I’m back
Hi everyone. Its been 15 months since my last chemo and on Friday afternoon I found out my TNBC has spread to my lymph nodes in my armpit after finding a lump. I see the surgeon on Wednesday and h...
Forum Discussion
@strongtogether and @onemargie - you are quite right in what you have said about Inflammatory BC. I have TN Inflammatory BC.
Inflammatory BC is not always Triple Negative, but often is. Triple Negative BC is not always Inflammatory.
Inflammatory BC is aggressive, swift to progress and moves through the lymph system. Initial diagnosis can sometimes get confused with mastitis as the breast tends to be red and a bit hard/firm and there is often no discernable lump. Because it is very invasive it also means that at initial diagnosis it is always Stage 3 (this is quite scary) . It also means that the current favoured approach to treatment is Neo-adjuvant chemo (chemo before surgery) to try to contain the cancer, followed by mastectomy (not lumpectomy, because often the skin of the breast is involved) and then radiation.
I had 5 months Chemo (8 wks dose dense A/C followed by 12 weeks Paclitaxel), then a modified radical mastectomy (3 lymph nodes taken), 5 weeks radiation and then 4.5 months on Xeloda for good measure. That took me to Christmas 2018. Unfortunately after six happy months, in June I had signs of Lymphoedema in my surgery side arm. Although we all assumed this was a result of long-haul flights, my surgeon is a wonderfully thorough (and kind) man, and so he organised all the right tests.
An Ultrasound, biopsy and PET scan later and I am sad to say, the cancer is living up to it's aggressive stereotype and has returned in remaining lymph nodes under the arm and also spread to nodes in the chest and collarbone area. This means surgery and/or radiation are not treatment options for me now. Last week I started chemo again, this time on Eribulin, 2 weeks on, 1 week off.
The prognosis is not fabulous, but I am focussing on the good. My underlying health is excellent. I am using a really nutritionally sound plant - based diet to support my health and hopefully discourage the cancer - if you're interested research methionine dependent cancer and dietary restriction.
A good overview here:https://nutritionfacts.org/video/starving-cancer-with-methionine-restriction/
The IBC Network Foundation has more information about Inflammatory Breast Cancer - https://www.theibcnetwork.org/
Inflammatory BC is not always Triple Negative, but often is. Triple Negative BC is not always Inflammatory.
Inflammatory BC is aggressive, swift to progress and moves through the lymph system. Initial diagnosis can sometimes get confused with mastitis as the breast tends to be red and a bit hard/firm and there is often no discernable lump. Because it is very invasive it also means that at initial diagnosis it is always Stage 3 (this is quite scary) . It also means that the current favoured approach to treatment is Neo-adjuvant chemo (chemo before surgery) to try to contain the cancer, followed by mastectomy (not lumpectomy, because often the skin of the breast is involved) and then radiation.
I had 5 months Chemo (8 wks dose dense A/C followed by 12 weeks Paclitaxel), then a modified radical mastectomy (3 lymph nodes taken), 5 weeks radiation and then 4.5 months on Xeloda for good measure. That took me to Christmas 2018. Unfortunately after six happy months, in June I had signs of Lymphoedema in my surgery side arm. Although we all assumed this was a result of long-haul flights, my surgeon is a wonderfully thorough (and kind) man, and so he organised all the right tests.
An Ultrasound, biopsy and PET scan later and I am sad to say, the cancer is living up to it's aggressive stereotype and has returned in remaining lymph nodes under the arm and also spread to nodes in the chest and collarbone area. This means surgery and/or radiation are not treatment options for me now. Last week I started chemo again, this time on Eribulin, 2 weeks on, 1 week off.
The prognosis is not fabulous, but I am focussing on the good. My underlying health is excellent. I am using a really nutritionally sound plant - based diet to support my health and hopefully discourage the cancer - if you're interested research methionine dependent cancer and dietary restriction.
A good overview here:https://nutritionfacts.org/video/starving-cancer-with-methionine-restriction/
The IBC Network Foundation has more information about Inflammatory Breast Cancer - https://www.theibcnetwork.org/