1993 - Radical Mastectomy 9 out of 11 nodes involved. 4 rounds of A/C and 33 radiation treatments
1994 - Eight years of Tamoxifen
2001 - Uterine Cancer
2001 - Put on Femara
2002 - Extensive bone mets - Put on Faslodex and Zometa
2003 - More bone mets and cyst bridging lateral and medial segments in abdomen 2.6 x 3.1 cm. and para-arotic lymph node 1.7 x 2.1cm.
4/1/2003 - Started taxol and herceptin
The size of the cysts in the abdomen really scares me.

Wow hang in there!

Femara
 

hey Annamarie16
I live in Denmark and was diagnosed in nov 2005. My tumor is huge about 7 cm with at satelite, 2 cm. I could not get an operation. I could chose between chemo or Femara both not have both. I chose Femara. But I can see than not many know that medicine. I have few problems using it. But am not sure if I made the right choice. You mention it, what is your experiences?

Gerda

Gerda
 

Is Denmark now testing tumors to see if they are her2+? Even thought the test is made by a Danish company (DAKO) until fairly recently I was led to believe that breast cancer tumors in Denmark were not routinely being tested for her2neu (I know of half a dozen cases where it was not)

Neoadjuvant therapy (that given before surgery) is usually chemotherapy rather than anti-hormonal therapy as it works faster.

If you give us more information ie, your age, whether you are pre or post menopausal, if you are her2neu positive by IHC, if you are her2neu positive by FISH, what your ER and PR status is, if you know your Ki67, grade and the results of any staging tests--PET (also not usually done in Denmark) or PET/CT, bone scan, etc we might be able to give you more meaningful information.

Femara is an aromatase inhibitor--it is meant to be used on postmenopausal women who are ER (estrogen-receptor) positive. It is meant to cut down on the amount of estrogen which your breast cancer cells are coming in contact with as estrogen is a trigger which causes estrogen receptor positive breast cancers to divide and the tumor grow.

You did not say if the tumor was elsewhere in your body. If it is, and if your tumor is her2neu negative they sometimes start with endocrine therapy rather than chemotherapy depending if the other areas are symptomatic or troublesome. If it is her2positive, I know there is at least one clinical trial with Herceptin in Denmark.

Let us know if we can be of more help!