New role call for stage IVers

[CoolBreeze]

DX Stage IV in May 2011. (Originally DX'd stage II in August 2009)
Liver mets. Had resection and ablation October 2011.

NED

Treatment: Got a severe septic colon infection in November that I'm still recovering from so no chemo. herceptin and zometa only. Hope to go back on Navelbine when I'm healed.

Almost three years of continual treatment so far and I hope it continues for another 30 years.

[teresalynn]

Hi, I just came across this post now. So here is my DX for STage 4
I was diagnosed 7-29-11 with Breast Cancer, stage 2. Rapid growing cancer, 3 lumps in left breast. After catscan week later showed mets to liver, diagnosed then stage 4. Moved right into chemo of Carboplatin, taxotore (i missplled i think) and herceptin. Completed 6 rounds, now on hormone therapy of femera, and afinitor. Feeling extreme muscle soreness and joint stiffness from the Femera. Other than that, I am doing okay.

[jml]

Working my way towards my 10 years Stage IV...only a few months to go. Can't believe it's been nearly a decade, but when I look at my treatment history, it has been a hard fought decade.
Need for this disease to shut itself OFF already!
Or for TDM1 & or Pertuzumab to knock it out into oblivion!

Keeping the Faith~

Jml
Dx-5/17/02 - 33 yo; Stage IV
L IDC w/single liver met
1) Herceptin + Navelbine x 8 weeks - No response; progress to innumerable,immeasureable liver mets
2) ISIS 2504 + Herceptin - 6 mos, partial response
3) Taxol + Herceptin x 13 weeks to NED!
NED for 1 year
9/04 - Single liver lesion recurrence
Taxol + Herceptin - on/off to beat back lesion
12/05 - R Hepatectomy; Liver NED until 2009
3/06- Local recurrence - Left breast, IDC & DCIS, but holding treatment while continue to heal from Hepatectomy.
12/06 - L mastectomy + reconstruction through 8/07
10/07 - Recurrence - supraclav nodes
4) Gemzar + Herceptin - on/off controlling nodes thru
9/08 - 7wks Rads to supraclav nodes
10/08 - Acute Renal Failure - nodes in belly stricturing kidneys. placed permanent ureteral stents
Back on Gemzar + Herceptin, but no longer responding.
5) 05/09 - Tykerb + Xeloda - partial response x 5 mos
6) 10/09 - Xeloda + Herceptin - no response, disease progresses
7) 2/10- Ixempra + Herceptin - partial response x 12 wks.
Discovered single brain lesion x 4mm & liver lesions growing while screening for TDM1 + PI3Kinase study.
6/10 - Novalis to treat brain met - SUCCESSFUL!
8) 6/10 - Chemo-embo w/Adriamyacin to de-bulk liver lesion.
9) 8/10 - Screened & Started TDM1 EAP
Immediate response, disease in belly responds dramatically.
2/11- questionable progression of lung nodules
Discontinue TDM1
10) 3/11 - PI3Kinase + Herceptin - intial good response in 1st 6 weeks but LFT's elevated.
11) 7/11-Discontinue PI3Kinase + Herceptin study;
Disease progression - 2 small lesions in colon – docs have never seen this before in BC
11) 8/11 –Start new combo Halaven+Herceptin
10/14/11 -Completed 3 cycles (9 wks)Halaven+Herceptin...
10/18/11 - Scanxiety time -1st scans since starting this regimen
Good interval response, continue on H+H!
10/25/11 – new 2mm questionable spot in brain? Due to Novalis or new disease?
Re-scan in 8 weeks.
1/3/12- Disease progression; 50%increase size & SUV-R lung, middle lobe 6cm lesion.
R supraclav node multiple, miscellaneous nodes in belly. Colon lesions fired up.
12)Herceptin+ metronomic Cytoxan + Methotrexate.
…on a hope & a prayer. Only chemo I haven’t been on is Taxotere.
Hurry up Pertuzumab & TDM1!
Follow Up Brain Scan on 1/18/12…pleasepleaseplease be okay. I can’t take much more.
1/18/2012- 8 new spots in 8 weeks since last Brain MRI
one 2cm spot in brain stem, one 2cm spot in R temporal lobe.
No symptoms, THANK GOD!
1/25/12 – Start WBR x 15 rounds
2/10/12 – Oral Cytoxan WORKING! Melted supraclav node & undetectable by US!
2/14/12 – FINISH 15 rounds WBR

[ninjalyn]

Diagnosed stageIV in March 2011.Multiple mets in lungs and chest wall. Had navelbine and herceptin with some success. Now on herceptin plus arimidex. Last scan was very good.
Not quite NED but getting close.

[KsGal]

Im only stage IV since December. There was a month between my original diagnosis and finding out I was stage IV. Im on taxotere, carboplatin and herceptin right now. Won't know if it is working until later this month when I get a CT scan. Still working full time and feeling okay most of the time...still dread the first days after chemo because they SUCK, but Im hanging in there.

[KDR]

Diagnosed June 2010, three tumor sites. Breast, lymph and liver. Breast and liver eradicated by Taxol and Herceptin and have been dead for over 14 months, did not return. Liver mets progressed on Tykerb, Xeloda and Herceptin, but were finally eradicated in January 2012 by trial T-DM1, Pertuzumab with initial doses of Taxol.

Karen
Who Believes In The Cure

[DianaMK]

Stage 4 (June 2010). First diagnosed December 2006.
Currently on herceptin and stable

[dawny]

Stage 1V from the get go in May 2011. Abraxane for 16 weeks, along with Herceptin. Sept 2011 NED. Dec 2011 scans show NED. Going for more scans next week, hoping for NED to be with me still. Feeling good after coming of chemo, but still very anxious about what may lie ahead.

Dawn

[Mtngrl]

I was also Stage IV at dx. My "bad mammogram" was a year ago yesterday. It took until May 24 to finish the staging workup, so I guess that's my real "cancerversary."

I live in Boston. I'll be graduating from seminary next month with a Master of Divinity. I got accepted into a doctoral program at the same seminary and will start in the fall. I'm also on track to be ordained in a mainline denomination. The doctorate will take five years. It's a second career. I practiced law for almost 30 years first.

I realize I might not live to finish the doctorate, but right now I feel fine--strong and healthy. I didn't get "chemo brain." I took incompletes in two classes last spring semester, due to the upheaval from the diagnosis, but finished the work for them last summer. I've taken a full load each of the last two semesters.

I've learned a great deal from everyone on this site, and I've "met" so many wonderful people. I feel like I'm getting a masters' degree in breast cancer along with my M.Div.

I realize I can't change the past or control the future so, more and more, I just live in the moment. Nothing bad is happening right now. I'm happy to be alive.

[caroline96]

Originally diagnosed as stage 1 back in 2003, that was 9 years ago. I had a recurrence in Dec 2010 with mets to the lungs, lymph nodes, and bones. Xeloda, Herceptin, and Zometa zapped all the lesions in the bones. Bones were clear in June 2011. Due to progression in the lung, the treatment was switched to Taxol with continuing Herceptin and Zometa. After 31 infusions, almost all the nodes disappeared and the tumor in the lung shrunk from 6 cm to 1X2 cm. Now on Herceptin, Faslodex, Femara, and Zometa. Last bone scan in March 2012 was still negative.

One day at a time!

Maria