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11-02-2012, 04:19 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Essex United Kingdom
Posts: 38
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Tumour gone after neo-adjuvant chemo?
My daughter Lorna has now finished 6 rounds of chemo along with Herceptin and Zometa, however she continues with the Herceptin and Zometa every 3 weeks. She went for scans on Wednesday and it appears that the tumour in her breast has disappeared completely!
Her oncologist rang this morning and wants her to go in next week for biopsies of the breast.
My question is if the biopsies show no cancer cells should she still have surgery to remove the tissue where the tumour was?? Lorna is Stage 4 with mets to her spine but I am now starting to question this diagnosis of Stage 4. The radiologist we saw this week said that if Lorna did not have a cancer in her breast she would not question the very subtle abnormality in her 5th vertebra!! In fact she said she had never seen anything so subtle! Think more questions need to be answered!
Yvonne xx
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11-02-2012, 07:02 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Sunny San Diego
Posts: 2,214
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Re: Tumour gone after neo-adjuvant chemo?
Oh, I am so glad to hear the news, so glad the tumor went poof with treatment.
I can't answer about the surgery - I wondered the same myself. I think it is traditional to do surgery, but I would have to ask is it necessary. I'm sure the doctors will have information for you about this.
Oh, maybe she isn't stage IV - that would be wonderful news.
Wishing her No evidence of disease and a full recovery.
__________________
Diagnosed 2007
Stage IIb Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, Pagets, 3 of 15 positive nodes
Traditional Treatment: Mastectomy and Axillary Node Dissection followed by Taxotere, 6 treatments and 1 year of Herceptin, no radiation
Former Chemo Ninja "Takizi Zukuchiri"
Additional treatments:
GP2 vaccine, San Antonio Med Ctr
Prescriptive Exercise for Cancer Patients
ENERGY Study, UCSD La Jolla
Reconstruction: TRAM flap, partial loss, Revision
The content of my posts are meant for informational purposes only. The medical information is intended for general information only and should not be used in any way to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease
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11-02-2012, 08:27 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 129
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Re: Tumour gone after neo-adjuvant chemo?
Good news!! My tumour was totally gone after 4 treatments, and i still had a partial mastectomy. There was no disease in the breast. The surgeon said she removed a little more tissue bc of scar tissue. I would worry that a biopsy only would miss something.
__________________
Age 54, married farm wife/school nurse/mom of 5 adult children...March 2012- found 2.5cm hard, non-painful mass on bse. It was not there, and then it was. Yikes.
Biopsy- DCIS, IDC, er-/pr-/her2+++, grade3. 1 node suspicious on us. Biopsy +.
Plan was for Neoadjuvant TCH x6, Herceptin q3w x a year.
May1- first chemo.
May 5- I could no longer feel the mass. Really. Neither could my oncologist.
July 2- 4th TCH- Oncologist cancels last 2 tx due to "complete response"
August6- lumpectomy with axillary node dissection. No disease present in breast. 1 out of 14 nodes + (4mm)
MUGA #2- 72%
Finished 30 rads Oct '12. Mild lymphedema noticed when I had 2 rads left.
Continue Herceptin q3w until next May
April '13- first mammo since surgery- calcium deposits that are " not concerning." Well, they are concerning to ME! Turned loose from surgeon for 6 months! One more Vit H, will make plans then for port removal.
Oct '13- no change in calcium deposits. "See ya in 6 months!" Keeping port for now.
March '14- oncologist says return in 6 mo.
April '14- mammo unchanged. Surgeon will see me in 6 months but no mammo for a year unless something changes. Its getting easier, but oh, boydo i hate that scanxiety! Keeping port until 2 year anniversary of last Herceptin.
Sept'14- bloodwork good, return to onco in 8 months.
Oct'14- surgeon will see me in April '15. Moving on.
May '15- mammo unchanged, keeping same schedule. Tumor markers soon and if all is well port comes out.
July '15-tumor markers normal. See onco in a year. Appt. for port end of month. First grandchild born July 1st- for today, life is good.
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11-02-2012, 08:40 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Posts: 432
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Re: Tumour gone after neo-adjuvant chemo?
That is wonderful that she had such a great response to the treatment and even better if she doesn't have spine met - I guess the only definitive way there is biopsy but I don't know how this works with bones - I have had some suspicious spots on bones that they have determined over scans are not cancer.
Re the surgery - seek varied opinions. I have a friend who had a complete response only to have recurrence back in the breast within months of completing her chemo - she was a Brca girl though and I think always planned the double mastectomy but was breast feeding. (She had chemo throughout her pregnancy)
I wish your daughter well and hope that it is not a met in her bones. Are her lymph nodes clear too?
