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StephN · 09-28-2007, 11:31 AM

Dear Lily -
Such a beautiful name. I was looking at the most amazing array of lilies at the farmers market yeaterday. So many colors and smells!

Your news about the new spots in your liver is not good, but not real bad either as nothing else new. Just the same organ. Very often we need a chemo to act in combination with our Herceptin and hormone suppressor.

Don't lost heart, I know what that kind of news feels like very well. I had MANY more than 4 small spots when we began treating my liver mets. It looked like Swiss cheese with some huge tumors as well.

Navelbine and Taxol were good against my mets. However I am hormone negative, and you may need to switch to Faslodex or something instead of Tamoxifin.

The way Navelbine and Taxol work against the cancer cells are different. They go after the cells at different phases of dividing. Then the Herceptin tries to keep the cells from getting to the stage where they can divide. I know chemo will be hard with such a small boy to look after, but I think you can respond well.

Let us know what other questions you have and how the visit with onc goes.

09-28-2007, 11:31 AM	#8
StephN Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Misty woods of WA State Posts: 4,128	Dear Lily - Such a beautiful name. I was looking at the most amazing array of lilies at the farmers market yeaterday. So many colors and smells! Your news about the new spots in your liver is not good, but not real bad either as nothing else new. Just the same organ. Very often we need a chemo to act in combination with our Herceptin and hormone suppressor. Don't lost heart, I know what that kind of news feels like very well. I had MANY more than 4 small spots when we began treating my liver mets. It looked like Swiss cheese with some huge tumors as well. Navelbine and Taxol were good against my mets. However I am hormone negative, and you may need to switch to Faslodex or something instead of Tamoxifin. The way Navelbine and Taxol work against the cancer cells are different. They go after the cells at different phases of dividing. Then the Herceptin tries to keep the cells from getting to the stage where they can divide. I know chemo will be hard with such a small boy to look after, but I think you can respond well. Let us know what other questions you have and how the visit with onc goes. __________________ "When I hear music, I fear no danger. I am invulnerable. I see no foe. I am related to the earliest times, and to the latest." H.D. Thoreau Live in the moment. MY STORY SO FAR ~~~~ Found suspicious lump 9/2000 Lumpectomy, then node dissection and port placement Stage IIB, 8 pos nodes of 18, Grade 3, ER & PR - Adriamycin 12 weekly, taxotere 4 rounds 36 rads - very little burning 3 mos after rads liver full of tumors, Stage IV Jan 2002, one spot on sternum Weekly Taxol, Navelbine, Herceptin for 27 rounds to NED! 2003 & 2004 no active disease - 3 weekly Herceptin + Zometa Jan 2005 two mets to brain - Gamma Knife on Jan 18 All clear until treated cerebellum spot showing activity on Jan 2006 brain MRI & brain PET Brain surgery on Feb 9, 2006 - no cancer, 100% radiation necrosis - tumor was still dying Continue as NED while on Herceptin & quarterly Zometa Fall-2006 - off Zometa - watching one small brain spot (scar?) 2007 - spot/scar in brain stable - finished anticoagulation therapy for clot along my port-a-catheter - 3 angioplasties to unblock vena cava 2008 - Brain and body still NED! Port removed and scans in Dec. Dec 2008 - stop Herceptin - Vaccine Trial at U of W begun in Oct. of 2011 STILL NED everywhere in Feb 2014 - on wing & prayer 7/14 - Started twice yearly Zometa for my bones Jan. 2015 checkup still shows NED 2015 Neuropathy in feet - otherwise all OK - still NED. Same news for 2016 and all of 2017. Nov of 2017 - had small skin cancer removed from my face. Will have Zometa end of Jan. 2018.