Tnbc stage 3C
Hi everybody. I'm 38. I had in May/19 quadrantectomy for a invasive carcinoma (nos) according to biopsy report and axillary node dissection due to 1 clinical positive node. The tumor was 2.5×2 and 7/8 positive nodes.. the patology report came 40 days later saying Invasive carcinoma with medullary features triple negative. MO planned to give me AC+T. In July/19 I developed a small lump in the axilla. A scan was made and I had a liquid cyst and surgical sequels on breast. During july to first days of August the "cyst" enlarged from 2×1cm to almost 5cm and became solid. And they found 3 enlarged nodes under the collarbone. So I went to stage 3a to 3c in 3 months.They took a sample and I'm waiting for results but they are pretty sure is the bc progressing. Now they want to give me paclitaxel and avastin because they can't do surgery in the axilla due to the size. I'm desperate. I didn't have the chance to do chemotherapy yet. Could this treatment have chance to reduce the tumor to have surgery and mastectomy?
Comments
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LadyF, I don't know enough to tell you much. I do want to say how sorry I am that you are facing this, and also that it's taken so long to get a diagnosis and treatment plan. It is common to have chemo prior to surgery for larger tumors. The chemo has a very good chance of reducing the tumor size, to make surgery easier and more effective.
Paclitaxel is also known as taxol. You can find out more about both paclitaxel and avastin on the Chemocare website. http://www.chemocare.com/default.aspx
Wishing you all the best.
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LadyF, sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I don't know enough either, but maybe 2 tips:
First, you could post your pathology report and maybe obtain a second opinion by an expert.There is a section here in BCO that I am not allowed to link. Search for "interpreting your report".
Or you make an appointment with a cancer center if you are not entirely sure that you receiving good advice in your current practice.My tumor too had medullary features and my Dr. said that this was a good thing. They do look very aggressive but don't act upon it, necessarily, though nothing is 100% certain. Even benign tumors can grow very fast. Faster growing tumors respond better to chemo. Maybe it is not as serious as it sounds. And I think this treatment could certainly shrink the tumor.
I wish you all the best.
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You might want to ask your team about carboplatin, which is effective against basal-like TNBC. My MO gave me that and taxotere on the theory my TNBC was behaving basal-like. Those two chemo drugs more typically are given to HER 2+ people along with their Her2 meds.
Also, you might want to have your biopsy sample re-tested for Androgen receptor positivity.... which opens up other possibilities for treatment (like Xtandi). Also maybe get a Foundation One test, which may identify other mutations that are actionable. PDL1 mutation opens immunotherapies.
Hit it hard with everything. The silver lining of a high grade cancer is that it can be very vulnerable to chemo.
If you have palpable lumps, I also suggest you use HEAT on them. Very low tech, but also very effective. High heat causes cancer cells to weaken and to give off "heat shock proteins" which make them more identifiable to the immune system. My lump was easy to feel and my axillary lymph nodes were too. I read about hyperthermia and stumbled onto an article about how Vets use it to shrink tumors in animals when they will be hard to surgically remove, and they use an external system of recirculating hot water. I thought, "hey, I can do that!"
You want to get the tissue to about 108 for an hour +. Healthy cells will not be permanently damaged, but cancer cells will suffer major damage. I did this 3-4 x week during chemo.... I used a VERY-hot hot water bottle, kept the heat on there about 60-90 mins per session. Also did heat DURING chemo drip and afterwards, to bring the chemo-laced blood to that region. I got minor burns (magenta skin) that faded over a month or two after I stopped chemo. Heat will weaken that cancer! I spoke to a Hyperthermia expert a UMD and told him what I had done and he thought it was likely to have helped me a great deal.
I love a105 degree hot tub (very hot) so I had a sense of how hot 108 must be (Yowch!). Infrared sauna can also heat tissues.
Ask for metformin from your doc! Also consider 20mg melatonin at night (work up to this dose). Consider the help of a naturopathic doc who can give you advice on many other complimentary things.
Good luck and hang in there. There are many of us here who had lymph nodes and beat it back. I wish you all the best!!!!!!
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Lady F, how are you doing?? Thinking of you!
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Hi.. completed my 3rd infusion of weekly chemo and feeling a lot of side effects I dind't have until this third one.. scared..
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LadyF - I’m so sorry you’re going through this. And being scared is obviously normal, but such a horrible feeling. Chemo side effects can totally suck. Please make sure your doctors are doing everything they can to alleviate your discomfort. I hope you are on the chemo threads because so many have such great advice, especially if you share specific SEs.
What is your treatment plan exactly?
Hugs.
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santabarbarian - I’m sure you’ve posted about heat before, but this is the first I’ve read about it. So interesting. Just curious, what did your cancer team think of this? They tend to not like anything out of the wheelhouse
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I took them SO far put of their wheelhouse! They did not object to it and I did speak to the head of Hy[erthermia at UMD and he told me he thought I did myself a lot of good. Hard to know what helped but I am glad I did it all!!
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Paclitaxel + Avastin on weeks 1 and 3 and Paclitaxel on week two. Then 1 week break and start again. Finished the first cicle.
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