Breast Cancer Care Forum

Hi Walsh, I am receiving treatment in Canada. Just to share my findings from the BC cancer agency website about the time dependency between the 3 AIs. It explains why you are put on Cape (a kind of chemo) after Letrozole and Pablociclib. I am not any medical but from the piece of information I think you may still eligible for Fulvestrant (not an AI. No guideline in BC cancer agency yet but I heard some patients are given Fulvestrant right after Letrozole/Anatrozole) and E/E.     ... View more

Hi Shirley, please check with your onco / medical team. ps. I am NOT any medical. I am guessing would it be due to the 16% side effect dyspnea. ... View more

Hi Gillyflower, I have a similar liver issue. In 2011, my onco told me there was a lesion in my liver. He specified after MRI it was not cancer but a polyp and probably it was there since birth. However, they would monitor closely. My mom (also had bc) had the same in her liver and also was told it was not cancer.  In 2018 Sep, I was diagnosed sbc and was told there were lesions in my heart, lung, sternum, abdominal lining, liver. Up to now,  I have changed 3 onco. (1) 1st CT scan after 4 cycles chemo (Jan 2019),  my 1st onco said all lesions shrunk away except the 2 lesions in liver but she had no worry about it. (2)2nd CT scan after 8 cycles chemo, my 2nd onco said the liver lesions should be cancer as they shrunk with chemo. (3)3rd CT scan In July 2019, my 3rd onco said the liver lesions were BEGNIGN. (4)4th CT scan in Dec 2019 showed 'CLEAN'.  However, I challenged and said my last onco told me it was cancer. My 3rd onco then said MRI can tell but this would not change my regime. (5) The 5th CT scan my onco put a statement "cancerous liver lesion". She tried to explain there was the confusion bcoz the lesions are a nodule...I then said but in 2011 I was told it was not cancer after a MRI. My onco said I didn't tell her this and she would change to "unidentified lesions". I asked for a MRI but she said only when a increase in size or number. (6) the blood test two weeks ago showed my tumor marker CA15-3 further dropped to 13.2. So I think you may wait until you get the MRI result (which should be in soon ? in a week ??) and based on that then you can work with your medical team for the best treatment plan for you.   ps. (1) I totally understand where you come from. I concur they should not first stop Pablociclib then MRI. (2)I am not any medical. I just guess your onco had asked for 2nd opinion. Probably the new lesions showed a different shape (speck??) on your scan compared to others. Hugs, MelMel       ... View more

Hi, as posted in the private section, personally I have no experience of cape but just want to share below information for what I found on the BC cancer agency of Canada Provincial Medical Authorities and hope it is useful. Pic 3 is for the management of chemo-induced vomiting ... View more

Personally I don't have any similar experience. Heard from my in-law living in the US there are a few options for treating HER2+ metastatic bc.  ps. I am not any medical Herceptin + Purjeta Kadcyla (which, you already have it) Neratinib + Xeloda ( a newer treatment approved recently) Lapatinib + Xeloda (an older treatment) By the way, look like your primary treatment is adjuvant. Did your first after treatment scan was taken before radiotherapy or after ? At that time, have you started the hormone therapy ?             ... View more

Hi Ruthie2, Attached the side effects (pg2only, want to highlight the percentage for muscle PAIN which I am suffering 😎 , doable and manageable though) of Letrozole for your reference.   ... View more

Hi Ruthie2, Personally I don't have any experience of Anatrszole. I am receiving my treatment in Canada and I am on letrozole. Below is the document which I found on the BC cancer agency of Canada Provincial Health Authorities website. it seems depression (not for letrozole) and hypercholesterolemia (4-12% for letrozole) are both a known side effect of Anatrozole. However, you may also want to discuss with your medical team about the side effects of other AI before making a decision.  PS. personally, I don't like to take any anti-depression pill if I can avoid.   ... View more

Hi Tah65, Maybe, you want to discuss with your medical team to participate in another trial.  ps. I am not TN https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/find-a-clinical-trial/clinical-trials-search?populate=Breast%20cancer&f%5B0%5D=field_trial_status%3A4386&items_per_page=20&page=1 ... View more

Happy Birthday!!!, MBJ, I hope you read this.  Don't know how to go down this lengthy :smileylol: thread and confirm. I get my treatment in another country and remember you are the first one to welcome me to this forum (thank you) and also your birthday is the same as me in March  :smileyvery-happy: .  ... View more

I am not any medical. I understand 8 cycles is the maximum by reading the protocol summary created by BC cancer agency of Canada Provincial health authorities website, ps. I was offered the maximum 8 cycles at beginning based on my primary treatment history (what my onco said)   BC Cancer Protocol Summary for Palliative Therapy for Metastatic Breast Cancer using DOCEtaxel           ... View more

Hi Jencat, Maybe you want to check with your onco if it is technical you can't have the same area radiated two times or it is not offered under NHS. I posted a link in this thread before which is about the radiation therapy for breast cancer in USA. I am no medical but my understanding technically it is possible. Besides, like Shi said, the 1st time radiation is usually to the breast and maybe nodes and collar bone. My (sternum)  met is 1 inch exactly right above my tattoo in the middle of my chest. Again I am no medical. I simply guess the tattoo is the borderline of radiation.  I had requested my onco if I can have radiation to the 'dot'. He rejected me and only said my first onco expected it can be cleared by the chemo. After finished all the active treatment, he told me the lesion is 'rotted' (yep, he used this word though my 3rd onco didn't quite understand at first and later explained the cancer is gone and leave a hole. In my recent bone scan (in Dec or Jan), my current onco said the 1cm disruptive tissue is healing and only one-tenth left and hardly seen on CT scan.   At first,  I thought you might be able to get some 'curable' treatment like surgery and immediate radiation to the tumor bed and the sternum 'dot' then chemo.   ... View more

