need help please

shlomit · New User Joined: 31 Aug 2007 Posts: 8

hi my name is shlomit, my sister is 23 years old and been diagnosed with breast cancer that send to the bones.
we started treated with tamoxipen 6 weeks ago but the blood test show huge growth in the cancer markers.
the doctore decide to stop with the hormonal treatment and we will start chemotherapy soon.
i have no idea why the markers as grow so much.
we heared about treatment in Germany with hyperthermia and we want to try this but i dont know any women in that condition that been treated with hyperthermia.
my sister is young and we hopeless so well try almost enything.
so please if someone heared about someone that been treated with hyperthermia i need any information i can get.

Muttsmom · Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:16 am Post subject: Re: need help please

Hi,

I've never heard of anyone using that kind of treatment and it's more an alternative kind of treatment from what I understand, which none of that I've ever heard that works.

I'm not a doctor, but it seems he took her off Tamoxifen very quickly and I don't know if 6 weeks was enough to even give it a chance to work. I also wonder why he didn't start chemo right away. Has he mentioned radiation to the area(s) of the bone where the cancer has spread?

You and your sister are in my prayers. I only know how it's treated in the U.S. and with most breast cancer, even in earlier stages, chemo is given to kill cancer cells and stop the spread.
_________________
Nancy
2/14/02 ILC 43 - 5.5 cm 9+/16 nodes
Stage IIIA er/pr+ Her2-
2/02 MRM
FECx6 radsx33
Tamoxifen - Arimidex (chemo induced menopause)
4/03 SM w/bilat. recon.
9/03 expanders removed
5/04 repair reconst. disaster
10/04 Actonel for bone/joint pain from Arimidex
NED - 5 years
3/07 Diabetes
In memory of Kim 12/1/04

shlomit · New User Joined: 31 Aug 2007 Posts: 8

hi.
yes we did radiation for 7 days at the low back but we finished with that now we will start gettin chemo but as i understand it wont save her, it will only reduce the cancer.
i just want to know how could this happen that with tamoxipen there was still huge growth in the cancer markers.
shouldnt it stop the grow or at list slow it down?
thank you for your help.
good health

Muttsmom · Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:32 am Post subject: Re: need help please

Hi,

Tamoxifen helps in encasing cancer cells that try to feed off hormones. It is only for women who are Estrogen/Progesterone positive, meaning that the cancer feeds off hormones. It isn't chemo and is used after chemo is given and helps to get any cancer cells that chemo might miss. There is no cure for breast cancer, but chemo is meant to kill cancer cells. The more aggressive the cancer is, the better chemo works.

By reducing the size of the tumors and the amount of cancer in her body, that is what will save her from the cancer spreading to other places, mainly organs like lungs, liver etc. Tamoxifen is given AFTER chemo. I'd find another oncologist and get another opinion.

She's very young and that puts her at high risk. I had just turned 43 and I was young when it comes to breast cancer and I was high risk at Stage III and it's been 5 1/2 years and there is no signs the cancer has returned, so never give up hope. But, you need an onco that will treat VERY aggressively. It sounds like he's almost given up without even trying and that's not acceptable.
_________________
Nancy
2/14/02 ILC 43 - 5.5 cm 9+/16 nodes
Stage IIIA er/pr+ Her2-
2/02 MRM
FECx6 radsx33
Tamoxifen - Arimidex (chemo induced menopause)
4/03 SM w/bilat. recon.
9/03 expanders removed
5/04 repair reconst. disaster
10/04 Actonel for bone/joint pain from Arimidex
NED - 5 years
3/07 Diabetes
In memory of Kim 12/1/04

shlomit · New User Joined: 31 Aug 2007 Posts: 8

you right, i dont like his kind of treatment alsow he told us that the hormonal treatment will give her quality of life so we tryed, but i think it did the oposite now.
i heared The more aggressive the cancer is, the better chemo works.
and i do think that her cancer is aggressive i just hope that chemo will help.
but why you said that because she's young she's in high risk in what way?

Muttsmom · Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 3:24 pm Post subject: Re: need help please

Being young puts you at higher risk for recurrence, which your sister technically already has since it has spread. Chemo can still work regardless of age.

There are side affects with Tamoxifen or any drug you take. I had horrible bone and joint pain with Arimidex, but I was able to take something to completely stop those side affects. If her cancer feeds off hormones, I would definitely go back on it AFTER chemo. Have they mentioned surgery to remove the known tumors?
_________________
Nancy
2/14/02 ILC 43 - 5.5 cm 9+/16 nodes
Stage IIIA er/pr+ Her2-
2/02 MRM
FECx6 radsx33
Tamoxifen - Arimidex (chemo induced menopause)
4/03 SM w/bilat. recon.
9/03 expanders removed
5/04 repair reconst. disaster
10/04 Actonel for bone/joint pain from Arimidex
NED - 5 years
3/07 Diabetes
In memory of Kim 12/1/04

shlomit · New User Joined: 31 Aug 2007 Posts: 8

hi.
yes they mention that maybe in the future they do surgery to remove the tumor from the breast, but still she will have it on the bones...
eny way shouldnt we do examination to check if this kind of chemo will help her?, did you did it beafor you started with chemo?
he gave her 3 kinds of chemo, i have no idea what wich one of them is doin.
enyway thank you.

Muttsmom · Posted: Sat Sep 01, 2007 12:03 pm Post subject: Re: need help please

I had my mastectomy and lymph nodes removed before I started chemo. There are tumor markers that can be done, but they aren't done until after chemo is completed and they aren't always accurate. Since they have done no surgery on her, they could tell my a CT Scan, bone scan etc. to see if the tumors are shrinking. I had a PET Scan about 6 months after I was done with chemo (radiation was after that) and it can pick up smaller tumors then other tests, but also give false positives. I would say the CT Scan, bone scan or MRI would need to be done to see if the tumors were shrinking, but I'm not sure how long after starting chemo that would be done since I had surgery 1st.

Does she have Ductal, Lobular, Inflammatory or what kind of BC? Try to find out what kind of chemo too.
_________________
Nancy
2/14/02 ILC 43 - 5.5 cm 9+/16 nodes
Stage IIIA er/pr+ Her2-
2/02 MRM
FECx6 radsx33
Tamoxifen - Arimidex (chemo induced menopause)
4/03 SM w/bilat. recon.
9/03 expanders removed
5/04 repair reconst. disaster
10/04 Actonel for bone/joint pain from Arimidex
NED - 5 years
3/07 Diabetes
In memory of Kim 12/1/04

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