Liver mets.

Concernedsister

My sister was put on arimidex after being on gemza for liver mets. She had good response to the gemza with only 1 liver met left. Today she got scan results and the outcome was not what she wanted to hear.  That single met has almost doubled in size and now has extensive small mets through out the liver.  Has anyone been through the same and what treatment plan did the oncologist put you through.  I am beside myself at the moment as i can not get my head around this. 

nelliejs

Not the same as your sister, but I was diagnosed in April 2016 with bone mets. I had Taxol, then Letrozole and Herceptin/Perjeta every three weeks. Found out in January this year that a few small liver mets have appeared so my oncologist has kept me on Letrozole but replaced the Herceptin/Perjeta with Kadcyla. I've only had two rounds of this drug so too early to tell its effectiveness for me but I have read of plenty of women for whom it has worked well. Unfortunately it is the nature of this disease that all drugs seem to have a limited life in which they are effective and the body learns to work around it. The good news is that there are a number of options that oncologists can choose from. It's never nice to receive negative scan results but your sister is lucky she has you for support. 

Concernedsister

Hi Nelliejs. Thank you for your response.  I gather you are triple negative.  My sister is er+pr- her2 negative. It is hard for everyone that is going through this. I wish you all the very best for your treatment.

nelliejs

No, triple positive. Thanks for your best wishes. Same for you and your sister. 

Tennille

I have mets to bones and liver. Primary 7 years ago was er+ pr+ her2 - I am now triple negative so was taken off all hormone treatment. I tried Xeloda which made me very ill but I am now on Eribulin chemotherapy and its working well and very manageable. 

Concernedsister

Hi Tennille. I hope that the Eribulin continues to help manage your mets for a very long time. Hopefully everything will go well for you. Thank you for your response. 

wendy_h67

Hi Tennile,  I have started Eribulin recently and have finished my first cycle.  I find it quite manageable and hope it works for my bone mets. I have recently had more pain in my hip area and a recent bone scan showed evidence of spread from my hip into the femur. I have an appointment to see an orthopaedic specialist next week. Feeling a bit anxious about that. I was on Abraxane for about 15 months so hopefully the change to Eribulin will be a good thing. Hope you go well with your treatment. 

[Deleted User]

Hi Concernedsister, that's awesome that you are using this site, as it is important for families and spouses also.
My cancer was quite advanced initially, I had a mastectomy and auxiliary clearance in 2015. There was a large ductal tumour along with a separate one on the nipple. There were 5 positive lymph nodes, so mine was well on its way. Following chemo and rads I was started on tamoxifen as I was post menopausal. This worked well for about 18 months, and then I was diagnosed with bony mets. Then following rads to the bones, I was commenced on Arimidex and that worked for a few months, and then my oncologist commenced me on oral chemotherapy. 
My breast care nurse explained to me that the cancer cells can sit there microscopically and be not picked up by scans, so spread is hard to diagnose until it takes off. The earlier that breast cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better the outcome. 
I am fortunate to have a great treatment team, who are trying as many options as they can, so I'm receiving wonderful care, and my family and friends are my other team. 
My advice is to ask as many questions as possible, take a list with you, and explore your options. 
Sending you a big cuddle, Trace

Concernedsister

Thank you Trace for the big cuddle i sure need one right now. Our heads are in a spin at the moment. Lucky i can come to this site and read inspirational stories from survivors and lifts my spirits. There is nothing more important than the love and support not only from family but also complete strangers who are going through the same thing as you. Even tho i just met you on this site i am sending you a big hug and kiss and thank you for sharing your story with me.

Tennille

@wendy_h67 I have just completed cycle 10 I had a scan 3 months after I started and my 4 tumour mets had halved with no growth in the 2 remaining. The bone mets which are extensive had also settle and my tumour markers halved. 3 months later another scan. All mets stable with no growth although tumour markers have risen slightly. My Onc isnt bothered though since all he cares about is my liver. Im also on Denosumab for my bones. I only get bone pain just after chemo. I lost about half my hair but not all of it and Im now learning to rock the white hair. My infusion is a Monday, Wednesday slightly gross mouth with some blood blisters, Thursday and Friday need a daytime nap, possibly Saturday as well. This is about as bad as it gets so for me I am hoping to stay on Eribulin for as long as possible.  I do have some neuropathy but Onc says unless I am falling over its all good. Hope Eribulin works well for you and doesnt give you any grief.