To those who have survived 6 or more years at stage IV

sadie · 08-31-2006, 06:48 PM

fyi:
My onc actually used the the words "we cured you of breast cancer".
I had Adriamyacin/Cytoxin then Taxol/Herceptin then radiation;Now receiving Herceptin alone until Feb 07.
My onc said she would be truly shocked if my cancer were to come back.

sadie · 08-31-2006, 06:53 PM

Has anyone heard of this?
I heard on the news on the radio today that they discovered they could do something to white blood cells so they would recognize cancer cells and attack them.
They interviewed a man who was diagnosed as "terminal" 4 years ago. They used him in a trial (I don't know when) and now he is cancer-free.
They believe they could use this "treatment" to cure breast cancer among many other types of cancer.
Has anyone else heard this news?

StephN · 08-31-2006, 10:53 PM

Sadie -

Your posted question on the white blood cells will be lost here.
Maybe try to post as a new thread. I head some snatch of this, but not the whole thing.

I am glad your doc can say you are cured. Mine never said such a thing, even after adjuvent treatment. Just gave me some 2-year without progression stats, which I did not make.

SusanV · 09-01-2006, 07:15 AM

Sadie,

Yes, I heard this on the evening news last night. The man in the trial had skin cancer, and they did say they are going to trial breast and prostate cancer next.

sadie · 09-01-2006, 09:54 AM

Thanks StephN,
I took your advice.
Started new thread today.
"Cure for some cancers?"
It would be great if this is true.

fcrcm · 09-02-2006, 06:10 PM

This is for the 6+ years with Stage IV thread.

I am in a group of breast cancer survivors. We began to meet when we were early diagnosed (1990-1991.) Two of us have been STage IV (bone mets) since 1991. Another has IBC (Inflammatory Breast CA - IIIB).

The one with IBC has had lots of things go wrong in her body, but is NED.

The two of us who began this journey in Stage IV are still around. I have liver mets now and my friend has increase in bone mets and some soft tissue involvement. Our treatment choices have been different and we are always in treatment of one form or another. I've made little change to my diet (well, I am sensible about fats, alcohol, etc). My friend has been on a very rigid McDougal type diet and takes a jillioin supplements. The friend with IBC only began to exercize two years ago - she said she had no idea it would make her feel better - and made no dietary changes whatsoever.

Even though treatments control our lives (the schedule, the side effects, the worry etc) we are all three living lives that include family and travel and study...lots of good stuff. I grow incredible vegetables.

Courage, my friends.

Annemarie · 09-02-2006, 08:41 PM

Hi,
I was diagnosed 6 years ago (May 2000) with stage 3b. I had a brain met in 10/01, 10/02 and 10/04. So I have been living with Stage 4 for 5 years. I feel great. I take Herceptin, Femara and Temodar. Happy to be alive and feeling great!
Annemarie