Best chemo for 3N? |
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SusanU 
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Joined: Jun 06 2008 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 3 |
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 Posted: Jun 07 2008 at 5:24am |
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Hi Terri - I just had my 44th birthday - married, mother of 4 great kids - 11, 13, 16, & 17. I was diagnosed in Sept. 07, had a lumpectomy in Oct.
Nodes were negative, 2.1 cm lump with no evidence of vascular involement. Because of the size being over 2 cm, my surgeon said they had to call it a stage 2 but he said he personally would rather have one like mine than a tumour less than 2 cm with lymph involvement and be a stage 1. I had 6 rounds of FEC which I tolerated very well and then 16 radiation treatments to my whole breast, followed by 5 treatments to the scar. Just finished my radiation on Tues. so my breast is still very tender and my energy level is low but really happy to be home!!
Glad I found this forum, it wonderful to talk to people in the same situation. Susan xox
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Keynote
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Joined: Jun 06 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2 |
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Posted: Jun 07 2008 at 6:24am |
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Terri - Like Julie, I had FEC for my stage 2A cancer, no nodes, grade 3 tumor. My onc refered to it as CEF, but I'm pretty certain the initials stand for the same stuff. My tumor was 2.4cm and I was diagnosed in 2006. I was 56 and am now 58.
I drew that treatment plan on a clinical trial. So far I am doing fine and all docs are watching very closely. My toughest side effect is Chemo-Brain. But as someone said - I'm still here.
 Keynote
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Terri
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Joined: Nov 12 2007 Location: FL Status: Offline Points: 578 |
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Posted: Jun 08 2008 at 4:40am |
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Julia, I am wondering if the menopasuse is permanent. Haven`t had a period since Dec (a month after chemo started). The hot flashes have really sucked & the fact that I was a 40 when I got married for the first time & my husband and I were just starting to talk about whether we wanted a child- then the diagnoses took that decision from us. I try to think everything happens for a reason so maybe a child wasn`t meant to be since we were kind of on the fence about it anyway. We both love animals and have cats and dogs so maybe are meant to share our lives with furry kids! Susan, Congrats on finishing radiation! I slathered my radiation area with hydrocortisone cream as often as possible even for about a month after my tx`s ended. My onc said it really made a difference in my skin. Now he has me putting lubriderm on everyday (for the rest of my life). It`s been 6 weeks since my last radiation and the area is finally not as itchy as it was. Keynote, I know what you are saying about the chemo brain! I dare to say it is getting a little better but I really have to concentrate on single tasking when I am at work. No more multi-tasking! I am supposed to have mammogram & bloodwork for tumor markers every 6 months for 5 years. No scans until year 2 or 3 because my onc says that`s when my chances for recurrence are highest. I`ve noticed alot of women here have had scans at the end of chemo. Anyone have a doc that agrees with mine?  Terri
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IDC DX 8/17/07 (age 41)
Stage 1 Grade 1-2, 1.35 cm 2 nodes neg, Lumpectomy 10/07 Chemo: FEC 100 x 6, 35 rads BRCA 1/2 NEG PET/CT & Brain CT Nov 09 Brain MRI Aug 2012 NED |
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Terri
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Joined: Nov 12 2007 Location: FL Status: Offline Points: 578 |
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Posted: Jun 08 2008 at 4:44am |
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Julia,
That`s the first I`ve heard someone developing a thyroid condition from chemo. I hope it`s under control for you now.
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IDC DX 8/17/07 (age 41)
Stage 1 Grade 1-2, 1.35 cm 2 nodes neg, Lumpectomy 10/07 Chemo: FEC 100 x 6, 35 rads BRCA 1/2 NEG PET/CT & Brain CT Nov 09 Brain MRI Aug 2012 NED |
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AustinJulia
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Posted: Jun 08 2008 at 5:10am |
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Terri,
I wondered for about a year after treatment whether my menopause was permanent. I did have a little spotting about 6 months after chemo ended but after that nothing. It's been almost 5 years now and I honestly don't miss having periods! But the hot flashes continue, especially at night. Of course they won't give me HRT. Another option would be holistic, but that approach isn't exactly drug free as herbs are really drugs too. Another problem I encountered due to menopause was an increase in UTI's because of the drop in estrogen. I was already prone to them before and lovely menopause can make it worse. Seems to be better lately though.
