Questions on Revisiting a Former Protocol

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blainejennifer
blainejennifer Member Posts: 1,848
edited September 2016 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

How many of you have gotten good results from revisiting a previously used treatment regimen? In my case, about three years ago my TMs rose slightly after 11 months of Faslodex, so my Onc. moved me to Xeloda. Got 13 months out of Xeloda, then the TMs started creeping up again.

We all know how this goes, right?

Then I move to Femara/Ibrance for six months, which did nothing for me, and I got three very small liver lesions to boot. On the other hand, my hands and feet healed up from the Xeloda, and I felt great. Got lot of energy back.

So, to deal with the liver lesions, even though my bones were stable, off I went to Halaven. Which has been great. I've never had TMs this low (21), and the Onc is very pleased. I asked to be taken off Halaven after this 7th cycle because I fear becoming resistant to it, and it is kicking my ass. I'm super tired. I've noticed that in England they do 6 cycles for Stage 4, then move to an anti-hormonal.

The question is what other treatment? The choices seem to be to re-visit Faslodex, as I've done very poorly on Tamoxifen, Femara, and Arimidex, or try CMF, an oldie but goody, but it is cytotoxic, and I would love a break from a cytotoxic treatment. I'd like to save Gemzar, Navelbine, and Doxil for later. I'm also going to talk to them about when it is a good time to try estrogen, to resensitize my cancer to anti-hormonals.

So, wise ladies, what have you gotten traction from? I'm 4.5 years out from the Stage 4 dx, and I want to keep going as long as I can.

Plus, digging around, I've learned that Faslodex is the only estrogen receptor antagonist available to us - pouting. And, I've recently finished reading a dissertation that has me semi-convinced that dexamethasone prevents cytotoxic treatment from working as well as it could. Link is here: https://etd.ohiolink.edu/!etd.send_file?accession=mco1382094235&disposition=inline

The link could be wonky, and I don't know how to fix that This is the title of the diss: A Dissertation Entitled Novel Actions of Steroid Receptors that Limit Treatment Response in Breast and Lung Cancers by Mugdha Patki. I know I've gotten Dexamethasone as a pre-med for every chemo I've ever had. I have asked them to reduce my dose, just because I hate steroid insomnia, but I'm going to talk to my Onc. about this to see how low I can go.


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  • Longtermsurvivor
    Longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,438
    edited September 2016

    HI Jen,

    If you haven't, I hope you'll read my recent post where I wrote about estrogen use for treating MBC and resensitizing MBC to AIs. I use offer personal example and many links to medical abstracts and articles. The evidence may impress clinicians or they might say, "how passé."

    Endocrine resistance and alternative hormonal approaches

    I'm not interesting in reading the dissertation now, but I made a live link for you & others:

    Novel Actions of Steroid Receptors that Limit Treatment Response in Breast and Lung Cancers

    Here's how to make a live link:

    Into your bco entry, type or paste the title of the page/why you're linking to it. Then highlight it using your cursor. Go up to the toolbar and choose the thing that looks like (–). If you hover over it, you'll see <link> below it. Then, using your cursor, highlight, copy and paste the link into the box. I always choose the option <open link in new tab>, so users can get back to the bco post by back clicking from the website.

    The problem with your link is that there's a ? mark in the URL - that and anything else that follows it usually shortens the active link.

    I know this is geeky, but once you catch on, it's easy to do.

    Sorry I can't be of any direct assistance and want to encourage you to hang in with the process!

    warm healing wishes, Stephanie

    PS, check out those other options in the toolbar - you can add insert images & videos too. :)

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  • blainejennifer
    blainejennifer Member Posts: 1,848
    edited September 2016

    Stephanie,

    You are a darling. Thank you for the tech advice/help. BTW: I read all your posts avidly. Thank you for all the information you have sent our way.

    Hoping you feel good,

    Jennifer

    PS: I did read your advice on hormone resistance. You are directly responsible for me bracing the MO next week!


    edited to burble on when I realized I had failed to acknowledge Stephanie's contribution to my mouthiness at the Doc's office.

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  • Longtermsurvivor
    Longtermsurvivor Member Posts: 1,438
    edited September 2016

    You go, Jennifer!

    Your MO is your healing ally helping to keep you alive and well...s/he works on your behalf.

    May you find your way through this thing called MBC by working well together.

    Information is power, communication is key, collaboration is mandatory!

    (sorry, rhyme attack)

    Healing regards, Stephanie

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  • BionicBunny
    BionicBunny Member Posts: 146
    edited September 2016

    Hello Jenn and Stephanie-This is such an interesting topic. Thank you both for the questions and information. Unfortunately, I don't have any experience that I can relate to you that apply to this topic, but I wanted you to know that I am very interested in how your MO responds, Jenn, and wish you the best-receiving effective treatment that you can live with. At some point I may be having a similar conversation with own doctor, and would like to be as knowledgeable as possible when the time comes.


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