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Re: Stage v- a hard to swallow fact
Hi Bunty ! Yes i definitely gained much hope and comfort from everyone's response on the forum !
Hi Joann ! In my case i did see a surgeon who confirmed my recurrence in March 2012. He recommended wide excision and possible skin graft. My radiologist didn't want to do radiation because he thinks i have a high risk of recurrence to chest wall and would want to save the option for later ( which he did tell me in the face but i read his notes in my chart at the onco's office ). My oncologist wanted to to chemo first to get it under control and to see how i respond. In his words if cancer does not get controlled first, it comes right back after surgery.
So the treatment plan for me was chemo -Tykerb and xeloda. I have been on those meds for 9 months now. My skin mets are confined to the same breast. It was not wide spread and T/X got them under control. The plan was to be on chemo first and then surgery. I could have the surgeon do the excision but i wanted another surgeon which was not covered under my insurance last year. My onco said i could wait for a few months since i didn't need surgery right away and the mets are stable.
The new surgeon i saw was at Cedar Sinai. He does hundreds of breast surgeries every year and told me surgery won't do me much benefit. So i trust his expertise. The other surgeon was a general surgeon although certified in oncology surgery. but it never hurts to get a second opinion.
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1/11 age 36 DX
ER/PR-, Her2 +
TCH*6, Herceptin
BMX with immediate recontruction 5/2011 Lattismus Flap- Dx stage 3c 10/23 nodes
9/11 Radiation
3/12 Local recurrence to skin stage IV
Whole body scan CLEAR
4/12 Tykerb & Xeolda Skin mets slowly regressing
8/12 PET & Brain CT Clear
5/13 Skin mets progressing
6/13 PET scan chestwall recurrence in contralateral anxillary,internal mammary and ipsilateral subpectoral nodes
6/13 kadcyla
10/13 whole body scan -clear NED. previously resolved skin rash gone but 3 new lesions. Biopsy confirmed for skin recurrence
11/13 to 02/14 tykerb & herceptin
02/14 add abraxane/gemzar, 2 weeks on 1 week off at reduced dose
05/14 whole body PET clear/ brain CT clear but skin mets are getting worse, ready for new chemo
05/14 navelbine perjeta herceptin
07/14 skin mets progressing red rash worse
08/14 wide local excision with diep flap to close wound. Final path shows 2 positive margins showing inflammatory carcinoma Going back to surgery in 2 weeks
09/01/14 resection- clear margins
3 weeks after 2nd surgery, a new nodular rash found near drain incision with 2 small red spots behind the chest wall biopsy on 10/1. Positive for breast cancer
Radiation 11/2014 with xeloda then weekly cisplatin
11/14 brain MRI clean
12/14 finished 33 radiations burnt and very painful. Bedridden for 1 week
12/14 t current Herceptin and perjeta only
02/15 rash on upper back right side skin mets radiation planned
02/15 staring electron radiation *35
Stopped at 30 due to severe skin burn, resumed 10 days later
05/15 red patches appeared in between previously radiated area, skin mets. Ct and brain Mri clear. Simulation planned, radiation to start after trip to Alaska.
05/24 new spot identified in scar line on previously radiated reconstructed breast- electron on both side chest wall area and scar line
07/15 multiple skin and lung recurrence begin halaven
11/15 cough much better but very tired on halaven and starting to see some new red skin blotches-suspicious
11/15 heading to China for immune therapy
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