CancerCompass message board discussion started by creeocean on 5/14/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,24033,0.htm Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ Hello,  I'm new to this site. May 9th was my one year anniversary.   On May 9th I was informed that I had stage 1 BC.  Three short weeks later, on May 28th I was informed that the BC had metastatised to both my lungs after a routine CAT scan was conducted.    I was treated with 4 FEC-100, then 3 taxotere.  both treatments reduced the nodules on breast and lungs.  I then went on herceptin [once a week] for 8 weeks.  Unfortunately the herceptin didn't work.   I am now on my 4th FEC-100  with 2 more rounds to go.   Again the some of the nodules on lungs are reduced.   After the FEC, my doctor recommends a break from chemo.  But I am scared.  If herceptin doesn't work, what other protein options are there.    Any body out there in a similar circumstance.   creeocean Wed, 14 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 5/14/2008 creeocean wrote:Hello,  I'm new to this site. May 9th was my one year anniversary.   On May 9th I was informed that I had stage 1 BC.  Three short weeks later, on May 28th I was informed that the BC had metastatised to both my lungs after a routine CAT scan was conducted.    I was treated with 4 FEC-100, then 3 taxotere.  both treatments reduced the nodules on breast and lungs.  I then went on herceptin [once a week] for 8 weeks.  Unfortunately the herceptin didn't work.   I am now on my 4th FEC-100  with 2 more rounds to go.   Again the some of the nodules on lungs are reduced.   After the FEC, my doctor recommends a break from chemo.  But I am scared.  If herceptin doesn't work, what other protein options are there.    Any body out there in a similar circumstance.  dear creeocean:your situation sounds almost identical to mine..I am also her2 positive with neg lymph nodes and have also found myself with mets to lungs..mine was originally diagnosed in 01 though, and I have had a recurrence which has come back as mets to lung area.. this was a shock to say the least!  I have taken three months worth of herceptin in hopes that it has helped me, wont know until after my pet scan next week?  Your situation makes me a little uneasy now hearing that it didnt work for you..I know though that we are all differant and our cancers respond differant to the meds.. I have never heard of the other kind that you mentioned..the Fec-100.. I did take several months of the taxotere with avastin, which proved to be somewhat successful in shrinking and disolving the tumor they found on xray in my lung.. I also had bc mets to most of the lymph node chain in my lung area..and so far it has gotten better too.. there was still some activity in one of my bronchial tubes and I will know next week if the pet scan shows if it has improved or not.. sorry I really cant help you with more knowledge or any other meds for you to try if your dr. suggests something else..  my circumstance is very similar to yours though with the mets to the lung..  how many nodules did they find?  Wishing you much success and good wishes your way in your br. cancer fight.. Jodie Jodie Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 5/17/2008 Jodie wrote: On 5/14/2008 creeocean wrote:Hello,  I'm new to this site. May 9th was my one year anniversary.   On May 9th I was informed that I had stage 1 BC.  Three short weeks later, on May 28th I was informed that the BC had metastatised to both my lungs after a routine CAT scan was conducted.    I was treated with 4 FEC-100, then 3 taxotere.  both treatments reduced the nodules on breast and lungs.  I then went on herceptin [once a week] for 8 weeks.  Unfortunately the herceptin didn't work.   I am now on my 4th FEC-100  with 2 more rounds to go.   Again the some of the nodules on lungs are reduced.   After the FEC, my doctor recommends a break from chemo.  But I am scared.  If herceptin doesn't work, what other protein options are there.    Any body out there in a similar circumstance.  dear creeocean:your situation sounds almost identical to mine..I am also her2 positive with neg lymph nodes and have also found myself with mets to lungs..mine was originally diagnosed in 01 though, and I have had a recurrence which has come back as mets to lung area.. this was a shock to say the least!  I have taken three months worth of herceptin in hopes that it has helped me, wont know until after my pet scan next week?  Your situation makes me a little uneasy now hearing that it didnt work for you..I know though that we are all differant and our cancers respond differant to the meds.. I have never heard of the other kind that you mentioned..the Fec-100.. I did take several months of the taxotere with avastin, which proved to be somewhat successful in shrinking and disolving the tumor they found on xray in my lung.. I also had bc mets to most of the lymph node chain in my lung area..and so far it has gotten better too.. there was still some activity in one of my bronchial tubes and I will know next week if the pet scan shows if it has improved or not.. sorry I really cant help you with more knowledge or any other meds for you to try if your dr. suggests something else..  my circumstance is very similar to yours though with the mets to the lung..  how many nodules did they find?  