susanne
05-25-2004, 09:31 AM
I was found to have a met to the skin in the form of a nodule. I found it myself, and it was over 2 months before I had it biopsied. Of course, it was a met. I have been on herceptin/taxotere/carbo for almost a year, and tumor markers went from a high of 200 (125) to 33. Now they are 70. In four months. Pet scan next week. I have felt myself slipping again, I can always tell without even having tests. Last PET was in Dec., negative, and CT in October, Neg.
I have only partial use of my left lung, as I had surgery last this time last year to correct the collapse. At the time, surgery, biopsies and scans showed no evidence of disease, eg. tumors, in lungs. But I was originally diagnosed with mets to lung (small nodules) and a pleural effusion. The surgery corrected the effusion, and while my chest is caved in on that side, breathing has been pretty good, haven't beer on Oxygen for a year. I can walk 4 or 5 miles and go up and down stairs. I am most grateful for this.
Now I am faced with a new treatment. I would like to ask, has anyone heard of, or know first hand about, laboratory tests on living tumor tissue that take that tissue and use various chemotheraputic agents on it to find what it is sensitive to? This is a way of being more precise in applying treatment, and avoiding wasting time, money, and "quality of life" trying things.
How effective has Navelbine been on you? And, is herceptin still given with a new drug? In other words, say, Navelbine/herceptin, intead of the taxotere/carbo/harceptin?
I have only partial use of my left lung, as I had surgery last this time last year to correct the collapse. At the time, surgery, biopsies and scans showed no evidence of disease, eg. tumors, in lungs. But I was originally diagnosed with mets to lung (small nodules) and a pleural effusion. The surgery corrected the effusion, and while my chest is caved in on that side, breathing has been pretty good, haven't beer on Oxygen for a year. I can walk 4 or 5 miles and go up and down stairs. I am most grateful for this.
Now I am faced with a new treatment. I would like to ask, has anyone heard of, or know first hand about, laboratory tests on living tumor tissue that take that tissue and use various chemotheraputic agents on it to find what it is sensitive to? This is a way of being more precise in applying treatment, and avoiding wasting time, money, and "quality of life" trying things.
How effective has Navelbine been on you? And, is herceptin still given with a new drug? In other words, say, Navelbine/herceptin, intead of the taxotere/carbo/harceptin?