I have been told that the thyroid condition is common after chemo, but I was never told that until I discovered the condition myself. I wasn't experiencing any symptoms that were obviously pointing at that, but I was at the doc getting blood work done for something else and happened to read an artical about thyroid symptoms at the docs office and asked them to run a check on it since they were already pulling blood. So now I take thryroid meds for the rest of my life. It's fine, just another thing to add to the list!
Being a mom to furry kids is very fulfulling too. I have cats and dogs who always keep me company. And they don't sass me like my girls do! Summer just started and i am ready to send them back to school!
Take care!
Julia
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Terri
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Joined: Nov 12 2007 Location: FL Status: Offline Points: 578 |
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Posted: Jun 08 2008 at 6:18am |
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Julia,
There are so many things you find out on your own that the Dr`s never tell you (like your thyroid condition). I think there are so many side effects and so many patients they can`t remember to tell us everything! Frustrating sometimes.
Wow, I was hoping the hot flashes were on their way out. Sorry to hear you`re still having them. But I`m thrilled to hear it has been 5 years after c and you are here and doing well!! You are an inspiration and just what I needed !
 Take care, Terri
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IDC DX 8/17/07 (age 41)
Stage 1 Grade 1-2, 1.35 cm 2 nodes neg, Lumpectomy 10/07 Chemo: FEC 100 x 6, 35 rads BRCA 1/2 NEG PET/CT & Brain CT Nov 09 Brain MRI Aug 2012 NED |
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kirby
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Joined: Oct 09 2007 Location: bay area,california Status: Offline Points: 1088 |
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Posted: Jun 08 2008 at 8:45pm |
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Terri,
I am 7.5 years from dx and have never had a scan or blood test. My onc doesn't believe in them for the purpose of regular checks. Too many false positives/negatives, anxiety over #'s etc. that he doesn't use them on a routine basis for this purpose. I have quized him several times, when I always read so many others posting about getting them. I am satisfied with his answers. I may not have explained it very well. I feel it is information I need to know for the moment, not retain. I was checked 6X a year up for the first 5, Then for the last year it was 5X, now it is down to 4.
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kirby
dx Feb. 2001. Age 44 Lumpectomy 2cm. no nodes stage 1 grade 3 4 rnds AC, 35 rads |
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Terri
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Joined: Nov 12 2007 Location: FL Status: Offline Points: 578 |
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Posted: Jun 09 2008 at 5:02am |
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Kirby,
My onc says that all the radiation you are exposed to during a cat or pet scan can actually cause other cancer if done too many times. He also agrees with your Dr that there can be alot of false results. So you got checked 6 times a year for the first 5 years? As I said, I am getting checked every 6 months, meaning only twice a year...big difference!
I`m so happy for you that you are 7.5 years out from dx. Thanks for being on this site and helping women like me who are not even a year out from dx.
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IDC DX 8/17/07 (age 41)
Stage 1 Grade 1-2, 1.35 cm 2 nodes neg, Lumpectomy 10/07 Chemo: FEC 100 x 6, 35 rads BRCA 1/2 NEG PET/CT & Brain CT Nov 09 Brain MRI Aug 2012 NED |
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kirby
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Joined: Oct 09 2007 Location: bay area,california Status: Offline Points: 1088 |
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Posted: Jun 09 2008 at 6:07am |
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Terri,
Seems to me, your oncs response about exposure is something my onc has brought up as well. It is confusing when so many get scans etc. with such regularity. I was checked 2x a year by the surgeon, 2 x a year by the onc, 1 x by the radiologist and 1 x by the obgyn. At 5 years the check with the radiologist stopped and last year the check with the surgeon went down to once a year. I am surprised at such continued follow up. I used to be resnetfull at all the DR. visits and of course, expense however I rearranged my thinking after someone stated "the more they were checked, the better they felt". That sure turned it into a nice positive and it does make one feel more confident being checked because as I told my onc "by the time I notice something, it is too late".
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kirby
dx Feb. 2001. Age 44 Lumpectomy 2cm. no nodes stage 1 grade 3 4 rnds AC, 35 rads |
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djinfl
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Joined: Jun 09 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 9 |
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Posted: Jun 09 2008 at 7:36am |
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My Girlfriend's daughter had #N and in fact was pregnant when she was DX. After her Chemo she got the advice of a natural homeopathic Dr and has since had normal cycles and has had 2 more very healthy children. So it is possible to go back to a normal cycle after chemo and have children.
