had to to do five months of chemo and 6+ weeks of radiation. Hope your mom does do some a*** kicking!!!

Bootscootin

Glad to hear that the doctors are getting on this quickly. The fastest growing cells respond best to chemo so the chemo should give it a good hit. Your mom has a long road ahead of her, a marathon not a sprint, but she can do it one step at a time. I just finished fourteen months of active treatment in April and finally feel like I have my strength and energy back. Good luck to your mom and keep us posted