I just came from my 2nd bone scan in 6 months. 6 months ago my tumor marker was nearing 300 and my scan was mostly entirly black from showing where the spots of cancer were. I was filled with cancer from my neck, shoulders, upper-mid-lower spine, both hips, sternum, ribs, lungs. I was a total mess.
after 6 months on abraxane and avastin, my tumor marker is down to 38 and some of my spots have disappeared!!!! Some of the spots are less drastic than they were, however some did grow in size.
38 is the lowest my numbers have been in seven years. I have tried tamoxifen, femara, faslodex, gemzar. taxotere, xeloda, navalbine. I've been on neulasta, neupogen, zometa, zoladex, procrit (and many others that I can't even remember). My messages is...hang in there...there is alot of ammunition for the doctors to throw at this. It's taken me 7 years but things are looking better than ever (physically) for me. My emotional state is another story and another posting.
There is hope! Stay determined. (now if I can only get my bones to realize that the cancer is decreasing and stop hurting all the time, that would be great)
but I'll take what I can get.
love to you all
expect miracles
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to give you hope
- By edaura
- Posted May 8, 2009 at 7:34 pm · 21 replies
- In Taking charge: Being a proactive patient
- Shared with the public
Explore topics in this discussion:
Taxotere Cancer Pain Bone cancer Avastin Progesterone Zoladex Breast cancer
21 replies
- Oldest first
- Newest first
- By curlee
- Posted May 8, 2009 at 8:54 pm
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so happy for you. what a ride you have had. i know how it feels to get discouraged but not 7 years worth.......but you are still here after 7 years defying all the predictions.
you go girl!!!!
- By jojobeans
- Posted May 8, 2009 at 9:39 pm
- Report post
Thanks for sharing - we all need to hear this stories and know that there is HOPE!
This is the week for wonderful news. I am so happy for you!! My numbers are down from 700+ to 243... I keep telling myself the pain is the healing.
Hoping the next number is even lower - like my checking account number.
- By heyjude615
- Posted May 9, 2009 at 6:42 am
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HI Ladies - I am new to this group, it is definitely very encouraging to read your comments. I have been battling breast cancer since 1996. This is the 5th time I am on chemo. Just went on Doxil. Have a spot on the liver that grew, 2 yrs ago had the same and the Doxil kicked its butt, so I am counting on Doxil to kick butt again! Your right, My oncologist told me this week that every month they are finding new and more promising meds for breast Cancer. I am HER2 positive. I hope everyone enjoys their weekend! Judy
- By mlm
- Posted May 9, 2009 at 8:11 am
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Glad to hear about your markers being down and your Hope for the future. We all can us a lift now and then-today you were mine. Thank you!
- By Beachbabe
- Posted May 9, 2009 at 9:37 am
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Yippeee, they say good news comes in threes and I consider you the third...first we had the big word REMISSION used...then Lucy had her good news...now this. I hope there's still enough positive mojo floating around for me to garner some and get good news on Monday!!!!!!!!!!
- By kleighk
- Posted May 9, 2009 at 11:02 am
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Congratulations!!! What a wonderful Mother's Day gift to yourself!!
- By edaura
- Posted May 9, 2009 at 7:09 pm
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Beachbabe,
we're all behind you for Monday. there's plenty of good mojo out there for all of us. Hope to be celebrating with you soon.
- By Gentlenatured1
- Posted May 9, 2009 at 8:19 pm
- Report post
How wonderful and how encouraging!
Congratulations to you!
PAMELA
- By cwoos4
- Posted May 12, 2009 at 12:36 am
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Hello
I was reading post from edaura and i just have to say she is so encouraging. I had breast cancer stage III in 2004 (not picked up by mamo or sonagram) and I just found out May 1, 2009 that it is in my spine. It was not picked up by bone scans and pet scans. the only test that seems to pick up my type of cancer is the MRI. I just started the abraxane and avastin today. So my questions is did anyone have a bone biopsy to detect the type of cancer? My doctor mentioned it but did not recommend it.
- By LaGata
- Posted May 12, 2009 at 5:00 am
- Report post
cwoos4,
My onc also mentioned it but that's all he did. He didn't really want to put me through that. Made me wonder just how difficult and/or painful it is. Do I really want an answer?
- By cancerkicker
- Posted May 12, 2009 at 9:30 am
- Report post
That is just what I needed to hear! Thanks for sharing and congratulations!
- By barb366
- Posted May 12, 2009 at 11:51 am
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Wow...the good news this month runneth over. I am inspired by each story and hope I can add to the good news. So many new drugs. I'm so glad these 2 kicked butt for you! B
- By edaura
- Posted May 13, 2009 at 2:52 pm
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cwoos4, I never had a bone biopsy and have never heard any of my doctors even talk about doing one. I've done MRI, PET scans and Bone scans but never the biopsy. i wonder why some oncs do and some don't.
- By Jeanne46
- Posted May 16, 2009 at 11:52 am
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I didn't have a bone biopsy I had a bone resection. They removed part of a rib bone to confirm cancer recurrence. I must say it really wasn't that big of a deal. It was on the same side where I first had br. cancer many many moons ago (and I'm still partly numb in that area where the lymph nodes were removed). The only problem with bone biopsy is that in resected bone they apparently dry it out first, then study. So that pathology can be misleading (the ER/PR Her/2 part). Usually they biopsy some area of concern to make sure it's breast ca and not from another primary cancer.
- By cat7
- Posted May 17, 2009 at 3:32 pm
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heyjude, i'm cat 7 mets to liver dx 12/08. how did your onc deceide when to stop and start chemo again.
i've been on herceptin, taxoter and trail drug x's 6.
- By maryk58
- Posted October 1, 2009 at 2:26 pm
- Report post
edaura,
My onco wanted to schedule a bone biopsy to verify that the bc mets in the bone were the same genetic and hormonal makeup as the original bc pathology, ER/PR +++. That was done over a year ago.
I just learned 2 weeks ago that my bc cells have mutated and the progesterone levels have decreased considerably. I'm sure that impacted the hormone therapies that I have been put on.
I always thought cancer cells stayed exactly the same, that I didn't have "bone cancer", I had breast cancer in my bones. I guess you never know.
- By sr2603
- Posted October 2, 2009 at 4:43 pm
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There alays has to be hope or we would be as well to throw the towel in. Great results for you - I had the same results for a spell on that combo too.
- By LaGata
- Posted October 3, 2009 at 4:42 pm
- Report post
mary58,
I learned on this site that cancer cells can change their er/pr expressions when a reoccurance hits. When I asked my onc, he said that it happens regularly but usually returns to the original expression so he wasn't too concerned about me and the treatments he has me on.
Please explain how the bone biopsy is done and what is involved. Is it very painful? Is one "put out" for the procedure? Is there a healing curve afterwards?
LaGata aka Laura
- By ElizabethA
- Posted October 4, 2009 at 4:14 pm
- Report post
I had bone biopsy a few years ago to verify that what they saw on the scans was indeed a spread of the breast cancer. It was an outpatient procedure, done under a local and no pain or side effects. Just very tired after. I was suppose to have the procedure at 10:00 a.m. but was not taken until 2:00 p.m. They would not let me leave the recovery room until someone came to pick me up. So I waited until 5:00 and had them call a friend who could come after work. But truly I could have left on my own. I was fine. Don't know if this is typical or I was just lucky.
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