- Originally, my doc told me the initial follow up tests showed nothing.
- At next meeting, I found this was not the truth, but for some reason, they were reluctant to tell me until they knew anything else (unlike my bc diagnosis progression).
- When I asked about surgery, if it was positive, my onc said that would be unwise as it would likely weaken the bone.
???????? *boggle* Who cares? We're talking about cancer here.
After researching online, it appears that a very different attitude is taken towards metastatic bone cancer vs. original bone cancer. If I hadn't already had breast cancer, my oncologist would have recommended surgery, I suspect. However, online sites suggest the goal at even the most remote and localized bone cancers is basically just to Make Her Comfortable.
I know I should not be surprised, as most stage 4 cancers are treated as death sentences, however, it seems logical that prognosis is lower than it should be because of this very attitude.
I'm becoming angry. I think I need to research metastatic cancers more and get more involved - regardless of my diagnosis.
Do you find the same things I'm finding? Are doctors still ignoring a Stage 4 cancer patient's realistic changes for long term survival and avoiding expensive treatments as a result? Has no change occurred in this area of cancer advancement?Do oncologists typically just "give up" on stage 4 metastatic breast cancer?
I know nothing on this subject except, it's common knowledge that people beat it all the time. Here is the heart wrenching article from the source below
Topic: stage 4 peritineal metastisis help.Log in to post a reply
Posted on: Dec 5, 2009 07:31 pm Hamilton Joined: Nov 2007 Posts: 59 Amy1971 wrote:
Was just diagnosed with stage 4 peritineal metastsis really dont know what to think they have given me an average of 2 years to live. They wanted to start oral chemo but opted to try some more iv chemo of diffrent drugs than I have had before.
I go three days on chemo them 3 weeks off. Not really sure what to think---will this save me or just prolong the agony? also waiting for a bone scan. Had emerg bowel resection about 3 weeks ago started chemo again last wed.
I am so scared for my daughter who is 10 me and her dad (of 20 years) split up about7 weeks ago and then this happends. What am I suppose to think? Do I give up? I dont want to give up and am not ready to leave my beautiful daughter my mom and sister.
But what do you do pretend that its gonna be fine when they tell me its just time how do you put a happy face on for the holidays when everytime you look at your family it hurts so much. I feel like a failure that I let her down and the fact of her being brought up without her mom terrifies me.
what do I do now?please help me i am so sad and dont want to die at 38 or even 40?
Diagnosis: 10/10/2007, IDC, 3cm, Stage IIIa, Grade 3, 3/14 nodes, mets, ER-/PR-, HER2-. .Posts 1 - 17 (17 total)
Dec 5, 2009 07:47 pm
Reneepals wrote:
Amy...... Breath.... Please...... First off I can not believe that your doctor gave you a time frame... what a horrible thing, especially in this day and age. We have to be realistic, but we have to have hope too. More and more I am seeing people 5 and 10 years out. My infusion nurse was telling my husband that she has a lot of patients for ten years and counting. That, it truly is somewhat of a chronic disease......... It isn't an easy road, in anyway. But it does teach you how to really cherish life and to not waste your time on small annoyances. Don't give up! there are new treatments coming out all the time. Parp Inhibitors are a up and coming new treatment for Trip neg breast cancers. We are here to listen and help. You are not alone. Renee Nanalinda NY Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 454 Log in to post a reply Dec 5, 2009 07:57 pm Nanalinda wrote:
Amy: Don't give up!! That two year crap is just an average life expectancy that some Dr's like to wave around in people's face. Those stats are already old. There are so many stage IV ladies hanging in for many more years than that. You are TN just like me, which means chemo usually works better for us, and there are a lot of chemo's to try. When one stops working, you go to the next. You have a child who needs you, so start the fight and keep on fighting. If you want to talk more about TN, just send me a PM, and I will answer any question I can for you. Hang in there!! Linda
Diagnosis: 7/26/2006, IDC, 3cm, Stage IV, Grade 3, 0/1 nodes, mets, ER-/PR-, HER2- GracePang
Winnipeg, MB Joined: Sep 2009 Posts: 66 Log in to post a reply Dec 5, 2009 07:59 pm
GracePang wrote: Hi Amy, 鈥 understand how you feel. When my onc told me I had about 1 year to live this October, I felt the same. You are doing the right thing coming here to this site seeking support. I did the same and felt much better. After I read so many successfu stories on this board, now I put behind what my onc told me. I beleive now I stll have a long life to live. My son is 16 years old now. I will fight all I can to keep alive, since I want to see him graduate from high school, from university, find a job and get married. I even envision being a grandma. All these thoughts keep me strong and optimistic. So many different drugs are available now and at least one of them will work effectively to kill those cancer cell. Let's fight together. lots of hugs, Grace
