I know Stage IV BC cannot be cured by why can’t medication kills the cancer cells in the liver or bones? Surely if you have a mastectomy to remove the primary cause it helps the spreading of the secondary?
Hi jimbo
Whilst you wait for the other forum users to reply with their knowledge and experiences you may find it useful to look at the BCC booklet ‘Secondary Breast Cancer’ as it may be able to answer some of the questions you have. If you would like a copy or want to read this on line just follow this link:-
breastcancercare.org.uk/upload/pdf/sbc_sept_2007_web_final_0.pdf
I hope you find this helpful.
Kind regards
Sam (BCC Facilitator)
Hi Jimbo
I try to reply to this thread yesterday but lost the lot, plus I couldn’t see your post when I came on here later in the day - the magic of the forums;-)
To answer your question. When BC has spread it it treatable but not curable. I understand that this is because once the BC cells have entered the body via lymph system or blood system they can appear and grow at any time. Treatments such as chemo, hormone and herceptin are there to kill these secondary cells or stop their progress. They can be very effective and there are many women on here who are living with mets for many years after their diagnosis. It sounds like you had a mastectomy with your primary dx? If so the cells could already have spread (and not been detected) or maybe you had node involvement at that stage and it has spread? Unfortunately secondary BC doesn’t seem to play by any rules and some ladies are diagnosed with mets at the same time as their primary dx. I was classed as very unlikely to get a recurrence/spread as my primary was caught early, non aggressive, no node involvement but here I am having had a secondary dx 4 and a half years after my primary. I think you have another thread going as well so I hope you get some good advice, support etc from other ladies as well and I hope this helped with your question.
Nicky x
Hi Jimbo, I was diagnosed with bone mets 10 years ago and have had bones scans every year since then. The disease is still there but when you look at the scans it shows that my “hot spots” improve and other areas get worse but the bones do repair and I get bone strengthening drugs every month. I also have “tumour markers” in my blood ( I understand that not everyone does) and when I begin to fell less well, it usually shows in my “markers” and the numbers that are the markers get higher and higher. Once my Oncologist and I get together we usually agree that chemo needs to start again. 3 years ago I had chemo for about 6 months and each time I had my bloods done the markers reduced, the first time after chemo they actually reduced by half. These markers are usuful when having chemo but you cannot use just the markers alone in decided how “well” you are and scans etc get taken into consideration too. After my 6 months on chemo my markers had reduces to almost nothing so chemo stopped again. I got 2 and a half years without chemo but began to feel sore again and generally did not feel great. So again the Oncologist decided to re-start chemo. I have just finished an 8th month round of the same chemo again ( but at a reduced dose…another story) and my markers have reduced significantly again. I have only been off chemo for a week or so but already I feel more like myself again. I hope this is not too much to take on board and if anything puzzles you please ask. I am not saying that everything I have just written will apply to everyone with bone mets but I do know by listening to my body and my Oncologist, I have managed to have a reasonably good life. I am amazed that I am still here as I was originally diagnosed in 1989. So, yes, you cannot be cured when you have bone mets but you can still enjoy life. Hope this helps and doesn’t bamboozle you Jimbo, love Val