Has Anyone Retried a Previous Treatment>

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dorimak
dorimak Member Posts: 147
edited October 2020 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

I am coming up on five years with MBC. I'm ER+ PR+ HER2-. I have been on

1 - Femara and IBRANCE 2. Faslodex 3. Aromosin and Affinitor

I have been on Xeloda about 18 momths and my tumor markers jumped a bit. My MO thinks it's amazon that I've been on it for so long. Previously I have done 1 Femara & IBRANCE, 2 Faslodex 3. Aromasin & Affinitor

I'm told the next optioins are IV chemo. I just really don't want to go that route. I have limited cancer in my body but have struggled with brain mets. I really feel like giving up at this point. I live alone and havce no family or support reallly. I have friends but they are all busy with work and their lives.

My question is has anyone reverted back to a prior treatment that they ha ddone in the past (e.g. in my case if I went back to IBRANCE or Faslodex)?

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  • Cure-ious
    Cure-ious Member Posts: 2,626
    edited October 2020

    Hi DoriMak,

    I don't have any insight to your question, but like you, wouldn't be happy just continuing to try off the shelf chemo. Plus too many chemos and you won't be eligible for some clinical trials. Have you been tested for PI3KCA mutation? The new ADCs like Enhertu have very good PFS numbers, so maybe its time to consider something like that in a trial?

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited October 2020

    Hi Dorimak, you might try posting this in the Ibrance thread because I think someone on there is taking it for the second time , perhaps with a different hormone treatment (such as femara the first time and fulvestrant this time or the other way around ). I'm sorry you feel alone in this ! I know it feels likefriends who aren't dealing with breast cancer can't really understand what we are going through. Cure-ious has some great advice. These should be a brain Mets thread that might have some advice ?

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  • candy-678
    candy-678 Member Posts: 3,950
    edited October 2020

    Dorimak- I responded to you on another Thread. But Cure-ious has a good suggestion. How about testing for mutations? PIK3CA or something else that you could use targeted therapy. Also, I was thinking Verzenio crosses the blood/brain barrier. You need to double check that. Maybe Verzenio? Monotherapy?

    I think the biggest thing is the scans. Yes your TM's are going up, but what do the scans show? Is the brain mets getting bigger? How big? Where in the brain? Is things getting really serious? If IV chemo can halt it fast, then you will not want to TRY something else if you do not have time to mess around.

    Talk to your MO. And keep us informed. Hugs.

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  • Bestbird
    Bestbird Member Posts: 2,818
    edited October 2020

    It's surprising that your doctor hasn't mentioned Abemaciclib (Verzenio) as a possibility. It can be prescribed after failure on endocrine therapy and chemo, which Xeloda is. There is also some evidence that it passes the blood brain barrier.

    Also, have you consulted a radiation oncologist about the brain mets? Radiotherapy can be quite effective in maintaining control.

    Good wishes!

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  • dorimak
    dorimak Member Posts: 147
    edited October 2020

    Thank you all for your responses. I have issues with my vision so can be hard for me to navigate this site so will do one responnse.

    I did have testing a whilte back on all the mutations and I am negative for PI31KXC. My MO said that the testing did not reveal anything that would provide different options for me. I will definitely ask about Verzinio thought.

    ON the brain mets I was diagnosed Jan Jan 2019. I had SRS targeted radiation. There were seven lesions of which two were too small to be treated. The largest at 2CM did not respond to the first round so I was retreated six months later. That lesion kind of festered and RO wasn't sure if it was just trying to heal or if it was radiation necrosis or tumor. Eventually I had a craniotomy this June. It was in the aright side of the occipital l lobe which is where visual processing occurs. I was told I would lose some peripheral vision on the left but I have b been having very blurry vision and can't hardly read. I had a neuro pomologist tell me there's nothing wrong other than the peripheral. My son who lives out of town was there with me and he said he just wasn't listening to me. He told me I kneeded new glasses which I got and returned to him and he said the prescription was off. It is not the issue. I have an appointment with another specialist next week. I'm afraid to drive and with little support I find myself trapped in my apartment a lot. It's why I feel overwhelmed and not up to any more harsher treatments. That's a good suggestion to see if there is a clinical trial using say IBRANCE and another treatment or if I can find others who have done something like that I may be able to convince my MO to try because I just don't want to do the IV chemo.

    I have limited disease in my body. There are nodes under my sternum and some notes in my lung. The area on my sternum feels like it's growing.

    Thank you all for your input. Blessings to all o fyou.

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited October 2020

    Dorimak, it makes a lot of sense to me that it is important that you have a treatment that is somewhat easy to tolerate. I would hope that your oncologist will work with you to find a solution. I am sorry you are alone and more importantly, feel alone in this - I know what you mean that friends mean well but don't really understand what we are going through. Where I live, we do have some great volunteer groups that help people get to appts that need assistance (aren't comfortable driving or cant drive). Have you talked to your cancer center about any volunteer options or transportation options?

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