Wishing you much success and good wishes your way in your br. cancer fight.. JodieP.S.  I meant to say that I was also negative for the hormone status of my br. cancer.. sorryJodie  Jodie Sat, 17 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hello - I had one nodule found on my lung from breast cancer.  I was diagnosed for the first time in Aug. 2003 - Stage II - Estrogen+ PR+ HER2 negative.  Exactly three years later, I had a recurrence in my breast and a lung met which was one spot.  I had a surgery called a thoracotomy which they went in through my back to get to the spot on my lung because it was in a difficult spot to reach.  They removed it and then I had Taxotere for 4 rounds and Herceptin for a year because when the cancer came back, it was also HER2+.  I also take Arimidex daily for the Estrogen+.  It has been almost 2 years since the lung met and there has been no sign of recurrence and my doctor says that usually the recurrence would have happened within the first year.  Have any of your doctors talked about removal of the lung tumors by surgery?  My surgeon said that these lung surgeries take place all of the time and they had no hesitation with removing mine.  I do know that how many and where they are makes a difference, but maybe you could ask your doctors about it.  I go to a big research hospital and they made the lung surgery seem commonplace and I got through it okay.Another option that was approved for HER2+ patients was Tykerb in 2007 (in pill form).  This seems to have worked quite well in clinical trials and doctors are very pleased with it.  It is usually given when Herceptin and chemos have failed.  I believe it is given with a chemo called Capectabine (Xeloda).I pray for all of us - I think we will see a cure for breast cancer in our lifetime - keep fighting and get all of the information you can to help fight this disease!Marcia  marcia63 Sun, 18 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi Jodie. Thank you for replying to my message.  I hope your pet scan shows improvement on the lungs.   The chemo treatment I have been on is F=flourouracil, E= Epirubicin, C= Cycloophosphamide. I have been told that I have multiple tumors on both lungs, In my mind I imagine it would look like measles.  I never asked to look at the scans, coward that I am.  I don't think I could handle that. I really hope that the herceptin works for you. I will keep you in my prayers.  Once again thanks for the info.  Donna  creeocean Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi Marcia.  Thanks for the info about tykerb.  I will be looking this up.  I am glad to know that there is something more then herceptin out there.  Its too bad that this drug doesn't work for everyone.  On a more positive note it looks like the FEC is reducing the tumors on the lungs again,  I wish I could have an operation, unfortunately that is not an option for me given that there are multiple tumors on both lungs.  Right now, the course of action is to stop the tumors from growing and hopefully to push it into remission.   I pray that you keep well.  Donna   creeocean Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 5/29/2008 creeocean wrote:Hi Jodie. Thank you for replying to my message.  I hope your pet scan shows improvement on the lungs.   The chemo treatment I have been on is F=flourouracil, E= Epirubicin, C= Cycloophosphamide. I have been told that I have multiple tumors on both lungs, In my mind I imagine it would look like measles.  I never asked to look at the scans, coward that I am.  I don't think I could handle that. I really hope that the herceptin works for you. I will keep you in my prayers.  Once again thanks for the info.  Donna Creeocean:I went to dr. yesterday after having the petscan the 21st and miraculously I have been put into REMISSION...yeah!!!  That was the first time the dr. said the word to me..  my petscan was normal..  I still have to continue with the herceptin for a year..he offered me the tykerb but since I am having good results for now with the herceptin I didnt see a since in switching to the pill right now.  I was so elated when I came out of the dr. yesterday..  I felt like I was walking on cloud all the way home..  havent had that since of peace of mind since last spring before I found out about the mets and recurrence..  I have reached the silver lining for now..just hope the herceptin continues to work and my heart doesnt give me fits to stop taking it..  the tykerb is not suppose to be as toxic to the heart as the herceptin so I do have that option to fall back on if the herceptin becomes not an option for me.. they didnt have to surgically remove the lung nodule, it was disolved by the taxotere treatments last fall..  in Jan. I still had some residual tumors in my bronchial tube and neck lymph nodes and the taxotere has even resolved those issues.. so for now, i am good to GO!  and I will!!!thankyou for your response to my message, it was very informative..I like chatting with other ladies on here who are having the same issues..dont like hearing that so many are but at least we have somewhere to go to talk to others who are going through the same cancer aggravation and stress..take care..God's Blessings to you all..Jodie Jodie Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT