TRIPLE POSITIVE GROUP

CoachVicky or anyone .. this is what my report said for my


The left ventricular chamber size is normal. The wall thickness is normal. Normal left ventricular systolic function. LVEF 60-70%. Normal wall motion The ejection fraction is calculated to be 65% by Biplane Simpsons. Normal diastolic filling pattern.

is this the same as MUGA report ?

Thanks for the help...
Denise ..

denise - echo and MUGA are two different tests, that essentially measure the same thing - you have a totally normal result. Which test docs choose is chalked up to style points.

hap - you are in the enviable, and unenviable, position of making a choice. Enviable because you get to, unenviable because you have to. I know that you know that the figures given by your oncologist are a best estimate based on populations - as I said before, it is either 0%, or 100%, and there is no guaranteed predicting, as you are a study of one. Keep in mind that the definition of early stage encompasses a pretty wide range of patients - from stage 1A to stage 3A. The choices patients make at 1A are likely very different from those at 3A. One of the reasons Taxol plus Herceptin was proposed and adopted as a viable regimen for those with smaller, node negative tumors, is for this very reason. A less harsh regimen for a potentially less problematic set of circumstances in regards to Her2+. You and I are in very different places as patients even though we are both "early stage", I did not have to make a choice really, I would have been a fool to refuse treatment, regardless of the side effects. Refusing chemo and Herceptin would have been a death warrant for me, my cancer was already on the move, and undetected. I had an almost 3cm tumor, not seen by mammogram but could be felt. Thank my lucky stars that the policy in military hospitals is to do ultrasound for any palpable mass not seen on mammo, or I would be dead now. I had a positive sentinel that was not picked up at the time of BMX, was discovered later in the lab. I had to wait for my surgeon for 5 weeks between BMX and ALND because he was out of the country lecturing and already had surgeries lined up right when he returned. Upon ALND I had a much bigger positive node further up in the axilla that had never been palpated and was missed on pre-surgical MRI, so by this time it had been 3 months since cancer was discovered. Due to surgical complications which spawned several additional surgeries prior to start of chemo, the delay to begin chemo was 14 weeks, almost 6 months from the discovery of the mass - well outside the optimal window for commencement of systemic treatment. Just as an aside - I have a very supportive husband, but all decisions for surgery and treatment were mine alone, we didn't discuss options or choices. While it is great that he is here, he is not particularly involved and doesn't know a great deal about my situation as a patient regarding systemic treatment - either chemo or anti-hormonal, other than my surgical travails. He came in with me to the first couple of oncology appointments, but then stayed out in the waiting room after that because he felt that my oncologist was taking too much time explaining things to him, and that was time taken away from other patients. I thought that was actually a very considerate thing to do. He came to the surgical consult with the oncological breast surgeon, but has been to no other appointments there or with either plastic surgeon. He knew I had a firm handle on what was happening, he brought me to the 6 infusions, but has not been back to the center since, and this is just fine with me. I spent 28 years as a military spouse and am used to doing things on my own, I didn't need him there, and he is super busy at work. This may seem odd to others, but I have walked through stage IV cancer with both my dad and only sibling, and helped care for my mom, who had a degenerative neuromuscular disorder for 25 years. I had concerns for myself going forward, but didn't particularly take comfort from having someone with me at appointments. Weird, I know, lol!

Herceptin has been in use long enough for early stage patients that data has been collected - here is some info. Herceptin was added to chemo for early stagers in late 2006, so 11 years ago. This study looked at Herceptin use with an anthracycline based chemo regimen - which has potential for additional cardiac issues, the use of taxane based regimens did not happen until a bit later, but it is known that non- anthracycline regimens reduce the potential for cardiac problems as a side effect of treatment:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/287021.php

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/73250.php?sr=&utm_source=TrendMD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Medical_News_Today_TrendMD_0

deni - you're most welcome! It brings me happiness if people find value in what I post - it is my silver lining! When I was first on this site others did the same for me - this is my pay it forward.

HapB I agree hate pink

DeniseT,

I am not an MD so this is only what I have researched for my care.

Ejection fraction (EF) is the fraction of blood ejected from a ventricle of the heart with each heartbeat. If you ejection fraction is 65% that means 65% of the total amount of blood in the left ventricle is pushed out with each heartbeat.

Your report reads "The ejection fraction is calculated to be 65%."

At www.heart.org I found "a normal heart's ejection fraction may be between 50% and 70%."

This is the same type of information I get on my MUGA Scan.

Vicky

BJI, that is GREAT! Woot! 1/2 way there!

You give me hope that I can make it through this!
Tomorrow is round 2 of 6 ..

hugs from TN
Denise

I raise my MUGA over points from the first time to the last time a couple weeks ago.

I walk six days a week for at least 2 miles or at least 30 minutes.

Coach Vicky

Best wishes, Bareclaws.

Vicky

HapB,

i will meet with my onco in 3 weeks . we'll see what she says...

kae I was on Lupron for the last two years. I just stopped. My gp says it can cause weight gain, mood disorders, etc. my feet kill. I'll let you know if I feel better off the lupron! I decided it was worth seeing how things went without it.

bareclaws - hang in there, sending prayers and hugs your way

deni - fat cells produce estrogen, this is why oncologists urge breast cancer patients to maintain a healthy weight and level of fitness. The less body fat, the less estrogen that can fuel a recurrence or progression.

specialk- I did not realize the fat factor.More motivation for me (and all of us!) to eat well and maintain a healthy weight.

deni ... what little I've doe since I started chemo has helped a lot..
I've got a lot of weight to lose.. .. I see it as something pro active in helping to keep the cancer away....

denise - eat as much protein between rounds of chemo as you can muster. It is totally expected for your blood counts to drop during chemo, and a blood transfusion is not based on RBC, but rather on hemoglobin level. Most docs will transfuse at 8, but eating protein - clean red meat, antibiotic free poultry, pork, eggs, fortified cereal, quinoa, Greek yogurt, protein shakes - all should help. I had difficulty with GI issues for the first 10 days after each TCH, but at the 10 day point I loaded up on protein, even if I couldn't taste it and a steak felt like cardboard in my mouth. Also, keep in mind, that lab values are based on adult males. Often women fall into the low normal range even without chemo - I definitely did pre-cancer.