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Old 01-12-2015, 11:48 PM   #21
forher
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Re: failed reconstruction following prophylactic mastectomy

This topic has really piqued my interest. Just 2 weeks ago I had an infection to my right side. It was my cancerous side. It was my radiated side and I had a very uncomfortable and painful implant in there which I was planning to remove/replace in a few months. Well, I was admitted with a 103 fever and was immediately put on dialudid and IV antibiotics. They could not get my fever down so my implant was removed. Interestingly, this infection occurred 1 year after my double mastectomy. The surgeon tested the area and found no cancer. So thankful for that. Debbie's post really got me thinking about this infection theory.
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June 2013 DX Stage 3 Idc, rt breast, er/pr-, her2+++
PET/CT/Brain MRI clear
ACTHP until Dec 2013
BMX Dec 2013
28 Rads Feb 2014
Exchange surgery June 2014
Herceptin end Sept 2014
Headaches start Oct 2014
CT body clear Nov 2014
Brain MRI 4 lesions Nov 2014
SRS via LINAC in Dec 2014
Rt side infection, hospitalized, lost right implant on Jan 1, 2015
Jan 14 2015 MRI brain lesions shrinking
Jan 27 2015 Re-start herceptin every 3 weeks
Feb 2015 CT/PET Body clear
Re-start Lymphedema treatment April 2015
Breast MRI clear April 2015
Brain MRI April 2015 - shows everything stable, nothing new (whew)
CT scan June 2015 - clear
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Old 01-13-2015, 07:21 AM   #22
Debbie L.
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Re: failed reconstruction following prophylactic mastectomy

To clarify about my post about infection, in case you don't read the book (Commotion in the Blood): Although Coley did seem to have a few successes, mostly he (and others trying various similar approaches) did not meet with success. Plus some people died from the infections he induced. His methods, by today's standards, were quite primitive of course (late 1800s/early 1900s). Still, there was enough of a hint of "something there" to be intriguing. Various people, including Coley, continued to try versions of his approach until mid-century, when radiation and chemotherapy began to find success, and interest in immunotherapy waned, at least for awhile.

So it was PURE speculation for me to wonder if the raging infection I had made any difference to my outcome. I don't remember Coley's exact success rate but it was small. Still, if this interests you, I highly recommend the book -- it's an easy and interesting read. A follow-up to it would be "The Transformed Cell" by Steven Rosenberg, mostly about the efforts in the later 1900s, to "use" the immune system to stop cancer. It's a little more technical but even if you skip the complicated parts, you'll get the gist. Those efforts, too, were primitive -- compared to what's known and what's going on today. Although many ideas of that time seemed to hold great promise, almost none were successful.

So I'm throwing a wet blanket on my post, not wanting to mislead. Like I said, random, rambling speculation only.

Debbie Laxague
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3/01 ~ Age 49. Occult primary announced by large (6cm) axillary node, found by my husband.
4/01 ~ Bilateral mastectomies (LMRM, R elective simple) - 1.2cm IDC was found at pathology. 5 of 11 axillary nodes positive, largest = 6cm. Stage IIIA
ERPR 5%/1% (re-done later at Baylor, both negative at zero).
HER2neu positive by IHC and FISH (8.89).
Lymphovascular invasion, grade 3, 8/9 modified SBR.
TX: Control of arm of NSABP's B-31 adjuvant Herceptin trial (no Herceptin, inducing a severe case of Herceptin-envy): A/C x 4 and Taxol x 4 q3weeks, then rads. Raging infection of entire chest after small revision of mastectomy scar after completing tx (significance unknown). Arimidex for two years, stopped after second pathology opinion.
2017: Mild and manageable lymphedema and some cognitive issues.
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