Drug therapy/what's been used/what's next

MagnoliaforJenny · 10-17-2007, 07:22 PM

Jenny had her new port put in on Monday and slept most of the day yesterday. She is going in tomorrow for the herceptin treatment.

I found out that the first battle was fought with the "red devil" and cytox. That was followed up with radiation, then the surgery was performed. (modified mastectomy, with one positive node)

Next week she is to receive taxotere and cytoplasm (?)....I'm not sure of the spelling, she was reading to me over the phone.

As for a second opinion, she said she considered one but thinks she is in good hands. I made her promise me if this next round does not show some improvement, she will at least talk to someone else. She said she would. She has two concerns with this team of docs, 1) that they didn't perform the surgery before all the treatment and 2) they didn't believe for 3 weeks that the cancer had returned. She spoke with them in great length about these issues.

Basically, they thought she was having some issues due to the radiation treatment. The tumors started growing out of the scar tissue, that's when they believed it was the cancer returning. She says she gives them the benefit of the doubt because they truly had never seen it return so quickly.

They said that this time they are not so concerned about the liver/lung mets as they are about the 4 new tumors that appeared.

So that's where she is right now. She's bummed about losing all of her hair, and she's down about "losing her femininity".....she said for some reason that's bothering her more than the physical and emotional aspects of her cancer.

Any ideas about the prescribed treatment coming up and what to expect?

chrisy · 10-17-2007, 08:49 PM

Hi ,
First let me also say, your friend Jenny is lucky to have a friend like you for support.

My guess is that what is "next" is taxotere and carboplatin. That would be the typical power combo and a very reasonable treatment choice. I had taxol and carboplatin and found it very tolerable if you don't mind not having hair - which I did. The taxotere can cause problems with the nail beds; all the ladies in my infusion center put bags of frozen peas on their fingers and toes during the taxotere infusion - the office even had a little freezer to keep them in. That really helped. Overall, I think it is easier than the A/C (adriamycin/cytoxan) - that's what I hear.

Re Jenny's concerns with her team, it is actually becoming pretty common to have "neoadjuvant" chemo before surgery to try and reduce the tumor. So that need not necessarily be a concern.

Re the denial of recurrence, I can say I have some experience with that - I recurred to my liver after only having DCIS (stage 0 "precancer"). They were all in denial that it was the breast cancer. I think they have certain expectations, which are legitimate based on stats and their experience, and they naturally assume it is what they USUALLY would see. I know this is small consolation, but only 3 weeks of denial is pretty good and won't have made a difference in terms of treatment options.

She may very well be in good hands; however I would still recommend getting a 2nd opinion just based on the fact that she did have such an unusual (fast) recurrence. If she is not already seeing a top breast oncologist, I'd really suggest a consultation.

The rest of it, we all know. It sucks and even though it's just hair, for me it was a constant, visible reminder that all was NOT well. This is a tough road, but Jenny just needs to keep plugging away at it - and I know she will.

Good luck to you both. You are a good friend.

Chris

Alice · 10-17-2007, 11:20 PM

I also had neoadjevant therapy and for a long time was concerned whether I had made the right decission. There is always a different road that can be chosen and sometimes we wonder what would have happened if we chose the other road. I think we need to look at what comes next instead, always easier said than done. I had a combo of Carboplatin, Taxol and Herciptin after the A/C then surgery then radiation. Keep us informed as to the progress.
Alice

Jean · 10-18-2007, 10:11 AM

This may or may not help - this new approved drug from FDA today.

Keep it under your hat and see how Jenny does on her treatment.
She is so blessed to have you in there fighting for her.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/85726.php

Best Wishes,
Jean

Jean · 10-18-2007, 10:39 AM

Jenny's friend, please see Lani's post today re:
herceptin resistance..you will find much detailed information.

All good wishes to Jenny
Jean

MagnoliaforJenny · 10-18-2007, 11:26 AM

Wow, so much information, and not so easy to understand! I'm brand new to all of this so it's hard to wrap the brain around it.

I read the herceptin resistance article as well as I could, and I do have a feeling she is probably resistant to herceptin at this point.

The new "news" for today is encouraging. The new drug....ixempra.

I feel like I'm actually DOING something and learning so much now, thanks to you lovely ladies

I don't know but a very few terms, but I intend to learn them all

tousled1 · 10-18-2007, 11:49 PM

Magnolia,

I too had neoadjunct chemo (before surgery) to shrink a very large tumor. I had the "red devil", cytoxan and Taxatore. The treatment did indeed do it's job as the tumor shrunk to almost nothing.

I am currently on Taxol, Carboplatin which I believe that's what your friend Jenny is on. And yes, she will loose her hair again but not as fast as she did with the "red devil."

Since I recurred so quickly the first question I asked my oncologist is whether I had developed a resistance to Herceptin and her answer was no. Since starting back on chemo in July my brain MRI is now clear and my chest CT showed great improvement.

Jenny is very fortuante to have such a good friend. Praying that her treatment plan will bring her to NED.

MagnoliaforJenny · 10-19-2007, 06:30 AM

Kate, your experience appears to be very similar to Jenny's. I'm glad to hear all of these treatments have worked for you!

It's exciting to know there is the new drug IXEMPRA now available, for future use if needed.

I'm curious about something, as I didn't actually see this: I mentioned before that the doctors are more concerned about the 4 new breast tumors that are growing out of her scar tissue. I didn't know that was even possible to see them?

tousled1 · 10-19-2007, 06:58 AM

Magnolia,

The only way they could see the new breast tumors would be by either doing a CT scan, PET/CT scan, or an MRI. I doubt they could just see them by looking.

And again, please make sure that she gets either a MUGA scan or echocardiogram every three months to check her LVEF.

I'm keeping Jenny in my prayers.