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10-27-2008, 04:39 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 476
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Sister's cancer
My sister had bc 15 years ago. After mastectomy and chemo she was doing well since. Recently, she had lung effusion and cancer cells were found in the red colored liquid. More tests showed cancer like growth at the top of the spine, just below the head vertebrae. This apparent spine cancer probably is bone type cancer, detected by PET scan. Samples of tissue outside the spine near the problem area found no cancer cells.
The problem is that we couldn't get any cancer tissue to do a pathology test. Without path report, doctors don't know how to treat. We don't even know whether the two areas are metastatic cancers from the old bc, or they are new cancers unrelated to the old bc.
Anyone here has any idea of how to tackle this thorny problem? For the time being, we are treating the lesions with Arimidex and Zometa assuming they are bc mets. Bone cancer is hard to biopsy and effusion malignancy is also hard to biopsy.
__________________
Ann
Stage 1 dx Sept 05
ER/PR positive HER2 +++ Grade 3
Invasive carcinoma 1 cm, no node involvement
Mastec Sept 05
Annual scans all negative, Oct 06
Postmenopause. Arimidex only since Sept 06, bone or muscle ache after 3 month
Off Arimidex, change to Femara 1/12-07, ache stopped
Sept 07 all tests negative, pass 2 year mark
Feb 08 continue doing well.
Sep 09 four year NED still on Femara.
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10-28-2008, 12:46 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 3,154
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Ann,
I have no answers for you...
just wanted to respond and tell you I am sorry and sad
to hear your news about your sisters. I will keep her in my prayers.
As your sister is a 15 yr bc survivor what type of yearly
check ups was she doing? or follow up care?
All best wishes and please keep us updated on you sister.
Kind Regards,
jean
__________________
Stage 1, Grade 1, 3/30/05
Lumpectomy 4/15/05 - 6MM IDC
Node Neg. (Sentinel node)
ER+ 90% / PR-, Her2+++ by FISH
Ki-67 40%
Arimidex 5/05
Radiation 32 trt, 5/30/05
Oncotype DX test 4/17/06, 31% high risk
TOPO 11 neg. 4/06
Stopped Arimidex 5/06
TCH 5/06, 6 treatments
Herceptin 5/06 - for 1 yr.
9/06 Completed chemo
Started Femara Sept. 2006
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10-28-2008, 02:35 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: indianapolis, indiana
Posts: 1,544
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no answers, just wanted to add my prayers with the others.
__________________
dxd 9-04, lumpectomy,
st 1, gr 3, er,pr-, her2 +,
2 tac,33 rads,6 cmf
1 yr herceptin,
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10-30-2008, 06:26 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,851
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Ann,
I'm sorry to hear of your sister's cancer.
Is it possible for her to make an appointment in a large medical center where they see more cancer cases, or to contact her local oncologist who can hook up with a larger center for advice on how to proceed with a diagnosis?
Your sister is in my prayers.
Joan
__________________
Diagnosed stage 2b in July 2003 (2.3 cm, HER2+, ER-/PR-, 7+ nodes). Treated with mastectomy (with immediate DIEP flap reconstruction), AC + T/Herceptin (off label). Cancer advanced to lung in Jan. 2007 (1 cm nodule). Started Herceptin every 3 weeks. Lung wedge resection April 2007. Cancer recurred in lung April 2008. RFA of lung in August 2008. 2nd annual brain MRI in Oct. 2008 discovered 2.6 cm cystic tumor in left frontal lobe. Craniotomy Oct. 2008 (ER-/PR-/HER2-) followed by targeted radiation (IMRT). Coughing up blood Feb. 2009. Thoractomy July 2009 to cut out fungal ball of common soil fungus (aspergillus) that grew in the RFA cavity (most likely inhaled while gardening). No cancer, only fungus. Removal of tiny melanoma from upper left arm, plus sentinel lymph node biopsy in Feb. 2016. Guardant Health liquid biopsy in Feb. 2016 showed mutations in 4 subtypes of TP53. Repeat of Guardant Health biopsy in Jana. 2021 showed 3 TP53 mutations, BRCA1 mutation and CHEK2 mutation. Invitae genetic testing showed negative for all of these. Living with MBC since 2007. Stopped Herceptin Hylecta (injection) treatment in March 2020. Recent 2021 annual CT of chest, abdomen and pelvis and annual brain MRI showed NED. Praying for NED forever!!
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