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Old 01-18-2014, 12:34 AM   #5
Adriana Mangus
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: California
Posts: 668
Re: Occult (silent, asymptomatic) brain metastases in her2+ patients

I had been having routine brain MRI's before a tiny tumor was found in the cerebellum, when I first asked the Doctor, he was a little reluctant, but oblige. Last year when the small tumor was visible on the MRI he thanked me for asking him to order the MRI's.

It's crucial to work with your doctor- - talk to him/her all the time, ask questions, even if you think it's not important or sounds silly- - it may take a while before mets to the brain are discovered, by then a patient may have too many tumors to have them treated on a single treatment - not visits- but it's a better alternative then having WBR.

Had I not been a member of this organization I wouldn't have known to ask my doctor.

Thank you Stephanie for mentioning the importance of this and also our beloved Sheila, whom I thanked many, many times before she left us.

I'm so thankful for this site and everyone who I have come across in the past ten years. They are not just my only and true heroes, but my Warriors, they saved my life.

Love,

Adriana
__________________
1994 - rt brst, .lump, underarm node dissection,chemo+rad 1.2 cms, Grade 3.
28 nodes neg
Er,Pr, Positive HER2 status unknown
2003- Recur to rt lung.July 16 ( B-Day!)
Her2+++ Er,Pr, Negative
2003 - Aug04--Navelbine + Herceptin
2004- 2007--
NED - Herceptin, only
2007 Feb-April Xeloda added to hereceptin
2007-May Back on Navelbine+Herceptin
2008-Feb-Mar 15 Ses Rad to Rt. Lung
2008- Oc 17 Add Tykerb to Herceptin
2009- June-- Discont Tykerb
2009 July 7--Current Taxol + Herceptin
2009 Dec--Discontinued treatment due to progression. Looking into cyberknife.
2010-Aug Accepted to TDM1, no SE, except liver count went up.
2010-2011 September got kicked out of the trial, due to a small spot found on lung.
2011- 2012 September thru early 2013 on Herceptin
2013- March Bone density shows small spot on 5th rib.
2013 - April 4th appt with onc. will post after discussing course of treatment.
2013-March-April Cyber knife to brain and radiation to rib. Chest --base line before chemo-CT-Scan stable for lung issue. CA2729 Normal.
2013 April Herceptin- TDMI
2013 Sept Herceptin + Perjeta . CA2729 within normal range. Brain and Pet scans October 31st. will post results.
2013 October Brain MRI- mixed response. Will see Onc/rad on Halloween.
2013 October/November Brain-MRI nothing new. Repeat MRI next year in May.

2013 December Continue Herceptin and Perjeta. Stable at the moment.
2014 February Brain MRI -clear!
2014 January Added Taxotere to Perjeta+Herceptin.
2014 March Stopped chemo-chest ct-scan next.

2014- March Scans shows tumor's larger, CA2729 higher. Discontinue Herceptin.
2014 April Perjeta+ Halaven
2014 April CA2729 went down 60 points after one cycle. Cough does not want to go away.
2014 June Continue on Perjeta + Halaven-- no more cough. Stable
2014 June Back on Herceptin + abraxane
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