Questions
 

When a tumor is large say 5cm is it always one 1 large tumor or is it a combination of tumors? I have never read any where if that is how they decide! Can someone help me with this?. I've notice a lot of women here talk about how big their tumor was. not tumors.

Also does anyone drink 4 cups of green tea a day and why? Aside from the anti-oxidants?

An help would be appreciated.

Your Friend,

Nancy

Re: Questions
 

Hi Nancy,
I am stage IIIc because the "added up" all the tumors in my breast...and that bumped me up to the next stage. (that and the # of nodes involved)

Can't help you on the green tea question. Don't like it. Don't drink it. Unless they do a study that definitively says I'll die without it...I have to take a pass on that one. (Okay...maybe, if my onc said it would keep me from recurring, I'd hold my nose and drink it too...) :)

Hope that helps! (and made you smile!)
God bless you, my friend!
Denise

Re: Questions
 

I think you would have been told if you had more than one tumor and the size of each. Otherwise, it is one tumor.

Some people drink tea instead of coffee or switch to tea because of the more healthful benefits (coffee is not totally bad for you. It has antioxidants too but tea is better).

So... some drink it just for the benefits and some drink it because they like it.

Re: Questions
 

Thank you ladies for your responses! They are always appreciated!!!Becky, I had 4 tumors. 3 were 2cm and 1 was 1cm. We only refer to as the cancer. So is there a accumulative total or do the people with a large tumor it really is just one?Thanks again.Your Friend,Nancy

Re: Questions
 

Nancy I think it can be either, a friend of mine had one large tumour of 6cm so its not always a few but in her case she had very dense breasts and even a mammo did'nt show this tumour.

I don't like green tea either btw!

Re: Questions
 

Just wanted to share my 2cents worth...
The original tumor in my breast was only 2.5cms removed by lumpectomy, then when I had a local recurrence, in the exact same spot as the original, I had 1cm invasive lesion with DCIS, so that prompted the mastectomy.
However, the lesion in my liver, which started as a single spot, progressed to innumerable, immeasureable lesions that were clustered to gether, eventually was measured as one big lesion.

As for supplements, I'm on a array of vitamins & supplements & follow a very specific schedule as created for me by my TCM (traditional chinise medicine doc) that has been working with me since 6mos into my Stage IV dx. We must be on to something good bc here we are, 9 years later!

Keep the Faith~

Jml

Dx-5/17/02 - 33 yo; Stage IV
L IDC w/single liver met
Herceptin + Navelbine x 8 weeks - No response; progress to innumerable,immeasureable liver mets
ISIS 2504 + Herceptin - 6 mos, partial response
Taxol + Herceptin x 13 weeks to NED!
NED for 1 year
9/04 - Single liver lesion recurrence
Taxol + Herceptin - on/off to beat back lesion
12/05 - R Hepatectomy; Liver NED until 2009
3/06- Local recurrence - Left breast, IDC & DCIS, but holding treatment while continue to heal from Hepatectomy.
12/06 - L mastectomy + reconstruction through 8/07
10/07 - Recurrence - supraclav nodes
Gemzar + Herceptin - on/off controlling nodes thru
9/08 - 7wks rads to supraclav nodes
10/08 - Acute Renal Failure - nodes in belly stricturing kidneys. placed permanent ureteral stents
Back on Gemzar + Herceptin, but no longer responding.
05/09 - Tykerb + Xeloda - partial response x 5 mos
10/09 - Xeloda + Herceptin - no response, disease progresses
2/10- Ixempra + Herceptin - partial response x 12 wks.
Discovered single brain lesion x 4mm & liver lesions growing while screening for TDM1 + PI3Kinase study.
6/10 - Novalis to treat brain met - SUCCESSFUL!
6/10 - Chemo-embo w/Adriamyacin to de-bulk liver lesion.
8/10 - Screened & Started TDM1 EAP
Immediate response, disease in belly responds dramatically.
2/11- questionable progression of lung nodules
Discontinue TDM1
3/11 - PI3Kinase + Herceptin - intial good response in 1st 6 weeks but LFT's elevated.
7/11-Discontinue PI3Kinase + Herceptin study;
Disease progression - 2 small lesions in colon – docs have never seen this before in BC
8/11 –Start new combo Halaven+Herceptin
10/14/2011 -Completed 3 cycles (9 wks)Halaven+Herceptin...
10/18/2011 - Scanxiety time -1st scans since starting this regimen
10/20/2011 - re: scan results - "IT LOOKS REALLY GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Re: Questions
 

A 5cm tumor could be one tumor, or it could be two close together, or it could be a mixed tumor - part IDC and part DCIS. Until its removed, there is nothing to definitively say.

I had multiple spots of cancer in my breast and I was told that they only count the largest. I've read several studies that say conventional breast cancer staging practices focus on the largest tumor's diameter in the presence of multifocality, should be rethought.

Re: Questions
 

My tumor report said "at least" 4.5 cm. The doctor explained that the size of the actual tumor was smaller than 4.5cm, but that there were "fingers" going out from the tumor, which measured 4.5cm overall.