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09-05-2007, 12:18 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 3,154
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Okay need everyone's two cents worth...
Have had scans, tumor markers, mri of both breasts, all is good
thank the Lord.
Going into 2.5 yrs. out...(can't believe it)
Should I ask for MRI brain scan?
Thanks All
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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09-05-2007, 12:31 PM
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#2
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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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congrats
good news ....keep it up ....for many many years ahead ...
__________________
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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09-05-2007, 12:32 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Alaska
Posts: 2,018
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Jean,
I am a stage I also. Given your profile, my tendency would be to say no, although I realize I may be a minority. I did get a baseline MRI at one point 1 1/2 years ago myself, but that was primarily because I had some possible symptoms (turned out to be common vertigo), and I also had one aunt with bc who died of brain mets. But if you were to have any kind of persisting symptoms, like visual blurring or bright lights in your field of vision, or persistent headaches, then consider it. Some, like Christine I think, did not have symptoms, so it is a judgement call.
You are your own best judge about symptoms.
AlaskaAngel
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09-05-2007, 12:47 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: LI, NY
Posts: 660
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Why not?? Good to have a baseline, but that is just my opinion.
__________________
Maryann
Stage IV Inflammatory BC 1/00
Mod Rad Mastectomy 24nod/5+
Adriomycin Cytoxin Taxol
Tamoxifen 4 1/2 yrs
Radiation - 32 x
Metastatic BC lung/liver 10/04
thorocentesis 2x - pleurodesis
Herceptin Taxatiere Carbo
Femera/Lupron
BC NED 4/05
chemo induced Acute Myeloid Leukemia 5/06
Induction/consolidation chemo
bone marrow transplant - 11/3/06
Severe Host vs Graft Disease of liver
BC mets to lung 11/07
Fasoladex Herceptin Zometa Xeloda
GVHD/Iron overload to liver
Avascular Necrosis/morphine pump 10/10
metastatic brain tumor
steriotactic radiosurgery
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09-05-2007, 01:53 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,210
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I happened to have had a brain MRI a few years ago for a persistent dental problem. So I have a base line. (althought he company got sold a few times and most of the files were DESTROYED! I tracked them down and they think mine might still be in storage in Arizona!!!) But I asked the onc nurse practioner yesterday about if they ever do them routinely on us. She said not unless there are symptoms that warrent it.
__________________
Bonnie
Post menopause
May 2007 Core biopsy, Rt breast
ER+, Pr-, HER2 +++, Grade 3
Ki-67: 90%
"suspicious area" left breast
Bilateral mastectomy, (NED on left) May 2007
Sentinel Node Neg
Stage 1, DCIS with microinvasion, 3 mm, mostly removed during the biopsy....
Femara (discontinued 7/07) Resumed 10/07
OncoType score 36 (July 07)
Began THC 7/26/07 (d/c taxol and carboplatin 10/07)
Began Herceptin alone 10/07
Finished Herceptin July /08
D/C Femara 4/10 (joint pain/trigger thumb!)
5/10 mistakenly dx with lung cancer. Middle rt lobe removed!
Aromasin started 5/10
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09-05-2007, 02:52 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: NYC
Posts: 250
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Honestly Jean, I don't think you need a brain scan. You're very likely cured. You didn't mention any symptoms, so I assume that you're thinking about a brain MRI for peace of mind.
I think that these scans can borrow trouble-- there are so many times when people get inconclusive results, or find out that they have some benign thingy that the doctors won't do anything about, but becomes a source of worry. Plus you have to put yourself through the agony of getting the scan, then waiting for the results.
Brain scans are not like mammos, where a baseline is helpful. Unless you are going to get brain scans on a regular mammo-like schedule, I don't get the argument that a baseline is necessary.
Just my two cents-- we're both about on the same schedule-- I was diagnosed in April of 2005-- almost 2.5 years out.
Moving on and beginning to believe that things are okay is very difficult.
My best,
Jen
__________________
dx 4/05 @ 34 y.o.
Stage IIIC, ER+ (90%)/PR+ (95%)/HER2+ (IHC 3+)
lumpectomy-- 2.5 cm 15+/37 nodes
(IVF in between surgery and chemo)
tx dd A/C, followed by dd Taxol & Herceptin
30 rads (or was it 35?)
Finished Herceptin on 7/24/06
Tamox
livingcured.blogspot.com
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow." -- Helen Keller
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09-05-2007, 04:12 PM
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#7
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Webmaster
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Home of the "Flying Tomato"
Carlsbad, CA
Posts: 2,036
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Ifoyour insurance will cover it..Go for it.
Regards
Joe
__________________
A Proud webmaster to the internet's most informed, educated, COMPASSIONATE and caring group of breast cancer survivors.
Illegitimi non carborundum
My Album
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09-05-2007, 05:31 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 3,154
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Thank you all for replies....
Sending big kiss and hug to all.
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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09-05-2007, 05:45 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Stockton, NJ
Posts: 4,179
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I got one done as a baseline and I am considering doing it once a year. Your brain is who you are.
__________________
Kind regards
Becky
Found lump via BSE
Diagnosed 8/04 at age 45
1.9cm tumor, ER+PR-, Her2 3+(rt side)
2 micromets to sentinel node
Stage 2A
left 3mm DCIS - low grade ER+PR+Her2 neg
lumpectomies 9/7/04
4DD AC followed by 4 DD taxol
Used Leukine instead of Neulasta
35 rads on right side only
4/05 started Tamoxifen
Started Herceptin 4 months after last Taxol due to
trial results and 2005 ASCO meeting & recommendations
Oophorectomy 8/05
Started Arimidex 9/05
Finished Herceptin (16 months) 9/06
Arimidex Only
Prolia every 6 months for osteopenia
NED 18 years!
