I had my doctor appointment at 12pm and chemo at 1pm yesterday. Chemo lasted until after 6pm!! Wow... Thank goodness they gave me a bed instead of a chair! (They must have known it would take a while!)
The Benedryl they gave me during chemo yesterday completely put me out... I actually fell asleep. (Thank goodness Doug had his iphone and ipod to keep him occupied!) I'm sorry I didn't update everyone last night but I just couldn't keep my eyes open and slept through until this morning!
Here are the results I received from tests I took last week...
Echo: My heart looks fine... no changes. (yippee!)
MRI Results:
Lump: 1.3 x 2.0 x 1.7 cm (Before chemo it was 1.8 x 1.7 x 1.5 cm.)
DCIS: 9.0 x 7.1 x 3.6 cm (We don't expect this to melt away since it is "precancerous"... but, I was praying for it to happen to avoid a mastectomy.)
MRI Impression:
1) Mass within the upper-outer quadrant of the right breast appears essentially unchanged compared to MRI on 6/10/2009.
2) Persistent large area of enhancement involving the lower outer quadrant of the right breast. The overall dimensions of this region are essentially unchanged. The amount of enhancement within this region is subjectively less confluent than on the previous exam.
Dr. Rubin said that the lump is much smaller in size in the clinical measurement. Despite the findings on the MRI, he is very positive that the lump he can measure in the office has decreased greatly. He said it is less confluent... which means the cancer cells aren't close enough together to form as big of a mass. He is positive that the lump will be attacked by the new chemo treatments of Taxol, Herceptin and Lapatinib.
Chemo went well. I didn't have any adverse reactions to the drugs. They were prepared for a bad reaction as they should be. But, nothing was needed. I hope I don't need as much Benedryl next time or my plan of returning to work right after chemo won't work... I would be sleeping the afternoon away at my desk, for sure!
I'm back at work today... Slightly tired and a little dizzy but feeling great otherwise!! Yay! =)
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Next set of drugs... Taxol, Herceptin & Tykerb
Taxol is called a mitotic inhibitor. Cells grow by a process called mitosis (cell division). Taxol targets rapidly growing cancer cells, sticks to them while they are trying to divide, and prevents them from completing the division process. Since the cancer cells cannot divide into new cells, it can't grow and metastasize.
Taxol is a clear, colorless fluid that is given as a chemotherapy infusion. Because it is quite thick and sticky, it requires a pump to properly administer the infusion.
Taxol is made from Yew trees (genus Taxus).
Possible Side effects:
Peripheral neuropathy (tingling and numbness in hands and feet due to irritation of nerves)
Neutropenia (low white blood cell count, greater risk of infection)
Bone and muscle aches
Hair loss
Fatigue
Nausea
Vomiting
Mild diarrhea
Mucositis (irritated mucous membrane in your mouth)
Changes in nails (brittle or yellowed)
Recommended: Use L-Glutamine to prevent neuropathy.
Herceptin is a protein that targets and binds to the HER2 protein (human epidermal growth factor receptor2). HER2 is found on the outer surface of 25 to 30% of breast cancer cells. Herceptin interferes with the HER2-positive tumor cells, preventing their growth, and causing them to die. It is a white to pale yellow fluid given in a chemotherapy infusion, to fight breast, prostate, colon and ovarian cancers.
How Herceptin Works:
Herceptin is part of a new class of drugs that are called targeted (biologic) therapies. This drug works by hunting down only those cancer cells that have HER2/neu receptors on their outer surface. The HER2 gene makes a protein receptor on the surface of a tumor cell. This receptor signals the cell to divide and multiply. When there is too much HER2 in breast cancer tissue, cell division goes out of control, growing much too quickly. Herceptin attaches to the HER2 receptors and blocks the growth signal, preventing more cell division, and slowing the progress of the cancer.
Some Common Side Effects
Chills or fever
Weakness
Nausea
Body pain
Tykerb is molecular inhibitor of a tyrosine kinase (a type of enzyme) called HER2. The Tykerb molecule finds a HER2 positive cancer cell, enters it, and blocks the cell's ability to respond to growth signals. When the cancer cells can't receive growth signals, they fail to divide, and disease progression is stopped.
Taxol is a clear, colorless fluid that is given as a chemotherapy infusion. Because it is quite thick and sticky, it requires a pump to properly administer the infusion.
Taxol is made from Yew trees (genus Taxus).
