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Re: Skin met question
Thank you for the replies.
Yes - the speed of the cancer spreading was a shock to all. I am focused on remaining positive though - I had only received one Herceptin and taxotere when I had the biopsy and after the second dose I saw shrinkage in the met - my scans were clear prior to surgery so perhaps a little bit was left behind undetectable and spread prior to treatment and the FEC obviously was not effective on it's own. We and my oncologist are very hopeful that with targeted therapy I will be NED very soon.
I don't know if my skin met is average looking - I will find a pic later and post it for your information. It was dismissed as nothing for 2 months - like Delaney said - mine started looking like a pimple (we thought it was a dexamethasone reaction as I had them all over my chest - this one didn't clear with the other though and continued to grow to about 1.5 x 2.5 cm)
I have another scan next week - I am confident of further shrinkage. Our concern is the mets in my lungs - it's just that we use the skin met as an indicator of treatment success also. It has changed again quite dramatically since the flare up a couple of weeks ago - this time I feel in a more positive way.
Re: the Halaven - I don't think that is available in Australia yet - I am currently on the Bolero3 trial.
My family is my world and I am doing everything I can to rid my body of this disease. I don't get caught up in the stats and am inspired by many of the long term Stage4 ladies on here. I of course have down days full of sadness and fear but 'There is always hope' and I have plenty of it!
Amanda
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Amanda xx
40 year old Mum to three gorgeous kids - son 5 and daughters 8 and 11
Wife to my wonderfully supportive husband of 17 years!
22 February 2011 - Diagnosed Early Breast Cancer IDBC Stage2b (ER/PR -ve, Her2+ve +++) - 38 years old
(L) skin sparing mastectomy with tissue expander, axilla clearance (2/14 affected) clear margins.
Fec*3, Taxotere and herceptin*2 - stopped due to secondary diagnosis
June 24 2011 Stage IV - Skin met, axilla node, multiple lung lesions
Bolero3 trial - Navelbine, Hereptin weekly, daily Everolimus/Placebo
February 2012 - July 2012 Tykerb and Xeloda - skin mets resolved, Lungs initially dramatically reduced but growing again
August 2012 (turn 40!) tykerb and herceptin (denied compassionate use of TDM1) while holidaying in Italy!
September 2012 - January 2013 TDM1 as part of the Th3resa trial - lymph nodes resolved, lungs slowly progressing.
January 2013 - herceptin, carboplatin and Perjeta (compassionate access)
April 2013 - Some progression in lungs and lymph nodes - Abraxane, Herceptin and Perjeta
July 2013 - mixed response - dramatic reduction of most lung disease, progression of smaller lung nodules and cervical and hilar nodes - ? Add avastin.
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