Hi my best friend has recently been diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in the lung and is undergoing chemo. She had breast cancer 3 years ago at 36 and was given a very good chance of it never returning. She is now desperate to find someone who is in a similar situation and has survived. Is there anyone out there?
Dear emmaba,
I am sure you will soon get a lot of support from the others on this forum. Meantime the link below may help to find out about different services available:
breastcancercare.org.uk/about-us/our-services/support-for-secondary-breast-cancer/
Kindest regards
Janet
BCC Facilitator
Hello
I was diagnosed with breast cancer in my lungs, liver and lymph glands in March 2007. This was at first dx. Originally I was told I would possibly only have a few months left. BUT I have had 3 different lots of chemo and I am still here and living a near normal life (whatever normal is now). So you can tell your best friend that there are lots of treatments that she can have and it doesn’t always mean the end when you have be told you have secondary cancer.
I was diagnosed with sencondaries in my liver, lungs, lymphnodes and hest wall in feb 2008. Because I am triple negative I am on constant chemo, however I still work and have no intenion of going anywhere soon. You do get used to a new type of norm and enjoy yur life.
Dianexx
hi emma
ive had bc for 6 1/2 years, and secondaries since 4 1/2 of those years with dx of spread to sternum in 05, lungs in 07 and spine in 07, and the most recent in march in my liver and another spot on my spine, each time the treatment has halted the c in its tracks, currently im on xeloda and if it wasn for a throat infection i would be workin 4 days a week!
so the best thing you can do is to stay focused and positive for your best friend! 
and fight it together, thats what bc is for a lot of us a fight and the secret is to give it your all and dont give up that fight!! dont dwell on what might happen, live for today and enjoy every moment you spend with your friend xxxx
ps. my latest scan showed up to 50% reduction in my tumours! so im not going anywher soon! x
Hi Zippy, I did enjoy reading your post above. Your atitude to this disease so sounded like me! I first had BC 20 years ago and got secondaries in my bones 10 years ago in my spine, sternum, ribs and pelvis. I am usually on Zeloda and hope to re-start it in 3 weeks (stopped for dental work) and am on Xoloda again since april 2009. I am so pleased for you that the reduction in tumours has been so succesful. Well done girl and good to hear your positive response. I will look out for your posts in future, Keep well, much love Val (Scottishlass) XX
Hi Emmaba, I too finished my treatment for primary breast cancer justm over 3 years ago and I was told on Thurs that bc had spread to my lungs. I too had excellent prognosis at the time so I am absolutely devasted to find it has returned so quick, I am still trying to get my head around the news. I am waiting to see my oncologist at the Marsden in Sutton sometime this week, may be I will feel better when I speak to him. I hope your friend is getting on ok, I would like to hear as it seems we are in the same horrible boat. Love Bertie
Hi Zippy i to enjoyed reading your post ,i too got diagnosed with secondaries in lung and liver 10 weeks ago ,after having bc 16yrs ago ,and firmly believe i am living with this "not dying of it ",just try and keep positive and dont waste time worrying about the future no one knows whats going to happen ,you and your friend will feel better when you get started on your treatment plan ,take care xxx
I was diagnosed with lung secondaries last month and was really down about it but having read all these encouraging stories I now feel a bit more positive about the future, so thank you Carolinew, Diane1w, Zippy, Scottishlass and freda1956, you’ve lifted my spirits.
Bertie, good luck on Thurs, i’m going on Capcitibine + Lapinatib - wonder if you will be doing the same, let’s fight this thing together.
Linda
It is hard to get your head around the bad news especially when you think you are doing well. I had check up and mammogram in July all fine, then hada cough that would not go so went to doctors just for antibiotics and thats how it all started…Ddo not know what treatment I am having yet I am still waiting for my appointment I will probably need bone scans etc. I had ct biopsy on lung that was when I was diagnosed. I will probably feel better when I have a plan of action. Hope all going well with you Linda, how is the chemo you are on, first time around I had FEC.
Love Marina
Hiya,
Just returned from Marsden, Sutton today to be told that it is likely I have mastatic bc in the lung. Feel really scared as went through chemo, etc., last time (1999) and soooo don’t want this all over again. Feeling quite lonely as everyone says lovely words ‘we are here’ ‘thinking of you’, etc., etc., but it is only me that has to try and sleep with it all buzzing round in my head! Help!!
Hi fran285
Welcome to the forums, I’m sure other users will be along to support you soon.
In the meantime you may find it useful to contact our free helpline on 0808 800 6000, opening hours are Monday to Friday 9.00 – 5.00 and Saturday 9.00 – 2.00
Best wishes
June, moderator
Hi Fran, I too have just been diagnosed with secondary bc in lung. In too am under the Marsden in Sutton, I was sent to Mayday Hospital for ct biopsy on lung which confirmed breast cancer mets. I am now waiting to hear from the Marsden to see where I go from hear. I too am devastated and frightened. As we are similar situation be nice to keep in touch. We must keep our chins up and keep fighting (Iknow easier said than done) Let me know what treatment they decide for you. Thinking of you Marina X
Hi Marina,
Thanx for response. Glad to hear there is someone ‘local’ to me - so yes, please keep in touch. Did they do a PET CT scan on you? That is what is next for me. The consultant said something about ‘feeding me glucose’ through a drip to get the cancer cells to work - all sounds a bit scary as though they are gonna get them to start up! Results and decisions on 4th Nov (but only that late as I am going to go away for the half term week). Please let me know how you get on - who are you under at the Marsden? I see Mr * but the other day saw * * who was lovely.
