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02-01-2008, 08:06 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 1,516
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***Attention ALL NEW Members/Lurkers***
I'm not one to "toot my own horn", but TODAY I am...it is my 3 year Cancerversary.When I was dx 2/1/05, I thought the END was near and ALL the information on "my type of cancer" was not hopeful in the least ( I was just WAITING for a recurrence). While I was "originally" not to get Herceptin, the day of my LAST chemo, the news came out about Herceptin and early stage so on my 1st follow up on 8/10/05, my onc told me he wanted me to get an echo and to plan to start Herceptin the next Thursday. I TOO don't post as much as I used to as 1. treatments are ALWAYS changing, 2. there is a lot of duplicate information, 3. there are "new" voices to be heard, but for ALL of you out there who don't comment much, PLEASE take this opportunity to update and post your signature so that the new people have 1 central link for "hope". Take care and God bless to you all.
Rhonda
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Rhonda
Dx 2/1/05, Stage 1, 0 nodes, Grade 3, ER/PR-, HER2+ (3.16 Fish)
2/7/05, Partial Mastectomy
5/18/05 Finished 6 rounds of dose dense TEC (Taxotere, Epirubicin and Cytoxan)
8/1/05 Finished 33 rads
8/18/05 Started Herceptin, every 3 weeks for a year (last one 8/10/06)
2/1/13...8 year Cancerversary and I am "perfect" (at least where cancer is concerned;)
" And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."- Abraham Lincoln
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02-01-2008, 08:23 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Boise, Idaho
Posts: 758
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Dear RHonda,
Hooray!! Hooray!! Hooray!! My three years will be in March. I am so happy for you and all the rest of us who are surviving this disease. I am exactly like you in getting diagnosed at the time of the release of the great news about Herceptin. I was diagnosed 3/9/05, had a lumpectomy 4/13/05, and reoperated on 4/25/05, the date that the news was released. My onc did not think I would be getting Herceptin but by the time I had finished A/C he started me on it.
I also find it harder to post on the course of this disease since I seem to be doing so well. I remember we did a lot of talking about fingernails and the "crusties" in the early days. Oh, and the things we could do to improve our chances of being able to stay on the drug through the course of treatment... diet, COEnzyme Q10.
Anyway congratulations.
Love & hugs,
Marlys
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02-01-2008, 08:27 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Bay City, MI
Posts: 73
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Hi Rhonda: Congratulations! My 3 year will be this May, in some ways it seems like an eternity ago, and in other ways it's flown by, with all the doctor's appts. Everything is going great for me too!
Your fellow Michigander,
Sue
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Sue
IDC, Stage 1, Grade 3
Oncotype Dx Score 40
Her2+++ E+P+
Lumpectomy 5/05
Re-excision 6/05
4AC
33 rounds of radiation
1 year Herceptin (had to quit after 8 months, due to low muga scores)
Faslodex until 11-07
Hysterectomy with ovaries 11-07
Arimidex 12-07 switched to Aromasin 10-09
Quit Aromasin 11-09 due to joint pain
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02-01-2008, 09:18 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Sheboygan, WI
Posts: 2,582
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So happy for Rhonda.....................
Oh Rhonda, I'm so happy for you. What a glorious day for you AND that beautiful son of yours. 
I, too, am approaching my 3 year..................July for me. Ok, maybe I'm pushing it a bit BUT it will be here before I know it. Like the rest of you, I too felt death was imminent and never thought I'd be here NED for the past 2 1/2 years. Yes, there is hope and we her2neuer's have SO much to be thankful for as far as research for our disease goes.
So, yes, please update ............ it gives HOPE to us all.
Congrats again Rhonda AND the rest of you.
