Reoccurrence - HER2 Neu

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tmreynolds
tmreynolds Member Posts: 3
edited May 2015 in HER2+ (Positive) Breast Cancer

I am a breast cancer survivor and going on three years remission June 2015. I was diagnosed with DCIS HER2 Neu, ER+, PR positive (right breast). I was stage one and lymph nodes were clear. I underwent chemo and radiation and have been on Tamoxifen since June 2012 (oh my the side effects from Tamoxifen). My fear / thoughts are reoccurrence, from what I have read places of reoccurrence are higher risk of bone, brain and or lung (the more likely, IF a reoccurrence were to happen). I have started last few months with bone pain in my pinky finger (left hand), not trying to be paranoid and over think a "reoccurrence", but wondering if anyone has experienced any type of bone pain in their hands? I have my oncologist follow up in two months, but just wondering if anyone has experienced this type of bone pain?

Thank you all in advance for thoughts.

Tammie

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  • tmreynolds
    tmreynolds Member Posts: 3
    edited May 2015

    Kayb,

    Thank you so much for your comment and relief you just gave me. :) I try so very hard to stay positive and not let the "fear" of reoccurrence get the better of me, however, sometimes it does.

    I have always and still am the "strong" one keeping it all together for the family (they don't see my fear). I have thought about arthritis (that does run in my family), but the little fear of cancer creeps back in. I am 51 and can say, after all the chemo/radiation and now Tamoxifen all the side effects of all treatments has taken a toll my body and I am sure yours. I have had the bone pain/ache from Tamoxifen since i've been on the medication.

    Thanks again, all my blessings going your way!

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  • inks
    inks Member Posts: 746
    edited May 2015

    If it's pain in the pinky finger look into ulnar nerve conditions. I just found out I have ulnar nerve entrapment, mine makes my pinky and ring fingers numb, but it can also cause pain. This has nothing to do with cancer but is very similar to very common carpal tunnel syndrome. Good luck.

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  • akgb1
    akgb1 Member Posts: 3
    edited May 2015

    You say your tumor was: "DCIS HER2 Neu, ER+, PR positive (right breast). I was stage one and lymph nodes were clear." - that subtype of breast cancer has currently the best prognosis from all breast cancer subtypes (it is called luminal B subtype). Earlier it had worse prognosis than luminal A (ER+, PR+ and HER2-), but since introduction of trastuzumab it did change as you can target either ER (and you DID receive tamoxifen) or HER2 (trastuzumab, trastuzumab plus pertuzumab and other combinations of drugs targeting HER2 with trastuzumab or with T-DM1) and that's why it has such good prognosis. So even if you got remission on tamoxifen (highly unlikely if you had stage I AND clear lymph nodes AND DCIS not IDC), then there are still powerful drugs available targeting HER2! If I were you I would be 99,9% sure there will be no recurrence and that everything would be alright, but of course would still go for all controls. Your pain in the finger should be diagnosed completely independently on cancer (but including possible side effect of your treatment). Check first the most common possibilites like arthritis, nerve pain, etc. Don't neglect it, but also don't panic as it is almost 100% sure that it is something else than recurrence.

    And in general if despite this information you would still have problems to feel relaxed and would like to do even more to decrease your chances of reocurrence, eat curcumin on daily basis (best solved in fat/oil, not water) with addition of pepper (increases the absorption of curcumin up to 1000x). Only before any surgery you have to stop it 1-2 weeks before to avoid post-operation bleeding (the only side effect about which one has to remember, otherwise pure benefit). I work on breast cancer myself, had cancer patients in my family, and pre-cancerous lesions myself, which had to be surgically removed. So I have spent a lot of time on reading professional literature and finding the way how one could best help oneself additionally apart from the professional medical care (which cannot do or suggest more than they have in guidelines as it is illegal). You should also exercise a lot (sweating for at least 45 minutes a day is very important, it can also help with side effects from drugs). Good luck!

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