TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

From OncologyStat: 

Imaging Agent Approved for Locating Lymph Nodes

Lymphoseek is the first new drug for lymph-node mapping to be approved in more than 30 years. Other FDA-approved drugs used for lymph-node mapping include sulfur colloid and isosulfan blue.

http://www.oncologystat.com/news/Imaging_agent_approved_for_locating_lymph_nodes_US.html

TonLee, ditto to what camillegal said - great photo!

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This might be of interest as well.  FrankH posted this on another thread regarding a trial he's on (he's Her2+).

Excerpt:

This will be of interest to those of you who are Her2+. This drug is apparently more potent than Herceptin and suppresses not only Her2+ but also another epidermal growth factor. At the end of cycle 2 I will get another CT Scan along with another biopsy so we will know how good or otherwise that the drug is working.

Link: 

http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/38/topic/738190?page=307#post_3483988

TonLee, love the new picture! How are the renovations coming?

Yay Herstrong!

Welcome to the new ladies, this is a great place for knowledge and support.

camillegal - he is in Ireland

Pbrain, wow those are some good odds!  Can I go to your oncologist?  Well your tumor was a lot smaller than mine I see.

Aaargh, so I had an MRI for screening purposes and there is a small "area of concern" on the right boob (same boob, as always).  I KNOW that MRIs have a lot of false positives and so far I'm not freaking out about it.  It seems kind of unlikely that I would have a local recurrence so quickly.  Still, it would be nice if they coudl get me in for the follow up ultrasound before April 9th!!!  Sheesh.  I probably should have had a unimx.  (Every time there has ever been anything concerning, it's always been on the right side.)

Here is frankh's post from January 24, 2013 when he first mentioned the trial he's on.  

A Japanese company is trialing a drug and to quote my Onc " You tick all the boxes. It's as if this drug was designed for you."

More at: 

http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/38/topic/738190?page=304#post_3392146

Great picture lago!

Great picture Lago.

question:  I thought the MRI was better than an ultra sound or is it just the situation.?

I've wondered if it's because of the heart being on the left hand side or if it's because most women are right-handed and there's more movement on the dominant side.  I have no idea and apparently they've never figured out why. 

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Left Breast More Common

Among California women, cancer is slightly more common in the left breast than in the right. Scientists have not been able to figure out why this is so, but it is true for women from all ethnic groups and all age groups. It is also true regardless of how far the disease has progressed when it is detected. Across the nation, tumors are also slightly more common in the left breast.

http://cbcrp.org/publications/papers/BCinCA/page_08.php

It is true that bc is more common on the left side but left handed women are slightly more prone to breast cancer than righties. My uneducated opinion why we are more likely to get bc on the opposite side of our dominant hand is because we don't use the other side , the lymph system doesn't drain as well. Will look for the link on lefties and bc.

Nice pics Lago and Ton Lee..

Controversial cover headline of April 1 Time mag.

Shore the only reason why I did have a SNB on the non cancer side is because I had several suspicious areas (one my BS was really concerned about) and we didn't bother to biopsy because it would have pushed my surgery up further (as it was I was waiting 2 months from mammo/US). It was a small amount of LCIS… which they don't usually do a SNB but we didn't know that's what was at the time. Given what I know now I would have waited for the biopsy to save the nodes on that side since now I do have LE on the other… and kinda knew I would get it.

MRI is very sensitive and does give more information than an US or Mammo… but sometimes it gives too much. It's a new tool used for diagnosis breast cancer so they are still learning on how to distinguish things like cysts from cancer… mean more false positives.

and thanks for the compliments.

shore - I had an MRI pre-surgery because it is standard for my BS, not for any specific reason.  He also did a SNB on my non-cancer side during BMX.  I did have ADH and ALH on the left, but nothing else.  MRI is also thought to image dense breasts better - mine were definitely dense - 2cm mass was not seen on mammogram at all.  My radiologist even went back after I was diagnosed and looked again - absolutely nothing.  That is primarily the reason I did a BMX when I was a lumpectomy candidate.

lago and tonlee - great new avatar pics!

I am right-handed and my cancer was on the right.  And I am a California girl!  Always bucking the trend.....

Lee A, strange, but fascinating stuff.  And Ashla, we should take a poll on here.  I'm left handed and my cancer was in my left breast.  Wonder if there are more lefties on here than in the general population...

Ah yes, the researcher in me never goes far away...

Dechi, wow that is awesome!  Great to read about all this promising research.

I had a tumor almost 4.8 cm and it did not show up on the mammo as suspicious – and I was pointing right at it b/c I could feel it.  My breast tissue is super dense so I need MRIs to screen me, even if I do end up with a lot of false positives (hopefully!!!!)

Lee, very interesting article.  I don’t think it can have too much to do with handedness b/c the disproportion of right v. left cancers isn’t nearly as great as right v. left handedness.  Though who knows, it could be a factor.  My right boob has always been really lumpy inside