***What was your date of dx, stage, treatment and current status...???***

[whynow?]

Got PET CT Scan results on my daughters 4th Brithday. Now looking forward to celebrating Christians 2nd Birthday on 6th September...

I get more determined with every day...

[hutchibk]

dx: Nov '03 @ 43 years old
invasive ductal carcinoma w/ paget's disease of the nipple
Rt side mastectomy w/ reconstruction (simple implant)
10 nodes removed, 1 positive
stage 2B
Her2neu +
ER/PR +
6 treatments TAC, finished May '04
Tamoxifen for a year, then switched to Arimadex

Very early recurrance discovered Aug '05
7 mm spot on muscle under implant
Rice sized tumor in node under right arm
5 microscopic spots in chest nodes
3 microscopic spots in lungs
Aug '05 - discontinued Arimadex
Sept '05-Jan '06 Carbo/Taxol/Herceptin
Dec '05 - added Aromasin
Feb '06 - all scans clear
Mar '06 - tumor markers continued to drop on Herceptin only
Apr '06 - tumor markers at 12, staying steady

Currently on Herceptin every 3 weeks + Aromasin
No apparent Herceptin side effects
June '06 - next Muga and CT

[chrislmelb]

Dx Sept 2003 at age 40. "lump"was lymph node with BC on it but no sign of tumor by mammo or ultrasound. Finally found primary after extensive ultrasound, bit of guesswork and several core biopsies.
ER+PR+ HER-2+++. 3/12 nodes involved. 23mm tumor. stage 2B
Sept 2003- partial mastectomy and aux clearance
Oct 2003- re excision but margins not clear
Nov 2003- mastectomy with expander inserted.
Dec 2003- May 2004 FEC x 8. (only one i know who had that many!!)
Aug 2004- expander changed over to silicone
Oct 2004- ovaries out
Took Tamoxifen and then changed to Arimidex last year. Oh my aching bones!
Nov 2005- started late Herceptin through HERA trial.

I think that is all!

[saleboat]

Here are my deets,
Jen

[pattyz]

12-1999: Age 50, Dx'd Invasive Ductal & Inflammatory. Two tumors, upper and lower inside quadrants R/breast.

1-2000: Mast., 6/26 pos. nodes. ER+PR-, Heu2+++ StageIIIb - 4rnds A/C, no rads (my choice & no medical ins.)

7-2002: Dx'd mediastinal node/s mets, (surgical biopsy), 'spot' on lung and pelvis. Arimidex briefly.

9-2002: Dx'd brain mets. (mininally symptomatic) Two lesions, 1.5cm, 6mm. SRS focalized tx successful. Refused WBR.

11-2002: Navelbine/Herceptin 4rnds for systemic mets, scans show NED.

3-2003: Progression of brain mets. 14 new lesions visable. Asymptomatic. Continue to refuse WBR. "Watch and wait " approach. Treat in small batches with two more SRS, two CyberKnife procedures through 5-2004. NED in body.

3-2005: Progression brain mets - maybe 10 new lesions, asymptomatic. (otherwise NED) Again 'watch and wait' approach until...

8-2005: Dizzy 24/7 in the course of just one day. Begin Temodar/Xeloda.

9-28-2005: Following 2 rnds, MRi shows response of nearly 50% shrinkage in many brain mets, including brainstem/pons. Dizziness gone.

11-28-2005: MRi duplicate of previous films- after 4rnds T/X, mets remain responsive w/ more shrinkage nearing 50%. Continue Temodar/Xeloda.


12-19-2005: Onc confers w/rad onc re: past scans. Determine that some of the 'new' lesions are not new at all, but old treated spots just vaguely visable.

1-26-2006: MRi shows all stable. Will continue chemo combo.

3-27-2006: Still STABLE, no new mets. Taking chemo break after six mos tx. Keeping up every two month MRi's. Feeling good!

[Susan Rankin]

DX 7-04 IDC
Partial Mastectomy 8-04
1 positive node sentinel
ERPR + Her2pos+++
4 Adriamycin every two weeks
4 Taxol every two weeks
4 Cytoxan every two weeks
33 rads
Arimidex
6-05 Herceptin x one year
NED

[mekasan]

Dx: at 29 y.o. on 8/4/05
Stage 1 IDC, two tumors (.7 cm and .5 cm) and DCIS spanning 4 cm
(pT1b pN0 pMx)
Tumor grade 2 (Nottingham)
High grade
ER- / PR-
Her2: 5.33
0 node involvment

Tx: (Surgery) total L Breast mastectomy with immediate lat flap recon and cohesive silicone ("gummy bear") implant, (chemo) followed by 4 rounds AC, followed by Herceptin for 1 year (3 wks apart, beginning 12/21/05).

