Inflammatory Breast Cancer

Since Nov. of 2003, when I was told I had (IBC), and the year of 2004, the usual chemo, surgery, chemo once again. I had a small cancer close to my collar bone…then after all that, radiation, but the day I went to radiation, found a few small blisters...wow…double the dose of radiation...it had come back on my same breast...of course all this with a yr. to yr. thing...Now, at the end of Dec, almost to the yr...more problems. Same, I was told it can be taken care of with radiation. Go for it...a spot in my liver, a small spot on my left hip bone...but after all is said and done… I had a bad cold... so the beginning of Jan. 2005... yes another tumor on my lower part of my brain…close to my ear. I had radiation there, and radiation on my liver...but guess what guy? Just 2 days ago, the blisters ARE back on my surgery breast that had so much work done. O my goodness...I feel well, but? Back on my Surgery LINE???

Rosario,
You are putting up a good fight, keep it up...
Something your doctors won't tell you is that breast cancer is mainly from your body producing too much estrogen. Your body is probably not getting the real help it needs. I would get a second opinion as to treatments and ask about a progesterone treatment to counteract the raging estrogen your body is going through. I recently found out I had a uterine fibroid which is also caused from too much estrogen. My mother passed away from breast cancer and we didn't know about the estrogen dominance. If we had, we may have her here today. Also, you may want to contact a homeopathic physician to see what could be done. Are you having a hard time keeping food down, or are you pretty healthy otherwise? I've heard about starving cancer with food. Eating only fruits, vegetables and lean chicken and fish helps with your body's ability to fight off cancer. Keeping away from sugars, flour and all starches. Find a local health food store to get on immune system boosters also, preferably ask a person there if they have a product for the boost. You also might want to re-think the radiation also, another cause of cancer.
Keep fighting and don't grow weary,
Kristen

"Something your doctors won't tell you is that breast cancer is mainly from your body producing too much estrogen. Your body is probably not getting the real help it needs. I would get a second opinion as to treatments and ask about a progesterone treatment to counteract the raging estrogen your body is going through."

Some breast cancers are estrogen positive (ER+), but other breast cancers are estrogen negative (ER-). If a breast cancer is ER+, the patient can receive Tamoxifen and other hormonal agents. Breast cancers are also tested to see if they are progesterone positive (PR+) or progesterone negative (PR-).

Generally, because ER+ and PR+ patients have Tamoxifen and other hormonal agents available to them to help fight the cancer, they have a better prognosis than ER- and PR- patients.

Rosario,

I can certainly understand your frustration. I'm surprised that they haven't restarted you on chemo. Since you have developed spots on your liver, bones, brain, and skin, the chemo should help to fight the cancer in all of those locations. I know that there is a blood/brain barrier with some chemotherapy drugs, but I'm sure that your medical oncologist will be able to provide you with something that could transfer across the blood/brain barrier. Are you eligible for Herceptin? I've heard that they believe that it crosses the blood/brain barrier.

I was also diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) so I know how frustrating it can be. There is an IBC forum and e-mail list where you can communicate with a lot of other IBC patients and find out how they have dealt with recurrences. Since IBC usually affects the skin originally, it's more likely to recur on the skin than other types of breast cancer, and the surgery line is the most common site for a skin recurrence.

The following website has information about IBC and how to join the forum and e-mail list:

http://www.ibchelp.org/

The following website has encouraging information about long-term survivors of IBC:

http://www.ibchelp.org/ survivors/

I truly admire your perseverance, Rosario. Keep the faith.

I was diagnosed with IBC 2 weeks after we buried my younger sister, who had a different type of breast cancer and did not survive it. I was sure I was doomed to the same fate. However, 5 years later, despite having mestatic breast cancer (diagnosed Dec., 2003), I am doing and feeling well. To Rosario C, I encourage you to keep fighting. There are many good treatment facilities out there and many treatment options.

Liz T.

What do you mean by blisters? I have a couple in a group on my left breast and am afraid it might be IBC?