new lump and coughing

[brittd01]

Hello everyone,

I am writing b/c my Mom is going to have a boipsy of a new lump in her breast that seems to have popped up over night.

Quick history: dx w/ Stage IV bc March 04 with liver and tiny lung mets. er/pr- her2nu++. Started taxol/carbo/herceptin for 9 months. All mets shrunk but did not go away totally. Progressed to one tiny met on T10 during summer while on herceptin alone last summer. Began navelbine/herceptin/zometa in Aug. November scans showed Ned in liver and the spine met was shrinking.

Around Christmas she began coughing that was in conjunction with pain in her back. As of the last two weeks, the pain in back has subsided and the cough has decreased a great deal. She went for her tx and saw her local onc yesterday and he told her that her Liver levels?? (not sure which test) have been high lately around 120 but as of yesterday they were back around 50, near normal according to him.

So now she's found this new lump in her right breast and is having it biopsied today. She's very upset b/c it looks like she might be progressing on Navelbine after having such great results at the start.

My question is, what chemos have been successful after navelbine has quit working? Can herceptin quit working?? She is just so tired and was really hoping that her scans at the end of this month were going to be great and she could take a break from chemo altogether. And they still might be okay. It's just that with this new lump and the coughing.....

We're both pretty down right now. Any words of wisdom?

Love,
Brittany

[Esther]

Brittany, there is alot of options for your mom to try after Navelbine, if in fact it has stopped working for her.

I can fully empathize with your mom's desire for a break at this point. Bring that up with her onc. Sometimes if you are stable, you can work a break in to give your body a chance to recuperate.

Has your mom had any tests to figure out why she has been coughing? Hopefully your mom can get the time to recover from treatment before needing to switch to another one.

Xeloda was a chemo that I found very tolerable, and is oral, so you don't need to go into the onc's office for infusions. I had very few side effects with Xeloda, have your discuss the possibility with her onc.

From what I understand of Herceptin, you can just switch to another chemo along with Herceptin if needed, and it doesn't mean that Herceptin has quit working for her.

Keep us posted, I hope she finds some answers soon.

[Lolly]

Brittany, I have just added Xeloda to my weekly dose of Herceptin/Navelbine, as I was stable on Herceptin/Navelbine but having much trouble with lowered blood counts and stomach issues. So, my onc cut my Navelbine dose in half, and added 500 mg. Xeloda twice daily, and as Esther says it's a pill that I take at home after meals.

I haven't had any side effects from Xeloda, and my blood counts over the last 2 weeks have been steadily going UP until now I'm at almost normal levels.

Plus, the axilla lymph nodes that we're targeting with this treatment are visibly and palpably shrinking.

I also have a friend with lung mets who is now NED after 6 months of Xeloda/Herceptin.

I hope this encourages you and your mom, as Esther says she has lots of options.

I would like to add that my onc is one who believes that Xeloda should be started at a low dose, then if that's tolerable, work up if necessary until maximam tolerable dose is achieved. Some can tolerate larger doses than others, but a smaller dose can be effective too, the schedule is the key. I take it daily with no break, but I've seen that others here take a much higher dose for a couple of weeks, then have a break. So, something to discuss with your mom's onc.

<3 Lolly

[mamacze]

Dear Brittany,
I have nothing technical to add other than to say that your mama is one lucky lady to have you for a daughter...how scarey this must be for you,and yet you tough it out and dog after the answers...you go girl!
Love Kim from CT