Edema (fluid accumulation in any body part, resulting in swelling) has been reported as an adverse event in 37% of pancreatic cancer patients taking Tarceva, although this side effect has not been reported in lung cancer cases.
However, the type of edema associated with Tarceva use is either generalized or involves a swelling of both legs. Swelling in only one leg may not be due to this drug. Unilateral leg swelling may be due to a local infection (cellulitis) in that area.
Thanks for your response. To clarify: his treatment was adjunctive. At the time they saw no sign of cancer outside the lung. Now, however, after 4 rounds of chemotherapy the disease seems to have spread during treatment with taxotere and cisplatin: it's now in the liver, bones and adrenal glands. His original tumor was EGFR positive that is why Tarceva came up as a viable second step.
Asians, women, non-smokers, and those with adenocarcinoma histology. This drug still has been found to benefit males, smokers, and those with squamous cell histology, but to a lesser extent.
Anyway, your information that there are new drugs for treating metastatic breast cancer in trials is very encouraging (?). Oh for the brain I had before chemo fog! I have been dealing with this disease for over 10 years now and I am working towards living for another 30, no matter how much my husband cries. Thanks again and if you find any other info with regard to treating my type of cancer I would be very grateful to hear about it.
Shielah.
A recurrence is the re-emergence of the same cancer at the same site, whereas a metastatic cancer is the spread of the cancer via blood, lymph or direct contact to other organs of a patients body. There are other differences as well on the basis of the danger and the treatment levels for the two.
Let us know if you have any more queries.
Good luck once again.
Dear fatcat90: The simple answer is no, there are not "newer" tests to screen for or follow breast cancer. Nor is there any one test that works well in all situations. In terms of screening, the tests are mammogram, ultrasound, and MRI. Most cancers will show up on one of these tests, though if there is a discrete lump, biopsy may be warrented regardless. If the disease is metastatic, there are a variety of ways to track progress depending upon where the metastases are.
Even though the path report says: ' metastatic disease in axillary tct, extranodal.' that does not mean that your cancer has progressed to stage 4, or metastatic cancer. It said the same in my surgery report, and the word 'metastatic; was also used. my cancer was a 3C.
My mother just got his breast removed. We have just received the surgical pathology report. It says:
Diagnosis: Left breast:
1. Infiltrating ductal carcinoma grade II on a scale of I to III according to modified Bloom and Richardson grading system.
2. Size of lesion: 3.5 x 2.5 x 1.5 cm.
3. Lesion is 0.2 cm from deep margin.
4. A small focus of lymphatic invasion is present which is 0.1 cm from deep margin.
5. Nipple and areola: Tumour free.
6.
There is really no point in scanning every inch of your body for metastatic cancer, because absolutely no test will pick up micro, or very small, cancer cells. So, the chemo is both curative and preventative.
just because your cancer has spread to your lymph nodes that does not mean you have metastatic, or stage 4 cancer.
like yours, my cancer was also described as metastatic because of the lymph node involvement.
I am a 3 year survivor of breast cancer but for the past year have had to take zantac or another antacid every day due to "indigestion". It does not burn - but I can have two bites of food and feel so full and bloated I can't eat more. I feel bloated and miserable. I have not lost weight - so have not paid a lot of attention until recently when the symptoms seem more intense and I'm finding myself taking both the zantac and additional tums and still feeling miserable.
Refusing treatment for metastatic breast cancer is pretty much a death sentence. No need for that with all of the options available today. If the new lump is cancer, then the previous lumpectomy and lymph node removal was not sufficient to stop the spread.
If you want to know what will be best for you now, it is called treatment. Get it. You are in your twenties. No need to throw away the rest of your life. My mother is a 30 year breast cancer survivor.
Hi There...
I have had a upper right lobectomy on Sept 14 2001.Stage 1A BAC lung cancer...no chemo or no radiation..clear margins and no lymph node involvement.. ..it's been a little over five years now. cancer free. PRAISE GOD...and thou I realize that 5 yrs is maybe the magic number for most lung cancer survivor's...is it also meant for BAC Lung Cancer...I have heard not so....
Thank you for any information you can give me....
i thought i was in the professional area. im confused how this works here. can i even delete this thread here. frustrated.
Dear knowledgable community,
I have been advised from my oncologist that the right course of chemptherapy action for breast cancer is FEC. If my vital organs are already cancerous, is this still the most appropriate form of chemotherapy to be choosing?
Backgound:
This question, comes from my mother, who has fought breast cancer for 9 years, with 3 failures from the specialists to pick up and act on the spread of this cancer.
In general, this would represent the recommended treatment options for lung cancer. There are no clear guides as what drug is best after 3 lines of therapy, hence the reluctance to recommend any treatment.
I am also guessing that the adrenal involvement cannot be removed with surgery, hence, this is not given as an option. You are right, that there are some people who even have brain involvement and undergo surgery, but these cases are really the exceptions more than the rule.
Stage 3 & 4 Forum (which you can click on under the "Related Communities" heading to the right of these posts, may allow you to connect with others in your stage.
Also, a doctor's reply to a post by Birdies, "Triple Negative Treatment Options," dated 1/3/08, in the Breast Cancer Expert forum, discussed TNBC.
Best wishes...
I have heard though that although metastatic breast cancer cannot be cured that it can be treated and you can live a long life with it.
m doing research as quickly as I can to help she and her husband make an informed decision about what to do...if anything. The local drs are recommending 4 weeks of full brain radiation followed by tarceva. Prior to the finding the mets, they were planning 6 weeks of radiation to the right lung in combination with etoposide and cisplatin.
I'd appreciate any feedback. My thanks in advance to all responses....
You're right - ovarian cancer does not get the recognition it needs. It's the cancer that "whispers." The symptoms are generally vague and doctors may write them off as stress or bowel problems. Too often the symptoms are ignored until it's too late.
The women on this forum have been fighting for public recognition of this disease, to raise awareness. You'll see pink ribbons and pink yogurt tops all over the place but you won't see teal any where.
•Lumps or thickening in the breast that were not there before
•Tenderness, discharge or change in appearance of the nipple
•Changes in the appearance of breast skin: redness, scaling, puckering or dimpling
•Irritation of the breast, including redness, swelling and rash
•Unexplained pain in the breast, especially with any of the above symptoms
How Is It Diagnosed?
A number of imaging procedures can be used to determine whether cancer is present. These include:
•Diagnostic mammography.
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