Beating stage IV Breast Cancer

Hi I was diagnosed with Stage IV BC in late 2008, this will be my 4 th year working on beating it. The theory on my cancer is that it is a mix'ed genotype, it was first Er+,Pr+,her2-, after a series of chemo treatments it came back in three months as Er-,Pr-,her2+ only in my lymph nodes. After a number of different treatments mostly targeted treatment, the latest pathology shows Er-,Pr-,her2-. I have had 40+ cycles of chemo and raising to small kids. Six months ago I reduced my work days to two days a week, so that I ca rest more and spend more time with my girls. I am determined to beat or at least maintain this cancer. So to help to do that I want to start a more positive discussion on how to beat stage IV BC. This is my 4th year beating it.

Good for you, know you will continue to have good success, know you have "been thru the ringer" with treatment.  I am also Stg4, DX a year ago, but doc's surmised i've had this cancer at least 2 yrs prior to DX....had the basal cell carcinoma (removed in June), all the spots/splatters, tumors.   As of last June'11 it looked rather grimm, but in Sept'11, most everything gone, only tiny spot left on my spine, reduced 60%, all splatters, spots, tumors gone as well, slight invasion still in the lung mets, but I go for follow up scan next week and hopefully even those will be gone....I refused chemo, went on Femara and Zometa to start, then switched in November to Xgeva and in December dropped the Femara and went on Aromasin as the Femara giving my bones big time aches, plus fatigue out of control and the hotflashes still a worry.  I am big on nutritional and think it is my best defense, Iodine a very necessary must if you have radiation, so please protect yourself, I only get scans, refused radiation as well.  Ck out Fucoidan (U-FN), seaweed extract that loves to eat cancer cells, DIM - Indole3/Carbinol, Curcumin/Tumeric, D3 and several others.   Research and reading have been big help.  Stay on healthy diet, since cancer not bacterial or viral, it is anaerobic and no medicine or treatment alone can prevail, it takes nutritional diet as it is metabolic disease....no sugar, milk products, glutemates, soy, etc.   Keep your body immune system strong and you will survive.   I've never had a single glitch in any bloodwork, always perfect right down the middle.   I know you struggle every day, can only imagine what stamina it takes just to fight, then have to be responsive to needs of precious small children, they will be your guiding light to victory, stay strong and know you have large cheering squad in your corner....best to you, keep us posted.

I am stage 4 er+ pr+her2+ been treated for a year now and the last bone scan showed much lighter disease on the screen.  Dr. was very impressed.  Had very, very minor problems during treatment except for the neulasta shot, that made me very weak and tired for a day or two.  Minimal nausea  which is most feared during chemo.  My team at the cancer clinic is super fantastic.  I hope everyone has such a great team when dealing with cancer.  They say it's like diabetes, you can't cure stage4  but you can treat it.

Congrats to you, so happy your scans are showing improvement.  Can only imagine how that is boosting your morale, you continue and stay positive.  Always great when you have a super duper team to cheer you on,  give encouragement and be concerned for your overall well being.  Know your two little cheerleaders at home are a great boost as well. My prayers for you include a "free of" for them as they grow into lovely young ladies.    WE're both Stg4, i'm ERpos/PRpos,HERneg,  I had laser surgery for tumor removal, partial mastectomy.   Such an easy do....no pain, no cutting, no chance of cancercells/fluids escaping into the body.   Got up and literally walked off operating table, out to dinner that night.  Wish more hospital would stop the body mutilation and institute this procedure.   Laser just as, if not more, successful.   Had clear margins and know it got more of diseased area than cutting.  I've had NO Chemo, NO Radiation.  Got my tumor markers yesterday, CEA Norms are 3.4, mine are 2.1,  CA15-3 norms are 32, mine are 42, CA27-29 norms are 40, mine are now 72!   Last summer went to Mass General, they were on the roof!!!  Scans showed I was in the ditch, lots of invasion in bones and organs.....then in Sept, no organ spots/tumors and only small spot left on spine and few lung mets.    I go for scan on Tuesday, 1/31/12, hoping everything will be gone!  My doc too is amazed, all this in just 7 mo's!  He now thinks maybe I am on to something with the "extra's" I take, plus I daily do the Asparagus puree.   I am firm believer in diet and the supplements.  Especially the DIM/Indole3/Carb and Curcumin/Tumeric, and U-FN Fucoidan.   Please do be sure to take Iodine to keep free radicals at bay if you have any radiation, if fact, even the scans put too much in our bodies and can damage the cells and DNA.  We may have been hit with Stage 4, but WE are going to win this uninvited invasion!   Due to somebody who couldn't read a mammogram, gave me an all clear and if not for a fatty tumor that popped up under my collar bone just above breast, i'd probably be toast!   Had it excised, had cancer cells in it, then the journey began.....You stay strong, know there are days when you want to scream, I do, but go right ahead, you earned the right!   Sending cheer and Godspeed to you!   Stay posted!

I also have stage IV bc, ER and PR +.  I was diagnosed about 2 1/2 years ago, and it had already spread to my bones.  I have been doing well, first treatment was Arimidex and once a month Zometa.  For the last year I have been getting the Falsodex shots once a month, and continuing with the monthly Zometa infusion. 

I hope all of you do well, and maybe we can all live a lot longer than doctors estimate!