Used Lupron to voluntarily and temporarily shut down ovaries to protect them durng chemo. Effexor for hotflashes, Ativan for insomnia.

3/22/05 Preventive R Breast mastectomy with immediate lat flap recon with "gummy bear" implant.

[margaret]

Dx 11/01 at age 38
Lefts side Mastectomy
Stage 3b (9cm by 6cm by 4cm)
16 nodes involved (16 nodes removed)
ER/PR-
HER2+++
Treatment - AC chemo and Taxol and herceptin and continued weekly treatments of herceptin for 1 year.
Radiation 35 rounds

Thankfully I've been NED since end of treatment. Changed my lifestyle significantly - ended a destructive marriage, became single mom, eat mostly organic and vegetarian, do lots of yoga, teach yoga, created supportive, loving relationships, vowed to live each day to the fullest with less stress, enjoy flowers and birds, relax more......
Margaret

[karenann]

Mammo since age 32, had first lump removed while pregnant with my daughter at 36. The lump was benign
This lump did not show up on mammo but was a solid mass on us. The DCIS was not picked up on mamo or us.
DX: Jan '05 at age 49
Lumpectomy
1.3cm IDC w/ High grade DCIS 1mm from chest wall
5 nodes removed all negative
ER+ 95% PR+ 10%
Her2+++
Grade 3
I did dose dense ACx4 and Tx4 and 34 rads. Two weeks after last Taxol, I started a year of Herceptin and I will complete Herceptin in July. Currently on five years of Aromasin.

[jhandley]

Hi
dx April 2001; 2 cm, 1/13 node +; Segmental mast; rads; chemo=taxotere trial (3 A, 3T, 3 CMF);

Reoccurence in same breast in Sep 2005; 4 x 2 cm tumour not picked up by ultrasound/mammo.(extensive fibrocystic disease in breast); Scans showed 1 x 15 mm spot on liver. Tx=taxol/hercetpin x 6 then maintenance herceptin. NED after 3 cycles.

(Note: I think 2nd tumour was there all along but because it wasnt large/didnt show on mammo.possibly it was supppressed by chemo. then eventually started growing again. In hindsight I should have insisted on full masectomy).

Jackie

[PatS]

My info. -

- Diag. 07/31/02, age 40, Stage III
- Neoadjuvant Chemo, 4 A/C followed by 4 Taxotere (ea. 3 weeks apart)
- Mastectomy with expander/implant reconstruction. Tumor had shrunk to 1cm and all
7 nodes taken were negative (status of nodes prior to chemo is unknown)
- 28 rads
- Currently taking Arimidex
- Contemplating late Herceptin, waiting to get response from insurance co.


Pat

[Mgarr]

Found lump in the shower Thanksgiving weekend 11/04 at 39 yrs. young. Long & sorted between then & surgery. 1st surgery Jan 05 lumpectomy & Sentinel node removal turned into partial mast. as my lump was no longer 2cm but 3.5cm. Told the nodes were clear when I followed up a week later w/ onc. I was told there was a 4mm spot in 1 node I would have to go back to surgery for the rest to be removed. The other 11 were clear.

Stage IIB Grade 3, Her+++ , ER/PR-
Dose Dense A/C & T 4X, 30 rads.
Thanks to all the "trailblazers" Herceptin was approved 1/2 thru my Taxol added and I will continue (every 3 weeks) on that til July 5th

Currently considering removal of ovaries.

[Susan]

Dx 5-16-05, lumpectomy 5-24 at age 47
Stage I (1.1) Grade 3
Node Negative (3 removed)
ER/PR +
HER2 +
Finished 4 rounds of AC DD on 9-7-05
Finished 33 rads 11-28-05
Started 1 year of Herceptin 11-30-05
Started 5 years of Faslodex 11-30-05

[Marlys]