Mary Jo
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"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
Dx. 6/24/05 age 45 Right Breast IDC ER/PR. Neg., - Her2+++ RB Mast. - 7/28/05 - 4 cm. tumor Margins clear - 1 microscopic cell 1 sent. node No Vasucular Invasion 4 DD A/C - 4 DD Taxol & Herceptin 1 full year of Herceptin received every 3 weeks 28 rads prophylactic Mast. 3/2/06
17 Years NED
<>< Romans 8:28
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02-01-2008, 09:46 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Thornhill, Ontario
Canada
Posts: 2,320
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Congrats Rhonda H!! Love to hear this good news.
all the best
caya
P.S. It sure brings alot of hope to us all - I'm just over 1 year out.
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ER90%+/PR 50%+/HER 2+
1.7 cm and 1.0 cm.
Stage 1, grade 2, Node Negative (16 nodes tested)
MRM Dec.18/06
3 x FEC, 3 x Taxotere
Herceptin - every 3 weeks for a year, finished May 8/08
Tamoxifen - 2 1/2 years
Femara - Jan. 1, 2010 - July 18, 2012
BRCA1/BRCA2 Negative
Dignosed 10/16/06, age 48 , premenopausal
Mild lymphedema diagnosed June 2009 - breast surgeon and lymph. therapist think it's completely reversible - hope so.
Reclast infusion January 2012
Oopherectomy October 2013
15 Years NED!!
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02-01-2008, 09:53 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: CHARLOTTE NC USA
Home town (ECUADOR) South America
Posts: 542
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felicidades Rhonda ...I'm happy for you too !!! is a good thing to have nice news in this site !!
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Lily Diag April/06 5 months after give birth my son Max stage IV mets on liver (5 tumors) 38 year old, her2+++ and ER+PR+ from32 nodes 4 positives mastectomy right breast chemo before surgery herceptin/carboplatin/taxotere ,clear and surgery have radiation 20, `& then herceptin and tamoxifen NED until Aug/07 body only then 'n June 04-06-07 .1 lesion of 1.6 cm on cerebellum ...novalis ,open sugery 5m.m brain met again novalis, 4mm.In the liver. Waiting 2 months now 3 tumors enroll on T-MCC trial start first infusion Nov 5/07 at Dec 17 scan show one tumor despair the 2nd and 3th diminish Doc said great results until March/08 ct scan show progression 03-05-08 start tykerb & xeloda
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02-01-2008, 10:40 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 823
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YEAH Rhonda CONGRATS, great news.
I am coming up on my 3 years as well in March.
Looks there are alot of us that are celebrating NED.
__________________
Vicki
Texas
Biopsy Dx'd 3-23-05 Age 48
MRM 4-5-05 w/ 2 tumor's 5cm, and 6 cm (right side)
IDC (poorly differentiated infiltrating ductual carcinoma)
5+/16 nodes
Stage III A
Grade 3
ER/PR-, Her2/neu ++
Ki67 78%
Begin Chemo 5-2-05 4XAC Dose Dense , 4X Abraxane Dose Dense (ended August 05)
28 Rad's ended October 13 2005
Started Herceptin Weekly August 2005 for one year
Had a Simple mastectomy left side after Mamo showed incresed micro-calcifications. Jan. 17 2006.
Brain MRI Feb.2006--All Clear
August 28, 2006 Last Weekly Herceptin.
October 2006--Colonoscopy, 6 Polyp's removed--all B9
PET Scan July 2007
Abdominal MRI Oct. 2007---2 Right Kidney Cysts
Core Biopsy-- Lump on Scar Line 1-10-08---B9
Brain MRI 6-2008--All Clear
PET/CT Scan 6-2008
Sept. 8 2008, 4CM area removed from mastectomy scar line. Proved to be B9.
PET/CT Scan-- July 2009 --All clear
August 17,2009 ---Had Port Removed
6 Years NED -- April 5,2011
DX'd with Melanoma left arm 10-10-2011
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02-01-2008, 10:42 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Carmel, Indiana
Posts: 98
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Congratulations to you!!! It is so good to hear of so many people doing well!
