Adriamycin

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empowerme
empowerme Member Posts: 13
edited June 2014 in IBC (Inflammatory Breast Cancer)
Adriamycin
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  • empowerme
    empowerme Member Posts: 13
    edited November 2007

    I do not know how this will sound but I want those of you on adriamycin to know that my right breast was a solid swollen mass upon diagnosis and with every dose of adriamycin I could feel the mass getting smaller and smaller. By the time I had 4 "doses" of adriamycin, the lump had practically disappeared. (The little nausea that I experienced was worth it.) My breast looked normal again and I thought that perhaps I didn't need the mastectomy but my doctor thought in the interest of precaution I should still have it removed.

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  • shrink
    shrink Member Posts: 936
    edited November 2007

    I had excellent results with AC x 4 and Taxol x 4.  My 6 cm tumor shrunk to less that 1 cm - well worth the discomfort which wasn't too, too bad.  I'm having a bi-lat mast next Monday.  Ecouraging isn't it?

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  • empowerme
    empowerme Member Posts: 13
    edited November 2007

    It is indeed heartening to know that any drug can work so effectively and so quickly. Good luck with the mastectomy. I love life..it is a gift from God that I cherish and I will do whatever it takes ( within the bounds of decency :-) to survive.

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  • my3girls
    my3girls Member Posts: 3,766
    edited November 2007
     
     
     

    Great news empowerme!! I am happy for you and your success!!  It sounds like you have a wonderful outlook on life in general.  That will definitely help you through this illness and on the road to recovery!

    I had AC 4 x, then Taxotere 4 x.  My tumor was 3 cm, and shrunk pretty quickly after the first 2 tx's.  It ended up shrinking to under 2 cm..not as much as I had hoped, but enough to then do a lumpectomy.  My margins were not clear, so with in a week, I was back in having a mastectomy.  At first I was very disappointed.  But, I truly felt ok soon after the surgery.  I am now looking into having reconstruction this January.  My surgery was Oct. 1st.

    Best to you, hugs and prayers.

    xoxo

    Lisa

     
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  • JoelKM
    JoelKM Member Posts: 205
    edited November 2007

    That is why neoadjuvent chemo is so popular now. About 30% of patients have pathologic complete response (PCR). In cases where the cancer presented itself as a tumor, they simply insert a couple of clips and watch the area closely. No majoy surgery is needed. But in your case, I'm not sure what the standard of treatment is. The big question is, is there residual disease?

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  • shrink
    shrink Member Posts: 936
    edited November 2007

    Hi Joel:

    I posted earlier about my response to chemo - great reduction in the size of the tumor.  However, I was told that with IBC, a MRM is always recommended even if the tumor disappears unless the cancer has metasticized.

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  • empowerme
    empowerme Member Posts: 13
    edited November 2007

    Hi Lisa

    Thank you for your encouraging words. You know, having cancer has been the most humbling experience in my life. Prior to my diagnosis, I was always in the gym and wore the fanciest clothes money could afford. After diagnosis and treatment I was walking around without hair, with one breast missing, with black fingernails and with 2 teeth missing. I had to reconsider my priorities and now I am closer to my family than I have ever been. If I want to invite friends over, I no longer care whether the furniture looks unkempt and I no longer care what people say if I want to hug my Mum or Dad in public....so in a way cancer has been a wake up call for me. And you know what,  I have grown to love my animals even more than I thought possible......my dogs were the ones who with their unusual persistence sniffing  under my right arm alerted me to the probability that something was very wrong. Goodness, I am rambling..sorry :-)

    Thanks again for writing and good luck with the reconstructive surgery. My thoughts and prayers  are with you as with my other sisters in cancer.

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  • empowerme
    empowerme Member Posts: 13
    edited November 2007

    Joel, thank you for writing. I had a pcr but was told that a mastectomy was the safest course of action. Up to a few months ago there was no evidence of residual disease. However, a recent bone scan mentions " a suspicion of metastases." I have no bone pains and the areas identified as possible areas of metastases have all experienced trauma in a mva. My immediate concern though is the headaches that I have been getting and I have an MRI scheduled for tomorrow to rule out any problems there. In the meantime, I am enjoying my life and loving everyone :-) Thanks again for writing and my thoughts and prayers are with your spouse.

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  • mrs_X_Sunneedazee
    mrs_X_Sunneedazee Member Posts: 541
    edited November 2007

    That is great that you had such a great response.  I too had a great response from taxol and herceptin.  I too questioned why I would need a mastectomy if there was no lump, but the DR said that their was more than likely residual cancer cells, and if they were left, they were probably the ones resistant to the chemo, and if they had a chance to grow, they would probably be harder to shrink again.

    After my mastectomy they found two spots of cancer remaining; one that was .7cm and one that was .9cm.  So it was a good thing I did have the mast.

    That is wonderful that you have changed your priorities.  Sometimes we need a wake up call to re-focus our lives.   Good luck to you!

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  • JoelKM
    JoelKM Member Posts: 205
    edited November 2007

    Thanks for the info. I wasn't sure what the course of treatment was for IBC.  

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