Order of Chemos received

Hi Debbie,

1. FEC (shrunk my liver mets)

2. Tamoxifen & Clondronate (liver mets NED, bone mets stable).

Good luck with your treatment.

Since my mets dx my order has been:

1. Xeloda and avastin

2. Navelbine, Zometa and Avastin

At my initial dx I also had the red devil and taxotere then tamoxifen until my recurrence.

Here's what I've had since mets dx in Feb 2007

Gemzar/Herceptin-progression

Tykerb/Xeloda-just finished 2nd cycle

My Onc  gives me a choice but I always ask what he recommends.

Kasey

I think the red devil is adriamycin, no? Anthracycline? whatever it was it gave me chemo brain. I did 6 tx of that, plus Taxotere, plus Cytoxan, (this regimen was in trials then, '01-'02) followed by 2 and 1/2 yrs. Tamoxifen, then 2 and 1/2 yrs. Aromasin. Mets to chest wall nodes, bones about 6 mos. later, now have done Xeloda 7 mos., Avastin, Zometa, Faslodex. Off Avastin as of yesterday, scans have been stable for 6 mos., staying on the other 2. Good luck and ((((HUGS)))) to you.

I was initially dx'd with bc in 9/04.  I had bi-lat lump's, SNB - all clear and  rad'tn on the invasive side. 

After my 12/05 recurr & bc mets to the liver, the onc wanted to do the standard 4 (regular) AC, then 4 Taxol and then a CT.  As a triple neg with mets, I didn't think that was in my best interest and instead (per research and 2nd and 3rd opinions) did: 

1.  4 dose dense AC (Adriamycin "Red Devil" and Cytoxan);

2.  CT scan - recurr bc gone, liver mets reduced! 

3.  2 more dose dense AC (total 6)

4.  Special CT scan for liver mets 

5.  Chemo break for RFA (radio-frequency ablation) of my AC-shrunk and reduced from 4 to 2 liver mets. 

6.  Despite being NED for bc & mets, did 5 Carboplatin & Taxotere. 

7.  At 13 mos, found lung met(s), but still NED for liver mets.

8.  Now on a PARP inhibitor trial (for those BRCA positive and Stage III or IV).  This targeted therapy trial is NOT chemo!     Instead of an infusion, I take 16 pills daily (8 a, 8 pm) and have weekly bloodwork.  At 8 wks, I'll have a CT scan and am hoping that the lung met(s) will be gone!   I hate to be too graphic, but as far as the severe chemo side effects go, the PARP effects of softer stools, burping and some gas aren't too bad!

CalGal 

My sister has triple neg bc. Original diagnosis Dec 2004, IDC and DCIS 4.5 cm tumor, grade III. 1 node of 17 pos. Original treatment was left mast, then Adriamycin/Cytoxin.  Supposedly cancer free after  treatment.

Then Dec 12 2005 Liver mets "too numerous to count" found. Largest 7 cm.   Immediately started chemo again.

Chemo so far has been:

     1. Adriamycin/Cytoxin  (initial chemo)

Since mets found:

     2. Taxotere

     3. Xeloda

     4. Gemzar

     5. Navelbine

     6. Abraxane

     7. Taxol/Carboplatin/Avastin (still on this - since Sept 2006...once weekly for three weeks then one week off)  She had substantial shrinkage of all tumors till all were down to 1 cm or less with Taxol/Carboplatin/Avastin, and then stayed stable until chemo break from May 2007-mid July 2007 (break was forced because her body was too toxic from extended chemo.)  Scans in July 07 showed substantial progression and new tumors up to 5.5 cm but still liver only. 

July 27, 2007 restarted Taxol/Carboplatin/Avastin and Sept 2007 latest scan results show 30% shrinkage of most tumors and no more new ones. BC still "only" found in liver. 

Chemo is hitting her even harder now than before the break.  And her onc hasn't come up with a "next" option yet in case Taxol/Carboplatin/Avastin stops working (as all the others eventually did) - he's researching and he's been great, but says she's tried most everything he knows to try that might work. She's also been told she's not a good candidate for RFA or Chemoemobilization because of the number and position of her tumors. (she would feel so much better just knowing there is a next waiting in the wings as I'm sure you can imagine)

If anyone can suggest something to try next, please post it or PM me.  Her onc is actively looking for something and is open to suggestions.  Thanks to you all.  judy

Malignant pleural effusion to lungs, bone mets, nodes Dx Dec. 06 ER/PR + Her2 -

* Faslodex/Ardia - two rounds until mpe found around heart.

* Abraxane/Avastin/Aredia - March '07 - Sept. '07 Progression to liver

 *Will start Caboplatin/Gemzar/ Aredia on Monday

Diagnosed on April 2005 with Stage 3c. Epirubicin/Cytoxan for 2 doses, no improvement. Added taxotere for 2 more doses. The tumor almost disappeared August 2005 Double mastectomy,  radiation.

Mets diagnosed November 2005 to liver and lungs.

11/2005 Taxotere/Herceptin

05/2006 Nalvabine/Herceptin. Liver NED on October/2006

09/2007 Gemzar/Herceptin I just had my first dose of Gemzar last week. So far the side effects were very mild.

I can't comment on how it is decided in the U.S. but here in Canada each provience has it's own cancer board with their own protocol of treatments for various cancers. And yes, the protocols seem to differ from provience to provience. I do know that a protocol can be changed IF you get your onc to agree and then it must be in writing to the board.  I know this because when I was on Taxoter in '06, their protocol in B.C. was every three weeks and my onc wanted me to have a low dose every week for three weeks with one week off.

So my list of drugs since dx in '05:

1) Letrozole/Femera April-Aug with bone progression(given in Alberta)

2)Exemestane/Aromasin Aug-Dec (Alberta) liver progression

3) Taxotere-weekly 15 rounds ( moved to B.C.) slight liver progression

4) Exemestane/Aromasin repeated(?) June-Aug '06 liver progression

5)Capcitabin/Xeloda Aug.-Dec. 06 liver progression

6) A/C Jan.-May'07 with small liver progression

7) Letrozole/Femera(repeat?) June and still on it until Dec.

 I have asked why she repeated the two drugs, Femera and Aromasin, her answer was , less toxic and to give me a break. 

I do know that the U.S. uses more drugs than they do here which I think is good. Canada seems to be very conservative when it comes to using drugs even if they have been tested and used else where.

Good luck Debbie with your treatments,

take care, Jill M 

Hi I was first dx in 2000                                                                          Mets to lungs in 2005                                                                     1) Taxotere and Herceptin for 3 months-- markers still rising  2) Xeloda and Herceptin for 7 months good but slow results, I asked doc to take me off after too many se's and  many dose reductions 3) Gemzar and Herceptin for 1yr now , great results but again slow results, Its been a total of almost 2 yrs on chemo again this time, hoping to come off of chemo soon and stay only on Herceptin. I am trip. positive  I also had hercptin besides other chemos for 1 yr. back in 2000. Take Care KLynn