BC and Rheumatoid Arthritis

I guess I am a late bloomer. I was diagnosed with RA at age 70. My liver would not tolerate methotrexate. I was put on 3 different injectables with reactions to all. Then on Zeljanz until I was dx with IDC at age 77. My cancer is Her2+ and ER/PR negative. My Ki-67 was 3 to 5%. Oncologist says this is a really strange combination and chemo won't work. I am sure there is a connection between the RA treatment and the low Ki-67. Please let me know how you are progressing. I have been dx'ed for 2 months and the doc's haven't got a treatment plan together yet.

Dear SDB

My rheumy told me that Cancer treatment usually helps put RA into remission. I'm hoping. Thanks for your hugs.

That is what I meant to say about remission.

Hey Slow ,Thanks for thinking of me. I saw my rheumatologist yesterday. Would you believe her name is Chelsea Clinton. Really ! She put me on placquinil for the duration. I haven't picked up the Rx yet. Tonight my hands hurt(really hurt) so I am picking up those pills early tomorrow. Hope they work. I see the surgeon Sept 1.

Hi Slow, Surgeon said I have a Lumpectomy in my future. (I would prefer double mastectomy but they don't think I could last that long on the operating table.) That will be followed my some intense radiation and still later by Herceptin. No chemo. for the time being.

Thanks so much for your thoughts. They didn't exactly say I didn't need chemo. They said it wouldn't do any good with my very low Ki67 . It is only 3%. That number still has then scratching their heads.

Yes I started the plaquenil. 1 daily for a week then 2 a day after that. I'm choosing to believe it is helping already.

shaz, sorry you had to join the club after dealing with BC. I was diagnosed with BC in 2010, had a mastectomy, did chemo, and take Tamoxifen. Last year I mentioned to my oncologist that I had stiffness in my hands mainly, also all my blood levels were very low, my onco did lots of tests. It turns out I have RA and Sjögren's syndrome. My rheumatologist said no Biologicals, so she started me on Plaquenil. She also mentioned that I could change my diet, she said this because she had some patients who did improve.

Well, I did change my diet, at first I cut everything for couple of months, and started adding items. It is a very inexact process but I found out that gluten and sugar are a no-no for me. The stiffness went away and my energy got better. It has been a year and I am doing well (cross my fingers). I do not know for long. I also take Borage Oil pills.

I hope you will find something to make things better.

mamaBexar, my rheumatologist is very happy with my progress and thinks maybe I can cut the Plaquenil in the future, but I am not sure about that. I was traveling out of the country recently and forgot the Plaquenil in addition to cheating on my diet and no exercise, the results were not good. It took a couple weeks to get myself straight, and still not back to normal.

SlowDeep, I fully agree with you "it's all a big crap shoot."

Thankyou both.

I'm on meloxicam and pyralin-en at the moment until I get in to see the rheumatologist in November. I've been on the meloxicam for about a month without any relief. My GP added the pyralin-en when the blood test came back positive for RA. How long does it take before I should feel some relief? I started the last Thursday.

I started back at work part time on Monday and it's exhausting being so stiff and sore. On top of it all I have lymphoedema. Just struggling to stay positive through this. Thanks for listening (reading)

Northern Canuck, I was interested in your statement "Now I find out that I won't get chemo because of my oncotype ki-67 scores. Sounds like I'm higher risk than they think." The reason I am interested is because I was told chemo would not work for me because of my very low Ki67 score which indicates slow growing tumor cells and chemo attacks fast growing cells.( which is why you lose hair). Does this apply to you as well or is it something else??

thankyou mamabexar

Kriserts thankyou. You have given me hope. I need to be patient with myself and just trust that I will get some strength and fitness back.

i also have Psoriatic Arthritis. I was diagnosed at least 20 years before my BC diagnosis and have done most all of those meds as well. Thankfully, chemo put my PSA in remission and so far 10 weeks pfc it has stayed that way. My skin was pretty bad before the biologics and it is beginning to flair. It is so hard to get into a dermatologist and my rheumologist just referred me to Pain Management with my BC diagnosi. I like my Pain Management Doc. He is referring me to a new rheumy when the time comes. Good luck. It's a crazy ride!

That's great, BL! Always nice to hear about others who are trying to stay active through all this. I think developing RA renewed my committment to cycling. I felt like I had a good hard look at what life would be like if I became crippled and couldn't move. So when the drugs started to work, I felt I'd been given another chance at something I loved. When I'm suffering through a workout I just think of how painful the RA was.

thankyou all. You've given me hope that this pain and stiffness will become controlled. I love long distance walking (100 km ) and running (10km) but I haven't been able to do anything since my first op in January. I've just joined a health centre so I can use their pool. I'm hoping this will help me to get moving again. I'm so sick of being sick.

my rheumy said the same thing though pain management doc doesn't agree wth him and said he will refer me to a new, younger (his words) rheumy. I have been blessed so far with arthritis staying mild as I have a very physical job. Before BC I worked in a machine shop OFFICE. When I came back from surgery (after 3 weeks) I was moved out to the unaircinditioned machine shop floor. My floor supervisor tried to keep me in the assembly area which was not quite as hot. It was a difficult situation. But I survive. With a the arthritis threatening return, I will be job hunting as soon as I don't look quite so much like a patient and try to get back into an office environment. I need my hair back!