Liver mets
Been on Herceptin sine June 2012 currently ongoing
Chemo Abraxane sine June 2012 for a year 3 wks on 1 wk off, second year fortnightly, completed june 2014.
Currently stable and having three weekly herceptin and Aromasin (Examestane) tablets. Effexor, Sandomigran, Targin, Lyrica, vitamin D.
Comments
-
Hi Mrs Kim, Being newly diagnosed with liver mets is a scary place to be, and friends who are in that place say those of us who are still in the primary breast cancer only box cannot really even start to know what it is like. My heart goes out to you, and I want to say that my BC friends with mets tell me it is not a death sentence, it is a chronic illness that may eventually kill you
But it also may not.
Herceptin can create miracles.
I have a good Chemo friend who had her original primary cancer 22 years ago and it was treated with mastectomy and chemo, but no herceptin at that time.. She had a local relapse 6 yeears ago like a slab of steak under the reconstruction. It was removerd and she was treated then with radiotherapy and chemo and Tamaxofen but no herceptin. Then July 2014 after 6 yrs on Tamaxofen her oncologist said everything was clear and she could choose to come off the Tamaxofen if she wanted, and she was sick of the side effects so she did. In Sept/Oct she got sick with the flu, and was left with a bad cough that made it hard to talk. Eventually on her third trip to the doctors she saw someone else who sent her for a chest xray. Turned out she had a dozen golfball sized mets in her liver and lungs. On the first scan after 3 months on weekly Herceptin and Paclitaxel the biggest one had shrunk to 70% of its 3cm. On the second scan in July 2014, all the mets were stable but not shrinking (which her oncologist said was a good sign coz they had grown so fast). On her third scan in October, they had all gone completely except for one half-centimetre remains of the biggest one, which they expect will vanish completely. I had coffee with my friend that morning and it was lovely watching her eyes as she realised she is not dying any sooner than anyone else and has to shape an ongoing life for herself around her 3wkly treatments.
How long have you been on Herceptin? How are you coping? Do you know others in the same place who are able to help you through this process of learning to live in the face of this? There is a lovely mets group in Perth BCNA called PYNKS for young women with metastatic cancer run by Rachelle Hook at the Mount Hospital,
Email: info@bcrc-wa.com.au Phone: 08 9321 2354
Best wishes
I
0 -
Hi Mrs Kim, Being newly diagnosed with liver mets is a scary place to be, and friends who are in that place say those of us who are still in the primary breast cancer only box cannot really even start to know what it is like. My heart goes out to you, and I want to say that my BC friends with mets tell me it is not a death sentence, it is a chronic illness that may eventually kill you
But it also may not.
Herceptin can create miracles.
I have a good Chemo friend who had her original primary cancer 22 years ago and it was treated with mastectomy and chemo, but no herceptin at that time.. She had a local relapse 6 yeears ago like a slab of steak under the reconstruction. It was removerd and she was treated then with radiotherapy and chemo and Tamaxofen but no herceptin. Then July 2014 after 6 yrs on Tamaxofen her oncologist said everything was clear and she could choose to come off the Tamaxofen if she wanted, and she was sick of the side effects so she did. In Sept/Oct she got sick with the flu, and was left with a bad cough that made it hard to talk. Eventually on her third trip to the doctors she saw someone else who sent her for a chest xray. Turned out she had a dozen golfball sized mets in her liver and lungs. On the first scan after 3 months on weekly Herceptin and Paclitaxel the biggest one had shrunk to 70% of its 3cm. On the second scan in July 2014, all the mets were stable but not shrinking (which her oncologist said was a good sign coz they had grown so fast). On her third scan in October, they had all gone completely except for one half-centimetre remains of the biggest one, which they expect will vanish completely. I had coffee with my friend that morning and it was lovely watching her eyes as she realised she is not dying any sooner than anyone else and has to shape an ongoing life for herself around her 3wkly treatments.
How long have you been on Herceptin? How are you coping? Do you know others in the same place who are able to help you through this process of learning to live in the face of this? There is a lovely mets group in Perth BCNA called PYNKS for young women with metastatic cancer run by Rachelle Hook at the Mount Hospital,
Email: info@bcrc-wa.com.au Phone: 08 9321 2354
Best wishes
I
0 -
Thank you for the message, I have been on herceptin since first week of June 2012, so roughly 2.5years continuously. My ebc was in July 2002 and secondaries may 2012 just 6weeks shy of celebrating ten years NED.
I'm plotting along week by week and remain stable and I've only had the one type of chemo during this period Abraxane. So I'm doing really well.
I'm in Melbourne and attend the living centre support groups
Look forward to chatting some more0 -
Hi Jessica V. - this experience gives others a lot of hope. Thanks.
Beryl C.
0