Beth
__________________
DX 9-19-07 at age 40
DCIS, Inv. Duct. Car. 3 cm
Positive lymph node biopsy
Er+Pr+Her+++
Carboplatin/Taxotere/Herceptin
10-1-07 -- 1-16-08
Herceptin every 3 weeks until 9/24/08
Lump. and node dissection 2-12-08
BRCA1 and 2 negative
30 rads finished 4-23-08
oophorectomy 5-6-08
Femara started 5/25/08
Zometa for osteoporosis every 6 mo. started 9-24-08
Married 16 years!
3 kids - daughter (10), twin sons (7)
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02-01-2008, 11:30 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,014
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WAY TO GO!! Those years fly by don't they. It is 2 years for me now and I was already looking for burial plots. I'm beginning to think I can put that on hold for awhile now...lol. Go celebrate...sherryg
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Sherry
Diagnosed: December , 2005 at age 44
13+ positive lymph nodes
Stage IV , Her2+, 2 small mets to lungsChemo Started: Jan, 2006
4 months Taxotere, Xeloda, Hercepin
NED since April 2006!!
36 Rads to follow with weekly Herceptin indefinately
8 years NED now
Scans every year
Life is not about avoiding the thunderstorms, it's about learning to dance in the rain!
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02-01-2008, 11:34 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Ireland
Posts: 3,463
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Hi Rhonda and many congratulations on your anniversery, like marejo, mine falls in July and I can't wait to celebrate three whole year's!
My best wishes to you for a happy day and be sure to celebrate 
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Tricia
Dx July '05 IDC 1.9cm Triple positive 3/9 nodes positive
A/C X 4 ..Taxol/Herceptin x 12 wks then herceptin 1 yr
Rads x 36 ..oophorectomy August '06
Currently taking Arimidex..
June 2011 osteopenia/ zometa x1 yearly- stopped Zometa 2015 as Dexa show normal bone density.
Stopped Arimidex July 2014- Restarted Arimidex 2015 for a further two years on the advice of my Onc.
2014 Normal Dexa scan
2018 Mammo all clear, still NED!
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02-01-2008, 12:07 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 82
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Happy cancerversary, Rhonda! Wishing you many years of NED and horn tooting!
__________________
IDC Stage IIIA
Diagnosed Nov 2006 (routine mammogram), age 51
Lumpectomy, lymph node dissection Dec 2006
3 cm tumor, 8 cancerous lymph nodes
Grade 3, ER/PR -, HER-2/neu +++ (by FISH, average 20 copies per cell)
A/C x 4, Taxol x 12, Herceptin x 47 weeks
35 radiation treatments
Completed treatment on April 3, 2008
Chest port removed October 2009
11 years since diagnosis NED
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02-01-2008, 12:11 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 2,357
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I think that I will apply for a grant to fly the monthly celebrators to some festive location for dinner and celebration at some place that will pamper the cootie out of them! What great news we are hearing! Thanks for tuning in and letting us know! Love to all, ma
__________________
MA in TX.
Grateful for each and every day....
Diag. 12/05 at age 60
Stage II, Grade 3, 4.5 cm primary tumor
ER/PR- Her2 +3 strongly positive
Her2 by FISH 7.7 amplified
vascular invasion
Ki67 20% borderline
Jan - March '06 Taxotere/Adriamycin X 3 to try to shrink tumor - it grew
April '06 Rt Modified Radical Mas, 7 of 9 nodes positive
April - Aug. '06 Herceptin/Taxol/Carboplatin X 8 (dose dense)
Sept - Dec. '06 Navelbine/Herceptin x 8 (dose dense)
Radiation & Herceptin Jan. 22 - March 1, 2007
Finished Herceptin Dec. 10 '08! One extra year.
Port removed August, 2012.
8 1/2 years since diagnosis! 5 1/2 Years NED!
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02-01-2008, 02:16 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Oregon
Posts: 1,756
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Rhonda, we salute you and celebrate with you! You are such a caring person, and it really shows in your posts. Thanks for sharing the good news.