Hi Chrisa, YES, we can survive - and a lots long than our doc's may think!  I was told i'd never see my birthday, it's today and i'm feeling great.   Good for you too, 2 1/2 years and many, more to go!   We will all stay strong and fight the beast, it's our body, we didn't invite this unwanted guest, and we can evict it!  I just got off Femara in Dec, switched to Aromasin, not having as many aches or fatigue, noticed my hair getting thicker too, it had begun to fall out and get very thin, so i'm glad that is improving.   Still the hotties tho, but the I-Cool (over the counter) seems to help.   Stay posted and continue to take care of yourself, you can still cleanup those spots and mets, try adding VitB17 (variation of laetrile) and Fucoidan (U-Fn).   They will help bring your tumor markers down and the Fucoidan loves to eat cancer cells, I know it's helping me look good in the scans.  I swtiched from Zometa to Xgeva....you might want to inquire, so much easier to get a quickie shot, doesn't hurt and i've had no side effects.   Stay strong, sending cheer!

Happy Birthday Springflowers

continued health and success in your regimen

I have just been diagnosed again after 9 years, but had suspicious pain in lower back 2 years ago and the biopsy missed it, SO NOW 2 YEARs LATE. I have stage IV breast cancer metastatic to bone, started Femara and had first infusion of Aredia and have never been so sick even after 5 months of chemo 9 years ago, please tell me what fucoidan, and DIM and where to get it because after 9 years way out of the loop the journey is beginning again.

Hi Lockerman--so sorry to hear your news, but please stay strong.   I've been thru several onco doc's, they first told me I was too far gone for hope  just a year ago, now my tumor markers are near 1st base and I go for follow up scan this week.   I was put on Femara/Zometa to start, chg'd in Nov to Aromasin & Xgeva, sooo much easier, Fermara was a killer, bone pain, fatigue, hair loss...the Aromasin so far no se's...hair now filling in and thicker.  Ask for the Xgeva, so easy, simple shot to tummy, just under skin, i've yet to feel anything and no se's there either.   I refuse to accept medical scoffing at realizing the importance of the following....I know it is what has cleared my scans & brought my TM's down---and they were a mess, no joke.  My numbers were almost on the moon, but now:   CEA-- 2.1, CA15 -- 42, and the CA27-29 is 72...all this just since last June.   Can't tell me it's the Femara or Aromasin alone....so please, start today:  Get GreenGiant Asparagus, bring to boil, cool, puree, and take 2-3 tblsp twice daily.  Many people do this and you will be surprised how it "eats" organ/body tumors.   I take the following supplements:   DIM or Indole3/Carbinole....it is the same chemical makeup as Tamoxifin, only in the natural veg state (before they add the poisons), I take 400mg,( you can buy either DIM or Indole, I take the Indole and find the Pure label the best).  You must be on Iodine if you have any radiation, will neutralize and stablize free radicals in the body and keep damage to your immune system to minimum, that is what ends up killing us, our immune system becomes overwhelmed w/chemo poision and DNA breaks down.  Fucoidan or U-FN is a natural brown seaweed, actually eats cancer cells.   Calcium 500mg, Magnesium, Vitamin C, D3- at least 2000mg.       Curcumin/Tumeric--  don't underestimate the power of Curcumin/Tumeric, amazing!   Zinc, Flaxseed/Omega 3, best to use the vegetable over the fish oil as many omega fishoils made from the organs of fish where toxins accumulate.   I am taking Vit B17 aka Laetrile, I eat maybe 10 apricot seedpits daily as well.  Best to  keep your body PH alkaline, avoid sugars, milk, glutemates, soy (0nly fermented soy after cancer), try to eat only whole natural foods, vegs, fruits, limit red meat and avoid caffeine, sugary drinks, etc.   I am very anti chemotheraphy, after reading that 85% of polled onocologists said they would refuse chemo, plus stats show no real reduction in cancer success in over 50 yrs, only in how they post number, time to do my own research.   I also know that refusing traditional surgery (mastectomy & lymph removal) saved me from being in the ditch.   I had laser surgery, seals the blood and fluids from traveling in the body to set up housekeeping when we least expect it.   We have to be our own advocates.  I've lost 4 dear friends, watched them go thru this misery and now I visit them in the cemetary.   I refuse to accept only what doctors say, they always have that eye roll thing going when I ask "impertinent" questions", been told i'd never see my next birthday if I didn't have chemo, but here I am, birthday behind me.   We have to insist they listen to us and treat us like living breathing children of God, not a number on a file folder.     We're all on borrowed time but i'm going to stretch mine as far as I can.   Please feel free to email meewa@tds.net if you like and I will be happy to send you links  to these sites so you can read for yourself.  Also where you can purchase.   These are not hocus pocus cures, or as one of my "fired" radiologists said "vooddoo witchdoctor" remedies.   These are scientific studied sites with proven records, i'm not into grasping at straws, many on this site will tell you, chemo is not our friend, neither is radiation, but what choice do they give us?  I personally refused, once used, can't make that journey again.   We can win, i've got dear friend at MGH with recurrence after 20 yrs,  she is doing great.  Don't let anyone yank your chain, if you feel bad after the Aredia, ask if something else availble, but I have a sneaky suspicion it's the Femara, I thought it was the Zometa infusion giving me fits, but it was  Femara that turned out to be the witch in the closet.  We each have to chart our own course, I've chosen mine and don't in any way want to say my way is right, it is right for me, I see the positive results, I see my friends with not so positive results following medical course, so I have to do what my conscience dictates....I send only the best of wishes to you and prayers for an end to this beast who feels free to invade our body.    Stay strong and know others do care.

i repest you so much , i have breast cancer stage 4, and this is my 3 year. you spirit amazees me, as i get depressed and my children are raised . i have 10 grandchildren. i am not sure the genotype of my ca, except estropen + her -. i am on xeloda  2 week cycle on 1 week off. . you give me postive hope and i will continue to beat my cancer . debra