I found my lump when it caught on my bra 3/5/05 at age 66.
Mammogram and ultrasoound 3/8/05. Needle biopsy 3/9/05. Told of results 3/10/05: HER2/NEU+++, ER+++, PR+.
Lumpectomy & sentinel node biopsy 4/13/05: IDC 1.5cm high grade tumor, DCIS. Sentinel node negative. Stage 1.
Reexcision for wider margins and to implant port 4/25/05.
A/C x 4 starting 5/2/05 ending 7/5/05.
Hospitalized 6/24/05 for 3 days because of zilch neutrophils and low hemoglobin & hematocrit.
Started Herceptin 7/19/05 every 3 weeks for 1 year.
Rads x 30 ending 9/29/05.
Started Arimidex 10/11/05.
Mammogram 11/9/05 NED!!!
Muga scans every 3 months until onc decided LVEF was improving not going down. I thank exercise & COEnzyme Q10 for that.
I am walking in the Race For The Cure on May 13 with my daughter, daughter-in-law and 4 grandchildren. 3 more and we could have been a team!!
Love this site!
Marlys

[Shell]

dx 3/17/03 - age 40

IIIC/ER/PR-/Her2 +++/Grade 3
neo-adjuvant T(taxotere)E(epiruicin)C x4
lump/SNB
TEC x2
radiation, 3mo herceptin/navelbine
reoccurrance - had complete axilla dissection
herceptin/taxotere
reoccurrence - entered xeloda/lapatinib clinical trial 6/05 (xeloda arm only)
4/06 trial stopped due to positive results - we all now get lapatinib(tykerb)
will get re-scanned in june '06...
Shell

[Montana]

diagnosed 10/04

.6cm IDC with other areas of DCIS with comedo necrosis Stage 1 Grade 3 7/9 er+/pr+/Her2+++ 0/14 nodes

2 lumpys to get clean margins

Dose dense A/C X 4 - finished 2/05

33 rads - finished 6/05

Arimidex for 5 yrs

March 06 CT scan -- NED

[suzan w]

routine mammogram April 28, 2005
call back for suspicious 'spot'
May 18, 2005 repeat mammo and ultrasound-8mm 'spot'...told, "don't worry, it does not look like cancer"
May 23-biopsy
May 27-results...left breast-7mm tumor, invasive lobular carcinoma with LCIS...no clear margin. ER+, PR+, Her2 +
June 7, 2005 MRI..nothing unusual
June 14, 2005 bilateral mastectomy...sentinel nodes..2 on left, 1 on right...negative No other cancer found...
Diagnosis Stage 1 Grade 1
July 1, 2005 CT scan...spot on liver, bone scan-all clear
July 7, 2005 MUGA (65%), liver scan-hemangioma (nothing to worry about), oncotype DX (high intermediate risk of recurrence...)
Aug. 10, 2006 chemo...A/C first of 6
Sept. 7, 2006 to ER with high fever and infection...month break from chemo to recover
Only had 4 A/C treatments due to severe side effects
Oct. 20, 2005 MUGA (65%)
Oct. 26, 2005 first Herceptin...every 3 weeks for a year
Jan. 24, 2006 MUGA (65%)
CA 25/28 <3.5
next MUGA May 4, 2006

[suzan w]

ps!! Arimidex for 5 years!!

[mimima]

DX march'06, 1.4 IDC, grade 3, Nottingham 8, 2 sent. lymph negative,

ER/PR neg, HER2 3+. Second wide excision attained clear margins.

Starting Herceptin (every three weeks for one year).

Radiation begins next week.

Med. Onc gave me the choice of chemo, chemo+Herceptin or Herceptin alone.
I chose the latter. WILL HERCEPTIN ALONE DO THE TRICK???? How can they test to know whether it is working?

[janet/FL]

Mimima
Whether or not to have chemo is your call. At least your doctor offered options. With about the same diagnosis as you but with slightly small tumor, 9mm and grade 2 rather than three, the standard of care when I was diagnosed was AC chemo, November 2004. They wouldn't give me Herceptin as I was node negative. I refused that chemo. Finally 9 months after diagnois (I did 35 rounds of radiation) I was offered Herceptin with or without Taxotere. I chose to go with the chemo/herceptin combo as the studies had shown the chemo helps the Herceptin work. However, I don't think there are any studies for taking it as I have, several months after diagnosis--I am still on it, with 3 more months to go to complete the year.
I have no advice to you other than I chose the chemo with a less aggressive, smaller tumor. And I don't think they really can tell if the Herceptin is working. I would have the Bayer Serum test done before Herceptin and there maybe another test someone else can suggest.
There are a lot of people here that can answer most any questions you have.
Radiation treatment shouldn't be too hard on you, particularly since you are having it before any chemo.
Wishing you the best--
Janet