Hello I wondered if anyone can answer some questions that I have as I just don’t understand my situation!!!
I was diagnosed with secondary bc last Nov and since then I have had 4 cycles of ec chemo then I had my baby! Then I had taxol 4 cycles, radiation to my spine, herceptin, pamindronate and tamioxfen. The treatment shrunk the tumors in the breast and bone significantly to the point they struggled to find it in the breast at all on the ultrasound however 2 months later it has started growing again in the breast. I have now started chemo again and am on xeloda.
The previous chemo I was on ec and taxol shrunk the tumors but as soon as I came off the chemo it started to grow again does this mean that my cancer is resistant to these chemos now? I.e is chemo meant to shrink and suppress for a period of time after treatment to be classified as effective?
Also anyone in a similar situation and on xeloda how does xeloda work in the long run the thought of being on chemo all the time is horrific!
Please let me know if you can advise this is all v confusing!! Thankyou!
Goodness, my heart goes out to you - I went through something similar last year (4xAC while pregnant, had baby, then 3xPaclitaxel.
I don’t really know about neo-adjuvant chemotherapy but I would think it’s a very good thing the chemo shrank the cancer. I know that they tend not to offer surgery when there are secondaries, but is it something you’d like to do? I think, in your position, I would push for surgery. Even if you can’t get rid of the cells on your spine, you could get rid of the breast lump and lymphnodes, if they’re affected too. At least you wouldn’t have to face a cycle of growth and shrinkage over and over again, and possibly you could have a longer break from chemotherapy. As long as there are cancer cells remaining, I guess there’s a high chance they’ll grow again and, of course, have the potential to spread.
I’m sorry to hear that you are having a pretty tough time at the moment. I’m sure you will find the forums very helpful.
As well as the support you receive here, maybe you would like to talk to a member of our helpline staff who are there to offer emotional support as well as practical information. The free phone number is 0808 800 600 and the lines are open Monday to Friday 9.00 to 5.00 and Saturday 9.00 to 2.00.
I had FEC and Taxol for my primary back in 2007 followed by mastectomy and rads. I now have secondaries and have had 2 other chemos, however I have been told that if I get progression again then as it is so long (over 4 years) since I had the FEC and Taxol they would be able to give it to me again as it shrank the tumours first time around.
Incidentally, I had ‘significant reduction’ last year on Carboplatin + Gemcitabine but after stopping the drugs the tumours all flared up again within a very short space of time and hence I am now back on chemo. THis time a more steady reduction and a period of stability so far as I continue to take Capectiabine.
So, I have leant in my case that drastic reduction may not be as good as a slow and steady reduction and accepting that it isn’t going to just go away completely. Horrible, I know, especially when you have such a young family.
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I know each situation is so different but good to know I’m not alone!
My oncologist was considering surgery and I had a tumor marker inserted 2 weeks prior to the re growth. Now he wants to see stability before any surgery so got to see what this chemo does. My medical team imply that because the tumor has grown as soon as chemo has stopped that the chemo hasn’t worked despite the fact that when I was on it it was shrinking everything. I just find it all so confusing and concerned that I will always be on chemo!
hi newyork, i had a skin recurrence whilst on fec/d chemo rads sorted it but since had more recurrence am just doing 2nd round of xeloda and finding it ok lots of ladies stay on this long term i hope it works well for you x
I would be pushing for surgery as soon as you can convince your onc that things are stable, and there are studies that show benefits for having the primary removed. I was also diagnosed with mets in the spine at the same time as the primary - and had the full treatment for the primary (surgery, chemo, rads) as well as rads to the spine.