Mediastinal nodes

[Julie2]

Anybody has mets to Mediastinal nodes? If so were they gone with chemo treatment and never came back? I have been fighting the mets to mediastinal nodes since Aug07. I used Navelbine two times so far, once for 3 months and another for 4 months. Each time I reached NED and within 4 months the mets returned again. This time I am also on Tykerb with Herceptin. But Tykerb doesn't seem to help.
I want to avoid using chemo continuously if possible. Are there any other options? Anybody used CyberKnife for mediastinal nodes?

Thanks,
Julie

[Mary Anne in TX]

Someone has fought this very battle.....sorry, my brain won't bring up the name, she will surely see this and respond. I'll be thinking very positive thought for you! ma

[Sheila]

Julie
I have been fighting those and supraclavicular nodes (collarbone area)) for 5 years...after almost 2 years of Taxol and herceptin continuously, they show up with necrosis, but they just don't go away, it seems a treatment "holds them" for a while, then another is used to take over control...I have been in constant chemo 4 years....I wish they COULD get rid of them...on the good side, it is keeping it in that area for 4 years and no distant mets..

[jml]

I've had 2 recurrences to supraclav nodes & 2 to mediastinal nodes.
The 2 supraclav node recurrences were treated w/ 6 cycles of G+H, NED for 9mos, the 1st time, then 7weeks of rads for the 2nd recurrence.

The mediastinal/hilar node recurrence showed up on a scan immediately after finishing rads for the supraclav,
so we're doing Gemzar+Herceptin. The good news is scans show NED after only 3 cycles, so now I just have to finish up the protocol -3 more cycles- then back to Herceptin solo.
I'm hoping the extra "wash" of chemo through my system will douse whatever may have been left sitting around the supraclav, and anywhere else in my body, & will keep NED around for a longlongtime.
(I did ask my rad.onc if there's anything she could do about the mediastinal nodes & she said yes, but let chemo do its job 1st. I don't have any add'l info, but maybe your docs can help you with a plan to treat with rads & give you a well deserved break from chemo!)

Keep the Faith~