__________________
Amanda xx
40 year old Mum to three gorgeous kids - son 5 and daughters 8 and 11
Wife to my wonderfully supportive husband of 17 years!
22 February 2011 - Diagnosed Early Breast Cancer IDBC Stage2b (ER/PR -ve, Her2+ve +++) - 38 years old
(L) skin sparing mastectomy with tissue expander, axilla clearance (2/14 affected) clear margins.
Fec*3, Taxotere and herceptin*2 - stopped due to secondary diagnosis
June 24 2011 Stage IV - Skin met, axilla node, multiple lung lesions
Bolero3 trial - Navelbine, Hereptin weekly, daily Everolimus/Placebo
February 2012 - July 2012 Tykerb and Xeloda - skin mets resolved, Lungs initially dramatically reduced but growing again
August 2012 (turn 40!) tykerb and herceptin (denied compassionate use of TDM1) while holidaying in Italy!
September 2012 - January 2013 TDM1 as part of the Th3resa trial - lymph nodes resolved, lungs slowly progressing.
January 2013 - herceptin, carboplatin and Perjeta (compassionate access)
April 2013 - Some progression in lungs and lymph nodes - Abraxane, Herceptin and Perjeta
July 2013 - mixed response - dramatic reduction of most lung disease, progression of smaller lung nodules and cervical and hilar nodes - ? Add avastin.
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11-02-2012, 11:19 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Michigan
Posts: 1,173
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Re: Tumour gone after neo-adjuvant chemo?
How wonderful for your daughter and you! You can always wait a short time and redo tests and you can always get a 2 and third opinion. Nothing is set in stone. Gods blessings to you both. Please know that your whole family is in my prayers.
Peace, Your friend,
Nancy
__________________
dx 11/12/09 IDCI
Stage 3a
ER 98% PR 80%
Her2 +3
4/12 nodes
6 rounds TCH
Herceptin 12 months 3weeks
Rad. 30 tx
Tamoxifin 6 months stopped
Arimedex stopped 9/12 (side effects)
Aromasin 10/12
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11-03-2012, 05:30 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Essex United Kingdom
Posts: 38
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Re: Tumour gone after neo-adjuvant chemo?
Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers.
Does anyone know if a PEP Scan would tell us for sure if it is cancer in the spine? I believe it would but not sure 100%.
Amanda, when Lorna was first diagnosed the lymph nodes were infected, when they did the scan on Wednesday they said the nodes looked normal but I’m guessing that the biopsies will tell us what is happening now. Again it’s back to the waiting game, the hardest part for me!
Yvonne xx
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11-03-2012, 06:36 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Lakeville, Minnesota
Posts: 199
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Re: Tumour gone after neo-adjuvant chemo?
A pet scan is not 100 % definitive whether it is cancer or not. But it is a very sensitive exam because I have degenerative disk in t4 & 5 , and my scans say that it is degenerative in nature. Usually if it is suspected to be cancer, the report will say " suspicious for metastatic disease " or some similar language.
Did the area in the spine get better after treatment? If there was a change then that is another reason that would point to it being cancer, ie - it responded to treatment.
The good thing of them classifying her as stage 4 is that she can stay on herceptin indefinitely, and hopefully stay Ned.
Laurie
__________________
diagnosed stage 2- 3/2005
4.5 cm & 2+ nodes , er/pr- & HER2+
4 AC
12 taxol/Herceptin
Year of Herceptin
liver mets- July-2010
7 taxotere/Herceptin
RFA- Feb.2011
NED
U of Wa vaccine trial-oct 2011-Feb 2012
Herceptin/tykerb
Ned - 2 1/2 years
Herceptin & perjeta
Ned 3 years
Herceptin- reducing treatments , due to s/e, to 5-6 a year
NED- 3 1/2 years
Ned - 4 years
2/15- stopped herceptin - on no treatment
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11-03-2012, 09:22 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Essex United Kingdom
Posts: 38
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Re: Tumour gone after neo-adjuvant chemo?
Lorna had an MRI of the spine after 3 chemo’s and it remained stable she has not had one since finishing the chemo. It would be interesting to see if there is any change considering the breast has had such a good response I would expect the spine to have had some change if it is cancer.
But you know what Laurie I was thinking the same thing about being classifying as stage 4 and that Lorna can stay on Herceptin indefinitely, and that would hopefully keep her safe and stay Ned. My concern here is she is only 22 years old and would like to have a family and staying on Herceptin would affect this but then that’s another thread all together!
Yvonne xx
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