Her2+++/ER -, Stage III breast cancer 5 years ago. Had Hamilton
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 59
Log in to post a reply Dec 5, 2009 07:59 pm
Amy1971 wrote:
thanks renee. Yes he gave me a time frame which has made it even harder on me. The first three days of chemo have gone ok so far. Not sure what to think or even anymore questions to ask never thought in a million years this would be my next step. i had a prophylactic mast on the left side in may with tissue expanders placed and fully expanded. Then the original bc site ripped open and would not heal we emptied a portion of the expander and stiched it back up to end up in the hospital a few days later with a bowel obstruction or two I should say they were both surgically removed and was the worst surgery ever in my life. now this what will be next. I havent been able to come up with alot of promising information on the whole peritineal cancer spread from the breast except that it is not a good thing at all---esp survival rates can any
Without meaning to, some of you clearly answered "YES" to my question as to whether or not doctors (and laymen) still think stage 4 cancer is unrealistically hopeless. FYI, Stage 4 cancer can and has been cured and often, but it is expensive and hard to do.
We survivors are watching you.
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Do oncologists typically just "give up" on stage 4 metastatic breast cancer?Hi, I had bone mets in 2001 from my breast cancer in 1997 and I am still here at 47. All my doctors are baffled and this article sums it up. It is not a death sentence but ....I am not contributing anymore to my 401K.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04鈥?/a>
Good luck!
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I want to share something with you:
www.oasisofhope.com
Good luckDo oncologists typically just "give up" on stage 4 metastatic breast cancer?
Denisedds has an excellent answer as usual.
NO - We do not "give up" on stage IV metastatic breast carcinoma patients,
but we try to be realistic.
Stage IV breast carcinoma is a disease we try to control - since we cannot cure it.
We cannot cure diabetes or high blood pressure either.
We try to control them with medication.
When breast cancer has spread to the bones, it is in multiple places.
Doing surgery on each site is counterproductive.
There have been many advances in medications to control metastatic breast carcinomas - if that is indeed what you have.
Remember that breast carcinoma in bone - if that is proven - is not "bone cancer." It is still breast carcinoma growing in an area of bone. It may respond to hormonal treatments and other medications.
No they don鈥檛 just give up on stage 4 cancers. I think part of the problem is that you are researching bone cancer and you do not have bone cancer, you have breast cancer. They are completely different diseases.
There isn鈥檛 a different attitude between treating bone mets and bone cancer. There are different treatments because they are different diseases. To expect them to be treated the same doesn鈥檛 make sense. Doing surgery on your shoulder will do nothing to fix the problem and will only create more problems.
Stage 4 breast cancers are not treated as a death sentence. The prognosis is worse because of disease progression, not because of attitude. There have been significant changes in the treatment of breast cancer and because of this survival rates have increased dramatically. Although, stage 4 breast cancer is not curable it can now often be managed where it could not before and patients can survive 10 years or more.
As Denise and Spreedog have told you, bone cancer and breast cancer that has spread to the bones is not the same thing. If you do have bone mets, you won't have bone cance, you'll still have breast cancer.
No, oncologists do not just give up, not by a long shot. Through breast cancer support networks I have met a number of women with bone metastasis that is being managed successfully. One was first diagnosed with bone mets nine years ago. She has had a number of treatments since, and when I last spoke to her she told me her bone mets are less extensive than they were when first diagnosed.
Best wishes, I hope your results aren't as bad as you fear
Find a new doctor...one you trust and who you believe is giving you honest, straight-forward answers to your questions.
My father was diagnosed with advanced metastatic prostate cancer than had spread to his bones in 2000. He underwent hormone therapy. They did not do surgery to remove his prostate or do radiation because the cancer had already metastasized. He lived another seven years. Later in his progression, he did also start taking a drug called Zometa. It is also used for breast cancer metastasis. http://www.us.zometa.com/patient/breast-鈥?/a>
Good luck! Be strong! It's okay to eventually give in, but right now you sound like you're not ready to give up, so find a doctor who's not ready to give up on you.
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