New to the site....Lapatinib

[Nicola]

Hi, my name is Nicola...

I was diagnosed with DCIS in 2004 and was told that it was caught so early that they considered it stage "0", which I had never heard of before, didn't know there was such a thing as stage "0". I had surgery to remove the microcalcifications then had a second surgery to re-check the margins, pathology report came back that the margins were clean. I underwent radiation therapy and have been having mammograms every six months since then with nothing showing up in the breasts.

On Dec. 1, 2005 I started with terrible abdominal pain, after being fully examined and having an ultra-sound they determined that it was a gallbladder attack. I went in to have the gallbladder removed and when my surgeon went in he was shocked to find cancer spread throughout my liver in both lobes, he immediately did a liver biopsy and it came back HER-2 positive. they also found cancer in my spine at the T8 & T9 vertebrae.

I am having a very difficult time understanding how stage "0" DCIS could have possibly metastasized. Apparently there was invasive breast cancer some where that was not caught.

The original plan was to attack the cancer through chemotherapy using the drugs Carboplatin, Taxol and Herceptin. I had a portacath put in on Dec. 16, 2005 and was scheduled to start chemo that very day but my onc called at the last minute with a change of plans and now wants to use Lapatinib, Taxol and Herceptin with Zometa given once a month. I am going in tomorrow to discuss Lapatinib which is still in clinical trial and to sign up for the trial. Hopefully this combination of drugs will be successful in putting me into remission. I am a little nervous about being on a clinical trial but willing to try anything. I was told that the only side effects of Lapatinib were rash and diarrhea and only occured in a small percentage of people. I am very anxious to get started on chemo but hate that I know very little about these drugs. I have done plenty of research and read about how wonderful Herceptin is but there isn't much info that I have found on Lapatinib.

If anyone is on this combination of chemo and can tell me anything about it I would greatly appreciate it. I am only 36 years old and lost my mother, aunt, and mother in-law to breast cancer so I know some of what to expect but things have advanced so much since then and I feel I am really behind on the latest treatment options. My sister directed me to this web site and I am so glad that she did. It is wonderful to be able to talk to other women who are going through this horrible ordeal and it already has helped me in knowing what questions to ask my onc.

Thanks so much for any help that anyone can give me.

Sincerely,
Nicola