Latest messages for CancerCompass discussion http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,30449,0.htm Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/  On 11/19/2008 daughter4evr wrote:My Mom breast had cancer  15 and 10 years ago, treated by chemo, mastectomy, tamoxifen and later radiation and arimidex. A year ago she was diagnosed with extensive bone metastasis, lymphatic spread to the lungs and spread to the cerebro-spinal fluid causing numbness and drooping of her left eyelid and lower left lip. She started on taxol weekly and her tumor marker CA 27-29 went from 650 to 289. She felt so fatigued and depressed from months of weekly chemo that she went to chemo every other week which has not caused her tumor marker to rise. She also started on Zoloft chich helped tremendously. The oncologist told us that without chemo or chemo being effective that my Mom will qualify for hospice.  Though her blood work looks better, in reality her condition is continually worsening like shortness of breath with only walking  10 feet and portable oxygen does very little. When she is not walking she does fine. I feel like we are living in a parallel universe from the oncologist because he continues to say how much better her labs are and the chemo is helping. But we tell him that there is a big disconnect from what's on paper and the reality of her increased fatigue, extreme shortness of breath and increased drooping of her face.  He has not answered my question as to why labs look better but this is not reflected in her actual condition.  Has anyone had this experience or advice for me?    We are right there with you!  My sister is experiencing the same thing.  She has been fighting breast cancer with widespread mets to bone since May 2007.  She began her first round of chemo in April of this year and we meticulously monitored her CA 27-29 response monthly.  It was in deed dropping so we all felt comfortable that this was working.  Even with increasing symptoms like pain in her back, bloated, her physicians chalked this up to side effects of the meds.  With the persistence and worsening of pain, an MRI was finally ordered two months ago and  revealed a golf ball size tumor on her spine.  Immediate radiation only provided a little relief from pain.  Meanwhile, she continued to complain of nausea and bloating for another month.  A second opinion recommended a CT of abdomen and chest which revealed mets to her liver and lungs.  She immediately started a 2nd round of chemo (Adriamycin - or Doxil).  This was just last week.  We now wait to see if this will bring her relief.  So, we too have been fooled by the tumor markers.  I think anyone battling this disease must insist on repeat CT/MRIs to assure that nothing is being missed.  While we think these chanages occured rather quickly perhaps in the last 3 months, I think we could have caught this earlier and prevented her from the extreme pain that she has endured for the past six weeks.  My advice is speak up for your mom.  No one knows her like you do.  I'm learning this as I go, but what I would give to relive the last few months.  I would have insisted on every tool possible to monitor her progress.  I too question the physician's thinking......they readily admit now that the tumor marker is only a tool and not a definitive monitor, so why do we not order repeat scans to assure we are not missing anything!@!!!!! thomjuli Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT My Mom breast had cancer  15 and 10 years ago, treated by chemo, mastectomy, tamoxifen and later radiation and arimidex. A year ago she was diagnosed with extensive bone metastasis, lymphatic spread to the lungs and spread to the cerebro-spinal fluid causing numbness and drooping of her left eyelid and lower left lip. She started on taxol weekly and her tumor marker CA 27-29 went from 650 to 289. She felt so fatigued and depressed from months of weekly chemo that she went to chemo every other week which has not caused her tumor marker to rise. She also started on Zoloft chich helped tremendously. The oncologist told us that without chemo or chemo being effective that my Mom will qualify for hospice.  Though her blood work looks better, in reality her condition is continually worsening like shortness of breath with only walking  10 feet and portable oxygen does very little. When she is not walking she does fine. I feel like we are living in a parallel universe from the oncologist because he continues to say how much better her labs are and the chemo is helping. But we tell him that there is a big disconnect from what's on paper and the reality of her increased fatigue, extreme shortness of breath and increased drooping of her face.  He has not answered my question as to why labs look better but this is not reflected in her actual condition.  Has anyone had this experience or advice for me?     daughter4evr Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT