Everybody,
Happy Holidays!!! Still trying to figure out the surgery
vs. no surgery
debate. I personally, did not receive a clinical response
to taxotere,
carboplatin, and herceptin. Did receive a pathological
response in light of tumor
marker going down from 770 to 225,
When on the A/C the breast regressed. I had 3 palpable
lymph nodes which
also showed "3 hypermetabolic lymph nodes". No
pathological response on
A/C...tumor marker only went down from 225 to 199. Then on
herceptin alone tumor
marker went down to 86. It did not go down to 26 until one
year of aromasin
was completed.
I was evaluatated for surgery in May of 04 to be done 07-04.
Authorization
obtained 08-06 and tumor marker up to 168. Tried gemzar
and herceptin with
nothing really happening. The arimidex I was on for 26
months put me into a
complete pathological and clinical remmission. Tumor
marker slightly
increased and change to aromasin
.
Tumor marker down. I did not respond to chemo, though did
to hormonals
I can still have surgery as I have only local disease; no
evidence of
metastatic disease in over 3 years. If I have surgery, my
chances of geting a
response to chemo is not any better since did not
neoadjuvently. How can I have
surgery without any chemo adjuvently that will work.?
My doctor feels that I do not have IBC anymore though she
charted last week,
"inferior aspect of breast has skin thickening and
induration (hardness).
No palpable lymph nodes. Left breast looks normal though
is still larger than
right." MRI showed "skin thickening" over
entire breast.
My doctor states that surgery is still an option since the
disease is local.
She is sending me to UCLA to see about avastin and Tykerb.
This is to get
hooked in with UCLA before I am in a crisis state and the
next generation of
hormore therapy does not work.
My gut tells me not to have surgery. My family and friend's
do not support
surgery because I look very healthy and have beat the odds
following a very
grim prognosis at Dx over 3 years ago. Even with the
original treatment plan
of 6 months neoadjuvent chemo, bilateral mastectomies, 2
MONTHS of radiation
and 4- 6 months adjuvent chemo. Also adjuvent arimidex or
femara or
tamoxifen the surgeon told my friends that my prognosis was
very poor. The
oncologist (picked up chart) had me on every chemo there was
after surgery until I
died. He told me that my first PET would probably be
normal and that we would
not see mets until after surgery and would treat it with
radiation. Changed
oncologists almost 3 years ago.
The former oncologist told me..".no more chemo, no
chemo will work;we have
to procede locally". I changed oncologist who told me
that it would have been
a "toilet mastectomy". I have baffled all of the
doctors by my disease not
progressing.
My Dr. is willing to treat me systemically. Surgery is not
a solution, I
think. With no response to chemo and obvious slin
involvment...does anybody
have any advise?
I know I have written about this before. My oncologist's
last charting
stated, "The decision will ultimately be the
patients." Any ideas???
Thank you,
Peace to all this Holiday Season,
Susan Anne in Ventura, California
[list software deleted text/html attachment]
--
** List address: ibc ibcsupport.org
** Information - subscribe, unsubscribe, archives, etc.:
** http://www.ibcsupport
.org/list/
** Donations: http://www.i
bcsupport.org/donations.html
|