My Diagnosis & Treatment
I was diagnosed with grade 3 infiltrating ductal carcinoma with high grade in situ on December 30, 2010 (the first test showed grade 2, but after surgery the tumor was noted as grade 3).
The tumor was 2.5 centimeters and I was diagnosed as Stage IIB – T2 N1A M0. The high grade in situ was noted as “extensive” in my lab reports. The tumors (breast and lymph node) were estrogen and progesterone positive and HER2/neu negative.
The early stage breast cancer treatment I was given/chose:
- Skin sparing bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction – 1/28/11
- Chemo – Dose Dense AC Followed by Dose Dense T – Started 2/25/11, completed 6/3/11
- Reconstruction surgery number 1: 6/22/11
- Radiation – 8/8/11 for 6 weeks
- Tamoxifen for 5 years – 9/28/2011, stopped 1 month later due to complications, started again after surgery 1/3/12
- Reconstruction surgery number 2: 12/27/11
On to metastatic breast cancer treatment:
On October 6, 2014 a PET-CT Revealed 6 tumors in my spine, ribs, a few active lymph nodes and 5 tumors in my lungs. The lung spots were initially found on September 17, 2013, but were too small to biopsy. My cancer cells changed, this time I was diagnosed ER+ PR- HER2/neu+. I later found out I had spots throughout my ribs and my right clavicle was also active. Brain mets 10/7/2015. Progression to liver 1/6/16.
- Zometa infusions – Started 10/24/14, stopped after 3 infusions due to ONJ
- Radiation to spine, 2 weeks – Started 10/27/14
- Oophorectomy – 11/25/14
- Letrazole – 12/9/14, stopped 1/30/15
- Taxotere, Perjeta, Herceptin every 3 weeks – Started 1/30/15
- Perjeta, Herceptin & Letrazole – July 17, 2015
- Spread to Brain, Switched Letrazole with Aromasin – 10/7/2015
- Xeloda & Tykerb – 11/25/2015, stopped 1/6/16 due to Tykerb making me ill & liver progression
- Taxotere every 3 weeks – 1/21/16, Perjeta and Herceptin added back in 3/25/16, stopped 6/16/16 due to progression
- Kadcyla every 3 weeks – 6/16/16 last one 7/29/2016
- Intrathecal: Methotrexate – Twice a week 8/1/16 last one 8/11/16 from meningitis
- Intrathecal: Topotecan – Twice a week starting 8/18/16
- Xeloda – 2 weeks on, 1 week off 8/28/16 stopped 11/1/16
- Doxil – every 4 weeks started 11/14/16
- Navelbine and Herceptin – 2 weeks on, 1 week off (Navelibine), Every 3 weeks (Herceptin)
- Intrathecal: DepoCyt – 1/20/17 Every 2 weeks, then monthly
- Every 3 weeks Herceptin, every day Afinitor 2/28/17
My blog posts are recorded from the beginning on the Timeline page.