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Lori R · 01-12-2011, 06:08 AM

Laurie,
It is wonderful news that the TCH has had such dramatic results on beating back the liver mets!!! I too have had to deal with liver mets and almost 4 years out, I continue to win the war.

As you can see from my post, I've used a combination of cryosurgery + chemo to allow for an occasional chemo break. (which is nice)

That said.....chemo's do a number on my WBC so I don't think I held up as well as you. Could you talk to your Onc about staying on TCH as long as the remaining tumor continues to shrink? If it stops shrinking then move to a different option?

Now that the 11 cm tumor is down to 3 cm you might want to consider quickly zapping the sucker with cryoablation. The drawback is that at that point, you can't measure it and know for sure if the chemo of choice is working. Cryoablation might be worth asking about with your Onc.

One more random thought.....I believe TCH is a powerful combo that I doubt your Onc will want to keep you on indefinately. Once the big guns eliminate the final met, you could go on Herceptin + Tykerb as insurance???

Many positive choices, which is such good news.

Again, so glad that the chemo has made such a big difference for you...Keep us posted...Lori

01-12-2011, 06:08 AM	#2
Lori R Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Evergreen, Colorado Posts: 454	Re: Time for a chemo break? Laurie, It is wonderful news that the TCH has had such dramatic results on beating back the liver mets!!! I too have had to deal with liver mets and almost 4 years out, I continue to win the war. As you can see from my post, I've used a combination of cryosurgery + chemo to allow for an occasional chemo break. (which is nice) That said.....chemo's do a number on my WBC so I don't think I held up as well as you. Could you talk to your Onc about staying on TCH as long as the remaining tumor continues to shrink? If it stops shrinking then move to a different option? Now that the 11 cm tumor is down to 3 cm you might want to consider quickly zapping the sucker with cryoablation. The drawback is that at that point, you can't measure it and know for sure if the chemo of choice is working. Cryoablation might be worth asking about with your Onc. One more random thought.....I believe TCH is a powerful combo that I doubt your Onc will want to keep you on indefinately. Once the big guns eliminate the final met, you could go on Herceptin + Tykerb as insurance??? Many positive choices, which is such good news. Again, so glad that the chemo has made such a big difference for you...Keep us posted...Lori __________________ 2007 Oct - Diagnosed - Stage IV 5 c.m. IDC - Left Side er/pr- Her2+++ Node + 2/14 - Single Liver Met Double Mastectomy Nov - Begin T+H 2008 Feb-Complete 6 cycles- T&H- NED March - Continue - Herceptin Only April - Rads for 6 weeks 2009 Continue Herceptin - Continue NED April - Recurrance- 3 cm. Liver Met May - Cryosurgery June - November - Abraxane + Herceptin Aug - PET/CT - CTC = 0 Back to NED 2010 January - Continue NED July - Recurrance - 3 cm Liver Met CTC=1 August - Cryosurgery #2 August - November Navelbine November - Back to NED - End Navelbine 2011 Feb - Recur - 4 cm Liver Met - Same Left Lobe March Surgery it is -Couldn't get a clean margin July - Confirmed continued liver involvement August - Begin Herceptin + Tykerb October - Mixed results from H+T Add Abraxane + H + T - Nov - April 2012 January PET Scan - It's working!! April - Back to NED July - Recurrance August - Begin TDM-1 Trial (Taxol + TDM-1)