Said Christopher Robin to Pooh: "You must remember this: You're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think"
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09-05-2007, 06:08 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Silicon Valley, CA
Posts: 76
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brain MRI at Stage I?
Hi,
I'm with AlaskaAngel. I never had a brain MRI after my Stage II dx in 1992, and didn't even have one after my mets dx until a year in, when I was getting eye twitches, and anyway wanted a baseline - it didn't show anything.
That was 10 months before I started getting disequilibrium symptoms, and had another brain MRI on an "emergency" basis - that scan showed a 2.9cm x 3.6cm lesion in my cerebellum - too large for CyberKnife SRS! So it grew from undetectable by brain MRI (generally under 1cm for a standard scan, .5cm for a "stereotactic" fine-slice scan) to the size of a robin's egg, all in 10 months. Since then, I've gotten brain MRI's routinely, every quarter, and those have detected <1cm lesions which have been treated with CyberKnife radiation.
It is currently very rare that bc metastasizes first to the brain, even in patients on maintenance Herceptin (without chemo or anti-hormonal tx as well) for some time. Brain MRI's are easy - but not for the claustrophobic, and quite noisy. Also, because each scan slices slightly differently, even baseline results cannot be relied on totally - a small lesion that one brain MRI misses, can be caught at full circumference on the next.
Just my 2c...
Sandy in Silicon Valley
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09-05-2007, 06:25 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Houston, Texas
Posts: 624
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Glad to hear good news. I would get the baseline, especially if my insurance would cover it.
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09-05-2007, 09:28 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Southern, CA
Posts: 2,511
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Jean, Here's my 2 cents...and its already been said before. But if your insurance company will cover it...I say do it. Why not. It will just give you piece of mind.
And by the way...its hard to believe your already 2.5 yrs out already. How time flies! And BIG Congratulations on all the CLEAN test results. That's wonderful.  (One other thing you should think about...your brain *might* be feeling left out since you have taken the time to have all the other body parts scanned...so its only fair to get your brain MRI'd...right.) lol
Chelee
__________________
DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes.
Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs.
Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06
Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07
3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07
9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV.
9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa
9-29-09 Power Port Placement
10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head.
11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed
12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa.
3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed.
4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone.
5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy.
Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time.
7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.
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09-06-2007, 12:40 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 3,519
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I agree with Joe. I always err towards an abundance of caution these days...
__________________
Brenda
NOV 2012 - 9 yr anniversary
JULY 2012 - 7 yr anniversary stage IV (of 50...)
Nov'03~ dX stage 2B
Dec'03~ Rt side mastectomy, Her2+, ER/PR+, 10 nodes out, one node positive
Jan'04~ Taxotere/Adria/Cytoxan x 6, NED, no Rads, Tamox. 1 year, Arimadex 3 mo., NED 14 mo.
Sept'05~ micro mets lungs/chest nodes/underarm node, Switched to Aromasin, T/C/H x 7, NED 6 months - Herceptin only
Aug'06~ micro mets chest nodes, & bone spot @ C3 neck, Added Taxol to Herceptin
Feb'07~ Genetic testing, BRCA 1&2 neg
Apr'07~ MRI - two 9mm brain mets & 5 punctates, new left chest met, & small increase of bone spot C3 neck, Stopped Aromasin
May'07~ Started Tykerb/Xeloda, no WBR for now
June'07~ MRI - stable brain mets, no new mets, 9mm spots less enhanced, CA15.3 down 45.5 to 9.3 in 10 wks, Ty/Xel working magic!
Aug'07~ MRI - brain mets shrunk half, NO NEW BRAIN METS!!, TMs stable @ 9.2
Oct'07~ PET/CT & MRI show NED
Apr'08~ scans still show NED in the head, small bone spot on right iliac crest (rear pelvic bone)
Sept'08~ MRI shows activity in brain mets, completed 5 fractions/5 consecutive days of IMRT to zap the pesky buggers
Oct'08~ dropped Xeloda, switched to tri-weekly Herceptin in combo with Tykerb, extend to tri-monthly Zometa infusion
Dec'08~ Brain MRI- 4 spots reduced to punctate size, large spot shrunk by 3mm, CT of torso clear/pelvis spot stable
June'09~ new 3-4mm left cerrebellar spot zapped with IMRT targeted rads
Sept'09~ new 6mm & 1 cm spots in pituitary/optic chiasm area. Rx= 25 days of 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the tumors.
Oct'09~ 25 days of low dose 3D conformal fractionated targeted IMRT to the bone mets spot on rt. iliac crest that have been watching for 2 years. Added daily Aromasin back into treatment regimen.
Apr'10~ Brain MRI clear! But, see new small spot on adrenal gland. Change from Aromasin back to Tamoxifen.
June'10~ Tumor markers (CA15.3) dropped from 37 to 23 after one month on Tamoxifen. Continue to monitor adrenal gland spot. Remain on Tykerb/Herceptin/Tamoxifen.
Nov'10~ Radiate positive mediastinal node that was pressing on recurrent laryngeal nerve, causing paralyzed larynx and a funny voice.
Jan'11~ MRI shows possible activity or perhaps just scar tissue/necrotic increase on 3 previously treated brain spots and a pituitary spot. 5 days of IMRT on 4 spots.
Feb'11~ Enrolled in T-DM1 EAP in Denver, first treatment March 25, 2011.
Mar'11~ Finally started T-DM1 EAP in Denver at Rocky Mountain Cancer Center/Rose on Mar. 25... hallelujah.
"I would rather be anecdotally alive than statistically dead."
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