Treatment break?!?

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jnh
jnh Member Posts: 120
edited June 2016 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

My ONC and I discussed and decided to give me a break from treatment.

I have been on various treatments for Stage IV disease since 2011. My cancer has gone from triple neg to hormone positive, and now to her2nu positive! Currently on Kadcyla, which has gotten me to remission with only three mm lesions left in lungs. Tumor markers 20.0

I've had 11 Kadcyla treatments so far and my liver levels are slightly high. ( aspartate aminotransferase 51.) fairly mild SEs only from Kadcyla.

Thinking it could be a good thing to take a break while tumor burden is low. Don't want my organs to be damaged from prolonged treatment either. ONC said we monitor closely and start Kadcyla again when cancer starts "brewing".

Anyone have any experience or thoughts on this? Kind of scary to go without treatment, but also can see that it could be beneficial in the long run as well since I need to be healthy enough to be on these toxic drugs a LONG time!

What a craptastic game this is!

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  • zarovka
    zarovka Member Posts: 3,607
    edited June 2016

    I am not there yet, but it's certainly on my mind if I can beat the tumors back as you have. Now is the time pull out your favorite books on functional medicine and cancer. If you are eating well, exercising, tweaking those supplements a bit, and feeding that energy you get back into family and friends you are not really taking a break. That is a powerful healing regime.

    >Z<

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  • indenial
    indenial Member Posts: 504
    edited June 2016

    I took a treatment break... at the time I was already stage 4 but didn't know it yet (mets showed on December scan but didn't get biopsy confirmation til May). I was off all meds for about 6 months. I'm extremely glad I had that time! It took a good month to start feeling like myself again, and then it was nice to have several months with minimal physical side effects. It was also great to see that I COULD feel good if I ever decide to stop meds again. I have very limited mets and didn't seem like I had any real progression while I was off everything. Good luck!

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  • MaineRottweilers
    MaineRottweilers Member Posts: 156
    edited June 2016

    I was just thinking about this myself. My PET last week showed no active disease and my tumor marker has fallen to 25. I have an appointment with my MO on Thursday, I am also supposed to get my H&P infusion that day. I planned on asking if I really need them right now. I'm not sure if Cancer and therapies work like bacteria and antibiotics but it would seem that the more exposure Cancer has to therapies, the easier it will be for it to find a way around it. I'd like to come off H&P, scan again in three or six months (or sooner if symptomatic) to determine if I should return to therapy. It may be unorthodox but I'm willing to try it if I can have some time feeling better.

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  • jnh
    jnh Member Posts: 120
    edited June 2016

    thank you, friends, for your insightful replies! Good ways to look at things! As long as scans look good, think I will go for the break from chemo, but continue healthy living and fighting the cancer, tho!!! 😀

    Julie

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