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LindaSue
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Joined: May 28 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2 |
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Posted: Jun 09 2008 at 7:54am |
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Hi all! I was diagnosed 1/07 with TN bc. They thought I had 2 tumors but the second tumor turned out to be a cancerous lymph node IN my breast (intramammary lymph node). It's fairly rare to have lymph nodes in your breast. It is also another factor that says I have a worse prognosis than average.
I am treated in Seattle at the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. They gave me 12 weekly treatments of Adriamycin and cyclophosphamide followed by 12 weekly treatment of Abraxane (new taxol formation - it was a clinical trial).
I suffered severe nerve damage to my feet and hands from the taxol. Has anyone here had that side effect?? Im afraid this is for the rest of my life. I finished chemo 9/07 and still have severe numbness, burning, and stabbing pains. It's just awful.
I'm so glad to find this site!!! I wish you all the best. Linda
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CarolinOmaha
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Joined: Feb 06 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 7 |
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Posted: Jun 09 2008 at 8:52am |
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Hi Linda Sue,
Welcome to our group - sorry you have to be here but you will learn alot and find wonderful support here.
I just wanted to tell you that I had terrible hand/foot nerve damage (hand/foot syndrom) from Taxotere - it was horrible. I completed my chemo which was just CT at the end of March and will tell you that most of my nerve damage has gone away. I also had some neuropathy in one foot around my toes and still have a bit of that but it too, is almost gone.
Are you sure they said the damage would last forever? I know sometimes that can happen but certainly not always.
Hope you get some relief from that soon.
Carol
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May your heart always be joyful,
May your song always be sung, May you stay forever young. |
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billie
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Joined: Mar 30 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 345 |
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Posted: Jun 09 2008 at 9:03am |
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Hi Linda, A couple of weeks before my sisters first chemo treatment we started her on neurontin prior to her first chemo antisipating the nerve ending thing.So far she has been very lucky in having none of these symtoms.
I have read at least one was taking lyrica(also a kind of neurontin)I know that this works because I have a friend that had both feet crushed in a car wreck and through the years the nerve endings in her feet were beginning to really cause her severe problems.Her Dr. put her on neurontin and she will tell you now that it was a god send for her.
Also my sister asked for Emend for nausea when she first started chemo and she so far is doing just wonderful.She was never given Aloxi.No one needs headaches. I have a feeling that the brand that you are given for different treatments,has to do with the type of insurance that you have and what is on their list.But it never hurts to ask for something else,if what you are taking is not agreeing with you.
God Bless You and Keep You All and Lots of Huggggg's Billie posting for my sister Betty
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AustinJulia
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Posted: Jun 09 2008 at 9:08am |
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Terri, I wish there was more evidence about whether women like you and are would go into permanent menpause before we started chemo. That is a question I posed to my team of doctors at the time and spent a lot of time repsearching, but there were little statistics other than that they felt I had a 50/50 chance of going into permanent menopause. But that wasn't based on the chemo regimen I was on, just a general guess. I am done with our family planning, but what about women who want the chance to possibly freeze some eggs before they start the treatment? I am wondering if they don't do much study of this particular side affect along with the many others because they don't want any women to have any more reasons to not go through treatments. I think the same can be said for heart conditions. Some women end up dying 20 yrs later with CHF but there is always discussion of a link between chemo and that, but very little research is done to prove or disprove this.
Well anyway, thanks for listening to my rants. This issue really bothered me 5 years ago, but I had put it out of my mind. There should be more discussion though.
Blessings,
Julia
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AustinJulia
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Posted: Jun 09 2008 at 9:15am |
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LindaSue,
My sister had the neuropathy issues from Taxol. It is 5 years later and those pains went away within the year after her first round of treatments. Unfortunately, her cancer came back, but she is Triple Positive ( is that what they call themselves?) and tamoxifen and arimidex didn't work for her. She's stage 4 with mets to the lungs. So those wonder drugs don't mean the world to everyone, unfortunately.
Take care and I hope you feel better!