Hi Anniej, it is a TYPO. I mean ladies like me ER+ and HER2+. I finished 8 cycles Taxol/Herceptin/Purjeta and currently on Herceptin/Purjeta/Letrozole. I wish I can have Palbo as well besides my current regime. In the first scan after 4 cycles of chemo,  my onco told me all my suspicious/confirmed lesions disappeared and nothing to worry. I hope and pray going on I can get as much protection as possible.   ... View more

Hi Ramade, Sorry. The first time to PM on this forum. I have wrongly sent the draft partial version. Will try again. Please ignore the first PM.   ... View more

hi Ramade, any advice/suggestion by the hospice nurse.  Nothing lose, I am using google translate to convert an article regarding the fatigue SE management from Chinese to English and then PM to you. The article was written by a radiation oncologist who had been trained in MD Anderson Integration and is now the radiation therapy director of a hospital. Maybe, you can take a look.    ... View more

Hi Kah, yes, looks the same (from the back). I remember I noticed it after all my active treatment including 18 cycles Herceptin, about 1.5-2 years after surgery and gradually become donut-shaped in front after few months to 1 year. ... View more

Hi Kah, I had surgery in 2011 , mastectomy, go flat. The swollen is at the side of my removed breast under my armpt. Puffy, soft , when press on it feeling like liquid inside though not, may be more like the tummy fat but a bit softer.  I asked my onco, she took a quick look and threw 2 words 'scar tissue'. she didn't even bother to further investigate. ps. why the picture is 90 degrees reversed ??   ... View more

Hi Murphsmum,I had 27 lymph nodes removed and 8 out of which were affected in 2011. Up to now, 9 years after, under my armpit is still numb. I was born with no hair in the armpit (not only baby  8-) 8-). The numbness so far doesn't bother me at all except one time (just one), I ate something and triggered my allergy. I felt very itchy there. I scratched 'nothing', poked 'nothing', heat burned 'nothing'  squeezed 'nothing' and finally, the itch was gone after a hot shower. ps. If I remember correctly, I noticed the numbness and puffy skin  (or muscle) along the side of my affected breast after all the active treatments. ... View more

My first diagnosis was in 2011 when 43 yo. My period stopped permanently after 2nd cycle of chemo. My onco told me to take tamoxifen for 10 years. In the first couple years, I had 1 time acid reflux (usually happened when I was sleeping). It was resolved not sure bcoz of the prescription medication or bcoz I changed to take tamoxifen from before bed to morning. I had 4 times UTI (never happened before and touch wood, not after up to now)  and quite strange, all happened  in about 6 months gap. I had 1 time uncontrolled pee for about few hours and this time I didn't go to see any doctors. Basically,  I think I am quite lucky, the SE is very minimal, no pain, no hot flushes. After 3-4 years on Taxmoxifen, my hospital discharged me. Since then, I started to take the pills irregularly (avg 2-3 times a week). My SBC was dxed in Oct 18. 3 months before dx,  I completely stopped tamoxifen myself and eventually started high dose bee propolis. At my 1st appointment with onco, I told her all these and she agreed bee propolis, not taking tamo. regularly all might contributed to my SBC. In the 2nd appointment, my onco reminded me to stop taking Tamoxifen, she said it was not working. I asked "but.... my hair was thinned (for years) when I was taking the tamoxifen (my hair started to grow thicker after I stopped tamoxifen)". She said different cells responded differently. Though no evidence, I regretted so much for stopping myself. My onco comforted me saying don't blame yourself. It just happened and was not linked to it. However, when I took the estrogen test before started Letrozole, my estrogen level was HIGH.     ... View more

Hello Jencat, in Oct 2018, I was dx bone met to my sternum. On my bone scan, it showed a lit up on my sternum. On my CT scan, the radiologist made a comment something like that "1cm disruptive tissue at both vertexes of a lesion on my sternum and this co??? with metastasis". In Jun 19,  on my most current bone scan , it showed a lit up in my rib bone and the head of my spine in my neck. On the CT scan 1 week following the bone scan showed 'nothing'. I told my onco there was an injury to my rib 2 days before bone scan. My onco then said the area might be healing and we would see in further scans. For the lit up in my neck was mostly arthritis. In both the Sep and Dec CT scans did not show anything in the two areas. In my file I saw  my onco had put 'injury' and 'Fibroxxx' for that bone scan. Though your CT scan result most probably is ready (usually 5 days in CAN), I guess your consultant (no such position in Canada) may not have a chance to look at your CT scan and his request for another scan is simply due to a doubt basing on your bone scan.  Though I understand your anxiety, I think you may be a bit early to guess if it is bone met,  8-) even before your team's review 8-) I am thinking  may be you can try to eat healthy, sleep well  to prepare for the treatment. Love   ... View more