Thanks and have a wonderful time away @pollyanna1 
As regards Abemaciclib this is definitely worth asking about. Not sure I will qualify for my cancer, as approval is stringent but will push to see as it has had a lot of success.
I have been recommended to use a company called all clear, however as we are away Sept next year, itās too early to try & get a quote for my dates
Hope this helps - Laura
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Good morning ladies, hope everyone is doing well today
Does anyone know if Abemaciclib is for ER positive only or is it being used for PR positive too, my breast cancer scored 8 for ER but also scored 7 for PR, just thinking it would be useful to know before my appointment on Tuesday, Iāve tried to google it but not having much joy,
Brain scan complete yesterday and no news means good news so hoping not to hear anything for 2-3 weeks 
@pollyanna1 hope you are enjoying your holiday and that the sun is shining for you 
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Hi @altoan Well youāre an inspiration. Your hair looks great and very natural so you did a good job. I can believe it does feel like youāre acting a part but hopefully one day soon youāll be able to look back on it and smile. 
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Hey Elle,
Itās for HR positive so seems to cover both ER and PR. Have read around it this weekend and it doesnāt seem to be for the faint hearted with quite mega side effects. They also donāt know if it only works while youāre on it and thereās some discussion around any cancer cells remaining being more aggressive afterwards. Am going to discuss in more detail next time I see them! X
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Iām also not sure whether, to qualify, you either need lymph node involvement, a large tumour or a Grade 3 cancer. It seems itās for āhigh risk of recurrenceā people rather than say a Stage 1, Grade 2 cancer if that makes sense.
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Hi @elle16 my breast cancer was 8/8 ER and 7/8 PR Iām being offered Abemaciclib as I have a high rate of recurrence. I was also unusual as I found a lump which was invasive lobular cancer when I went for the mammogram and testing they found another lump in the same breast which was mixed ductal. So 2 different kinds, I also had a full lymph node clearance as lymph nodes involved.
So not sure which bit triggers the reason for it.
Iād ask away and see what they say!
I hope everyone has had a nice weekend and enjoyed the sunshine.
@swk1981 i was thinking of you earlier, I hope you managed to get your insurance sorted x
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Yes that makes sense, mine was grade 3 so an aggressive little shite, Iāve wrote it in my questions to ask on Tuesday so will see what they say xx
Thank you, I was lucky mine hadnāt got to my lymph nodes so didnāt have to have full clearance, think they took 3 but I did have high grade DCIS too,
A lot of the medication is about blocking oestrogen but does the same medication block progesterone? This is another of my questions, there doesnāt seem as much information about PR blocking, not sure if Iām just getting confused by it all xx
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Gromit12 do ask at your local MacMillan as well as running number in here, think thereās a place on the forum too where other forum members have posted about travel insurance 
Shi xx
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It acts differently to Tamoxifen. Tamoxifen blocks the cancer cells from absorbing oestrogen. Abemaciclib is a kinase inhibitor. It effectively disrupts the cell progression by blocking the kinases that it needs to grow. There are two other drugs that are similar (palbociblib and ribociblib) but they only work on CDK 4 and 6 whereas Abemaciclib works on loads more CDKās which is why itās such an exciting drug.
So itās not really about the hormones (although it works on HR+ cancer cells because they are dysregulated in some way which makes it easy for the drug to infiltrate the cell and inhibit the CDKās). Itās about the HER2 status for Abemaciclib I think as you must be HER2-ve.
It seems that Progesterone is the hormone they havenāt got a blocker for but, arguably, if your cells require Oestrogen then blocking oestrogen will prevent them from growing surely? Worth asking the consultant about whether blocking oestrogen alone is enough. Sounds like Abemaciclib would add another thing to your armoury though although be prepared for diarrhoea by the sound of it. Iāll do anything for an extra 6% so Iām going to take the 3 months of sporadic diarrhoea as it seems to settle for most after that initial time. Urgh.
Hopefully that kind of explains the difference. Iām sure your consultant can explain it better! X
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@elle16 - generally they focus on blocking or inhibiting oestrogen as that seems to be the hormone that ādrivesā cancer cells. My cancer is progesterone + only which is really unusual and Iām worried that there wonāt be any ongoing treatment available. Theyāve said that progesterone alone isnāt a driver for breast cancer but I had a fast growing grade 3 tumour so something was driving it! As yours is oestrogen + too, they will focus on dealing with that and they wonāt be too concerned about the progesterone, Emma x
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Thank you @ivy-cat and @swk1981 for all the information, think Iām just having a wobble going forwards and not really getting my head around everything, feel like I canāt retain any information, my appointment is tomorrow so hoping for some reassurance from the consultant too xxx
Just realised I meant Emma and Sarah 
see wheat I mean about my brain not working, done a quick edit xx
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@elle16 - hope your oncology appointment goes well tomorrow. Iām sure theyāll talk you through all the options and explain everything fully. Iām getting worried that I donāt seem to have an appointment with my oncologist- and Iām due to finish chemo in a couple of weeks, Emma x
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Just received my next ultrasound appointment needed prior to seeing the surgeon. It all seems to be moving along now. 5th of 6th chemo on Thursday, so only 4 more weeks of my PICC line 
so grateful for my PICC line but my skin keeps blistering under the dressing
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@gromit12 - my skin has become very sore under the dressing, it bled a bit when she cleaned it today and hurt so much! Will be glad when I can have it taken out but like you, grateful for having had it x
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@isthisreal - I canāt believe youāre on round 6 this week! Hope that goes well. Iām struggling with the side effects of my second docetaxel. Not quite as bad as last time but bad stomach and diarrhoea. Really hoping it passes soon as the weather is so lovely but Iām too tired to do anything. It would be lovely to keep in touch after this ends - maybe with a WhatsApp group?
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Just wanted to share that today is my 60th birthday 
My lovely family persuaded me to come away for a few days to the south coast and what luck weāve had with the first bit of sunshine this summer! Itās been relaxing, fun and just great to be together, away from the confines of home and treatment. they have all done a fabulous job of making it very special, considering the circumstances. Iām feeling a bit teary now, thinking about the worry everyone has about me and also a bit sorry for myself. Itās not that I was planning a great big party but this is certainly not how Iād imagined celebrating the milestone 
Butā¦.less than 10 days until my final chemo and 
removal of the PICC line which is another milestone worth celebrating 
Hang in there ladies, weāre getting closer!
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Happiest of birthdays to you @altoan sounds like you are being well looked after, understand the tears completely, and thank you to the sun shining for you, hope you have a lovely time whilst you are away and you get to relax and maybe recharge your batteries , lots of love to you 
@ivy-cat have you tried ringing your oncologists secretary and asking for an appointment, my last treatment should be 5th July so this is just under 2 weeks before, so Iām assuming it will be to go through the next steps xx
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