chemo for IBC

A dear friend was diagnosed with IBC in July of this year.  She has gone through TAC chemo for the last 12 weeks.  I am not sure if the T was Taxotere or Taxol.  She was scheduled for surgery yesterday but the surgery could not be done because in the 2 weeks between seeing the surgeon after finishing the last round of chemo and today, the cancer has spread locally and the rash which had nearly disappeared is back and very red and angry looking.   She will be receiving Abraxane and Avastin to knock this out so surgery can be done.  What is the difference between all these "ane" ending drugs?  Is one better over the other?  She will be getting the Abraxane weekly for 3 weeks with one week off then 3 weeks with one off for 3 cycles.  The avastin will be given every other week for a total of 6 doses.  She is HER2-, ER and PR+.

[katarina777]

The same exact thing happened to me two years ago and i had IBC as well. i finished TAC on Nov. 1, 07, and then on thanksgiving day I felt the cancer growing back and spreading and immediately called the surgeon and he told me to come in right away.

He noticed a larger shadow in my lymph node area that had not been there before, and at no time could positive lymph nodes be palpated , nor did anything unusual show up on either ultrasound or other diagnostic tests.

So, the surgeon ordered for me to have an MRI the next day and my surgery was scheduled for Dec. 4. i knew he waited too long.

The MRI said that lymph nodes looked totally normal but my surgeon was not convinced and he reserved the OP for 5 hours, even if with no lymoh (lymph) node involvement the operation could be finished in two hours  less time.

I did have the surgery, but not only were most of y lympoh nodes positive for cancer, but it showed that the chemo had worked on my cancer, but grown back and spread to adjacent fat tissue, lymph nodes were stuck together and to nerves and matted and everywhere.

The surgeon felt he got it all and i had a modified radical mastectomy,l and then this was followed by radiation and hormone therapy as well. i was also  HER 2-, and ER + and i think PROG -.

I don't know but this is a wicked cancer for sure.