Is there weaker chemos and more aggressive chemo treatments?

[mamaw]

I have been on all the harmonal therapies for metastatic breast cancer of the bone and all quit working. I am now on my third different chemo and they all seam to quit working after the 1st. six weeks. Is this common? My ca 27 29 has elevated to 781 up from 251. Do I need a more aggressive chemo?

[catmom]

Hi.

I had a perfect mammo in June, and was diagnosed with Stage IV in October, mets to the bones.  I like my oncologist because she is very conservative,and wants my body to do as much as it can on its' own before using heavy chemo.  She says that that time will eventually come, but for now I am on daily tamoxifen, a triple dose of herceptin once every three weeks, and zometa once a month.  I am not sure if the disease is stable, as this appears to be a very aggressive and odd one.  My bones hurt. Well, I hope it just goes away. No side effects from the meds.   I had a MRM and only 2+ nodes.  I was 44 at diagnosis.  Go figure.

[mamaw]

I have been on Tamoxifen,Arimidex,Faslodex,Taxotere and presently on Navelbine but it has quit working so were in the planning stage once again.

[Napoleon]

Hi - I'm not really able to help but if you don't mind I would like to ask you a question.  I am somewhat in the same situation as you.  What hormonal treatments have you had and what type of chemo?  I have not yet have had chemo, but my Oncologist wants to try Xeloda if this progress.  Thank you.

[CCF-RN,MSN-JS]

Dear mamaw, The goal of treatment for metastatic breast cancer is to control the disease and symptoms for as long as possible.  There is no evidence that increasing doses of medications thus increasing toxicity has an advantage in terms of overall survival.  There are various chemotherapy drugs as well as hormonal treatments that have shown activity against breast cancer and the type and dose that is chosen is based on research that a certain drug and dose has had activity against the disease.