Does anyone know anything about glucose and breast cancer? Now am worried that I have been ‘feeding’ my cancer cells as I love my chocolate and wine and cake - sounds like I have a bad diet doesn’t it?!
Hi Fran, I am under Prof. * (very nice man) I had blood tests and normal ct scan at Marsden which showed ‘something’ which he said could be benign, a lung cancer or breast mets. but he thought it looked like lung primary!! which I found hard to believe as I have nevr smoked and had breast cancer, so he referred me to chest clinic at Mayday where just over 2 weeks I had ct guided biopsy, last week had results from chest consultant to say it was breast cancer cells! so he was referring me back to Marsden, I am still waiting to here, everyone keeps telling me to ring them up but I am so scared as will have to confront it all, like you the past 8 weeks have been awful. I just wish they would ring, I will pluck up courage today and do it.
When I was having my ct biopsy the consultant said if they didn’t get anything conclusive then I would possibly have PET scan I think it shows up cells in more detail. The Marsden are usually so quick and organised I think it is the fault of the Chest Clinic at Mayday.
I wasn’t too bad on Tuesday but had bad day yesterday are you like that? Anyway do let me know how you get on and I will keep you informed. Take care Love Marina
Hiya, yes have seen Prof * in the past - seems a very experienced and knowledgeable man. Wonder y they sent you to Mayday though! And yes you should ring - although I can understand your reluctance. Yes, like you having good and bad days - spent most of today feeling ‘angry’ with nothing in particular and unfortunately venting it out on hubby and kids - and yet they are the ones always there for me bless 'em. Yes the PET scan seems to be that they ‘feed’ a glucose solution so they can see the cancer cells respond to this - hence why I am now a tad worried about the glucose thing! In fact if they want you to have a PET scan you def need to ring as it takes approx 2 weeks to get one booked in - they only squeezed me in for 8 days time as I would be on holiday (and so desp need to get away!!) My results and decisions on treatment will be on 4th Nov. Please keep me posted. ps. I hate Mayday - they misdiagnosed my cancer 1st time round and it ended up going in my lymph nodes with the delay - but that was prob down to a person not the hospital in reality. Yes, please keep me posted. Take care too. Love Fran x
Fran, so sorry to hear that you too have been diagnosed with lung mets. I hope that your meeting on 4th November goes well (as well as these things can go, that is). I am about to start Capcetabine and Lapinatab (prob wrong spelling) for my lung mets after the half term so will be interested to see whether you will be doing the same, do let me know.
Marina - I also did fec as my first chemo in 2003. This time last year I started 6 cyles of Taxotere. I’m hoping cap/lab will be better than either of them.
Love
Linda
Linda, I phoned hospital today as still hadn’t heard from them, apparently the consultant who did biopsy has not yet written results to my oncologist at the Marsden. Of course I am wondering what course of treatment I will have, how did you get on with taxotere, did it not shrink tumours? I have heard that laptamib (sorry dont know how to spell it)is quite new and good, so fingers crossed. At the moment I think I am still in state of shock as only got news a week ago, I had my first treatment in 2006 so I am concerned as it seems to have spread quite quickly as my prognosis was good. As time goes on are you finding you are coping with it better, I am hoping I will feel a bit more positive about everything as time goes
on. Do take care Love Marina
Hi Fran, I know what you mean about feeling angry I am not normally at all like that but at the moment when I am walking around shops etc you think everyone else is well and happy (I know they probably arn’t) and you feel very much alone, even with your family around you. My husband and family are wonderful and always there for me but you feel you are bringing worry and misery into their lives, even though it is not our fault. When Prof * saw my ct can he thought the ‘lesion’ looked like a lung cancer primary and not breast mets. so he referred me to chest clinic at Mayday (as you can imagine I was not very happy) even though I have never smoked! Anyway results from ct biopsy I had at Mayday confirmed breast mets, which is what I thought, it would be very strange to have 2 cancers going on I thought. Consultant at Mayday said he was referring me back to *, I phoned *s sec yesterday and she said thay had not heard anything but would look into it, so still waiting, definitely not the Marsdens fault!! Have they definitely said yours is breast mets, did you have any symptoms? I just went to doctors for some antibiotics for a cough that wouldn’t clear, the last thing I was thinking was this. I would think it is something in the glucose that shows up the cells on scan, nothing to do with what you have been eating and drinking. Keep me informed on progress. Love Marina
Hi Marina, hope that next week you get some information on your treatment plan, waiting is awful. I did have a fairly good response with Taxotere, it shrunk the tumour in my breast by about 50% prior to the mastectomy. I’m not surprised you are still in a state of shock, it’s a big thing to come to terms with, so scary but hearing of ladies on this site still going strong a couple years later is what gives me hope. Like you I had a good prognosis - 96% chance of surviving the next 10 years (that was back in 2003). There seems to be quite a few new treatments on the horizon so I hope we can all benefit from them.
All the best
Love
Linda
x