|
Sister's cancer
My sister had bc 15 years ago. After mastectomy and chemo she was doing well since. Recently, she had lung effusion and cancer cells were found in the red colored liquid. More tests showed cancer like growth at the top of the spine, just below the head vertebrae. This apparent spine cancer probably is bone type cancer, detected by PET scan. Samples of tissue outside the spine near the problem area found no cancer cells.
The problem is that we couldn't get any cancer tissue to do a pathology test. Without path report, doctors don't know how to treat. We don't even know whether the two areas are metastatic cancers from the old bc, or they are new cancers unrelated to the old bc.
Anyone here has any idea of how to tackle this thorny problem? For the time being, we are treating the lesions with Arimidex and Zometa assuming they are bc mets. Bone cancer is hard to biopsy and effusion malignancy is also hard to biopsy.
__________________
Ann
Stage 1 dx Sept 05
ER/PR positive HER2 +++ Grade 3
Invasive carcinoma 1 cm, no node involvement
Mastec Sept 05
Annual scans all negative, Oct 06
Postmenopause. Arimidex only since Sept 06, bone or muscle ache after 3 month
Off Arimidex, change to Femara 1/12-07, ache stopped
Sept 07 all tests negative, pass 2 year mark
Feb 08 continue doing well.
Sep 09 four year NED still on Femara.
|
Threaded Mode