Possible Side effects:
Peripheral neuropathy (tingling and numbness in hands and feet due to irritation of nerves)
Neutropenia (low white blood cell count, greater risk of infection)
Bone and muscle aches
Hair loss
Fatigue
Nausea
Vomiting
Mild diarrhea
Mucositis (irritated mucous membrane in your mouth)
Changes in nails (brittle or yellowed)
Recommended: Use L-Glutamine to prevent neuropathy.
Herceptin is a protein that targets and binds to the HER2 protein (human epidermal growth factor receptor2). HER2 is found on the outer surface of 25 to 30% of breast cancer cells. Herceptin interferes with the HER2-positive tumor cells, preventing their growth, and causing them to die. It is a white to pale yellow fluid given in a chemotherapy infusion, to fight breast, prostate, colon and ovarian cancers.
How Herceptin Works:
Herceptin is part of a new class of drugs that are called targeted (biologic) therapies. This drug works by hunting down only those cancer cells that have HER2/neu receptors on their outer surface. The HER2 gene makes a protein receptor on the surface of a tumor cell. This receptor signals the cell to divide and multiply. When there is too much HER2 in breast cancer tissue, cell division goes out of control, growing much too quickly. Herceptin attaches to the HER2 receptors and blocks the growth signal, preventing more cell division, and slowing the progress of the cancer.
Some Common Side Effects
Chills or fever
Weakness
Nausea
Body pain
Tykerb is molecular inhibitor of a tyrosine kinase (a type of enzyme) called HER2. The Tykerb molecule finds a HER2 positive cancer cell, enters it, and blocks the cell's ability to respond to growth signals. When the cancer cells can't receive growth signals, they fail to divide, and disease progression is stopped.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Last AC treatment done....
I'm sitting here glad that I have recovered from my last AC treatment. But, I must admit, I'm also scared for the next set of weekly Taxol treatments in my near future. They have a new set of rules and conditions for me to learn. Starting a new phase may not be as easy as I had thought it would be. My mind pushes me into scary places... And, I just don't want to go there.
Generally, I've been living my life as "usual"... But, tonight, "it" just seems to be tugging at me for more attention. It doesn't help that I'm reading a book about someone else's path through this nightmare. I had to stop reading. Right now, my eyes are still so blurry from tears that I can barely read what I'm typing.
At the last appointment with the physicians assistant, we discussed that my clinical (pre-surgery) stage was a IIB. Of course, what does this mean? What are my chances of survival? Prognosis and survival rate can depend on a great many things. Type of cancer, treatments, lifestyle, and genetics all play a very important role in being a cancer survivor.
However, there are statistics available that sum up survival rates by breast cancer stage. The following are based on studies of a 5 year survival rate.
Stage 0: 100%
Stage I:100%
Stage IIA: 92%
Stage IIB:81%
Stage IIIA:67%
The prognosis, 81% chance that I will still be here in 5 years is pretty good, I think. But, I'm still scared. There is also that other 19%. And, this is keeping me up tonight...
I'll be better tomorrow... But, for now, I just needed to write and ask for some "extra" prayers. I appreciate all of them and know they will work! I guess I just need some reassurance... Thanks to everyone for being so supportive. I love you!
Generally, I've been living my life as "usual"... But, tonight, "it" just seems to be tugging at me for more attention. It doesn't help that I'm reading a book about someone else's path through this nightmare. I had to stop reading. Right now, my eyes are still so blurry from tears that I can barely read what I'm typing.
At the last appointment with the physicians assistant, we discussed that my clinical (pre-surgery) stage was a IIB. Of course, what does this mean? What are my chances of survival? Prognosis and survival rate can depend on a great many things. Type of cancer, treatments, lifestyle, and genetics all play a very important role in being a cancer survivor.
However, there are statistics available that sum up survival rates by breast cancer stage. The following are based on studies of a 5 year survival rate.
Stage 0: 100%
Stage I:100%
Stage IIA: 92%
Stage IIB:81%
Stage IIIA:67%
The prognosis, 81% chance that I will still be here in 5 years is pretty good, I think. But, I'm still scared. There is also that other 19%. And, this is keeping me up tonight...
I'll be better tomorrow... But, for now, I just needed to write and ask for some "extra" prayers. I appreciate all of them and know they will work! I guess I just need some reassurance... Thanks to everyone for being so supportive. I love you!
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