Julia
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Nancy Bell
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Joined: Feb 18 2008 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 150 |
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Posted: Jun 09 2008 at 11:15am |
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LindaSue,
I was dx'd in Aug. 2007 and when the surgeon removed the tumor there was a postive intramammary lymph node in the tumor site. There is another gal here on the site who just started chemo last week who had the same thing. We have been trying to find info on this but there isn't much out there. It doesn't happen very often. My surgeon had never seen this before. I think I'll start another thread again about this since there alot more members than there was the first time I asked. Let's see if we can get an idea of how many 3neg's have had this come up.
I finished chemo in Feb 2008 and have the neuropathy as well. Some days are worse than others. From what I've heard it can take a long time for this to go away and a chance that it can be permanent.
 Nancy
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Nancy
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Joined: Jul 23 2007 Location: Altoona, PA Status: Offline Points: 3814 |
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Posted: Jun 09 2008 at 11:25am |
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Hi Nancy,
Nancy here (Lori's Mom).
Lori's last chemo was day after Thanksgiving, and it wasn't that long ago that she was still experiencing problems possibly related to Taxotere? She said that when she would get out of bed in the morning it was all she could do to walk. She had to hold on to something as she got up and as she walked to the bathroom. Haven't heard her talk about this for a while, but then unless I ask about a specific thing, she forgets to tell me.
She did not have the dx you had.
Nancy
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Dawnk
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Joined: Aug 13 2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 50 |
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Posted: Jun 10 2008 at 7:14am |
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Terri..I too was just making the descision whether or not to have a kid...then diagnosed...stage 1 grade 3 no nodes..the oncologist I didn't like and got rid of suggested meeting with a family planner to freeze some eggs or to trick me into menopause to bring me back out after treatment.. I decided that it was more to live than worry about the kid now at 43...It's done for me..but I am going to get my "mothering" from different areas...
I had 4 taxol and still have numb toes.. not like they are asleep..but numb and the circulation isn't so good either..hot flashes are miserable but I too enjoy the no period thing...I was joking the other day...gosh I wish my period would come back and a fellow said...well thats the first I have heard that unless you were worried about being prego!
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Stage 1 Grade 3
Lumpectomy 7/07 Trial Partial Rads 8/07 Chemo 4AC 4Taxol finished 12/07 |
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Terri
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Joined: Nov 12 2007 Location: FL Status: Offline Points: 578 |
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Posted: Jun 10 2008 at 8:38am |
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Dawn
I`m sorry you were in the same place I was. It seemed that the issue of fertility wasn`t a concern for my onc. I had to ask about the effects of chemo on reproduction. Then he was like you better hurry & decide what you`re doing kind of attitude. I initially was going to consult a specialist but after reading up on freezing eggs & embryos it just seemed too much to do w/o any guarantees. My husband & I also felt, like you stated, that MY life was our #1 priority.
I am enjoying not having a period but the hot flashes are terrible! My other concern about going into menopause was that my mom & aunt started having Rheumatoid arthritis during menopause. my mom also has lupus. I have enough to deal with, I don`t want to have premature menopause with RA & lupus!!
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IDC DX 8/17/07 (age 41)
Stage 1 Grade 1-2, 1.35 cm 2 nodes neg, Lumpectomy 10/07 Chemo: FEC 100 x 6, 35 rads BRCA 1/2 NEG PET/CT & Brain CT Nov 09 Brain MRI Aug 2012 NED |
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Terri
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Joined: Nov 12 2007 Location: FL Status: Offline Points: 578 |
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Posted: Jun 10 2008 at 8:44am |
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Julia,
My surgeon didn`t even bring up the issue of family planning & my onc talked about it briefly only after I brought it up. He said with my age (41) and chemo regimen (FEC x 6) it would be a 70% chance of permanent menopause. I felt really trapped w/o time to make decisions & not many options. Then I thought I wouldn`t want to be selfish and be a mom with a chance of dying in a few years. It was all very overwhelming.
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IDC DX 8/17/07 (age 41)
Stage 1 Grade 1-2, 1.35 cm 2 nodes neg, Lumpectomy 10/07 Chemo: FEC 100 x 6, 35 rads BRCA 1/2 NEG PET/CT & Brain CT Nov 09 Brain MRI Aug 2012 NED |
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I warned my boss about it and luckily he said he hadn`t noticed the difference.|
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