<3 Lolly
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Sept.'99 - Dx.Stage IIIB, IDC ER/PR-, HER2+++ by IHC, confirmed '04 by FISH. Left MRM, AC x's 4, Taxol x's 4, 33 Rads, finishing Tx May 2000. Jan.'01 - local/regional recurrence, Stage IV. Herceptin/Navelbine weekly till NED August 2001, then maintenance Herceptin. Right Mast. April 2002. Local/Regional recurrence April '04, Herceptin plus/minus chemo until May '07. Gemzar added from Feb.'07-April '07; Tykerb/Abraxane until August '07, back on Herceptin plus Taxotere and Xeloda Sept. '07. Stopped T/X Nov. '07, stopped Herceptin Dec. '07, started Avastin/Taxol/Carboplatin Dec. '07. Progression in chest skin, stopped TAC March '03, started radiation.
Herceptin has served as the "Backbone" of my treatment strategy for over 6 years, giving me great quality of life. In 2005, I was privileged to participate in the University of Washington/Seattle HER2 Vaccine Trial.
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02-01-2008, 02:44 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2008
Posts: 305
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Congratulations on your 3rd Cancerversary! It does help us new people see that there is a light at the end of this tunnel.
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02-01-2008, 04:38 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 232
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Rhonda,
Congratulations! Wishing you many years of health and happiness.
Karen
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02-01-2008, 04:43 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 624
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CONGRATULATIONS on your 3 year cancerversary. May you stay NED forever.
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02-01-2008, 04:52 PM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Mountains of Virginia
Posts: 2,267
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Rhonda,
Congrats! I know the feeling--my three years will be on the 15th. I had not even been tested for HER2, until I saw the release on TV and asked if I was HER2 positive. I had just finished A/C, was tested and stepped right into Taxol/Herceptin.
We ARE the lucky ones!
__________________
Rhonda (Sassy)
dx age 45
DX 2/15/05 Stage IIb (at surgery)restaged IIIa
Left mast .9cm tumor 5 of 14 nodes
Triple Positive
4 DD A/C
12 Taxol/Herceptin
33Rads
Strange infect mast site one year aft surg, hosp 1 wk
Herceptin for total of 18 months
Lupron Monthly 4 yrs
Neurontin for aches, pains and hot flashes(It works!)
Ovaries removed 11/09 stop Lupron and Neurontin
Arimidex 6 yrs (tried Femara, no SE improvement)
Tried Exemestane-hips got so bad could hardly walk
Back to Arimidex for year seven
Zometa 2X Annual for 7years, Lasix
Stop Arimidex 5/13
Stop Zometa 7/13-Bi-lateral Stress Fractures in Femurs from Zometa
5/14 Start Tamoxifen
3/15 Stem cell transplant to stimulate femur bone growth/healing
5/15 Complete fracture of right femur/Titanium rods both femurs
9/16 Start Evista stopTamoxifen
3/17 Stop Evista--unwelcome side effects!
NED and no meds.......
14 YEARS NED!
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02-01-2008, 06:17 PM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Detroit Metropolitan Area, Michigan
Posts: 592
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 Congratulations Rhonda!  And many, many more! Jo |
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02-01-2008, 06:31 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 2,077
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Congratulations, Rhonda!!!!!!! It's great to hear news such as yours. Keep on rollin'! Love, Bill
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02-01-2008, 08:57 PM
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#20
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Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 20
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Rhonda---
Funny I am going on 13 years of being a BC Warrior and I still yell it from the roof top's! You go girl! Celbrate an d know we are all making this cancer a "liveable diease" not a death sentence. May all of my sister's stay strong!
__________________
MPB
IDC in 1996 Stage 3 Grade D 17 pos. nodes
2003 liver mets found HER2 Her/Taxol then did the first trail for Trykerb and Xelosa until 11-07
Six new tumors on neck will be starting the MCC_DM1 trail this week.
"Believe in miracles, and watch them happen!"
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