Breast Cancer Recurrence

[capj823]

In December 2005 I was diagnosed with infultrating ductal carcinoma.  Her2 postitive, er/pr-.  Grade 3.  No node involvement -- I received:
- 4 rounds of Adriamycin and Cytoxan
- 4 rounds of Taxotere and Herceptin.  
- Lumpecomy
- Radiation and boost
- Another 16 rounds (3 weeks in one round) of Herceptin.  .  Also received radiation and boost.  Long haul!

Unfortunately, I was just diagnosed, by MRI and Ultrasound biopsy, with a recurrence (very very very small) -- just outside the radiated "boost area" -- the good news (so far) is that my nodes look good.  

My questions:  What went wrong?  Did these drugs not work?  Was chemo just a temporary band aid?  Should I have taken Tykerb instead of Herceptin?  I asked my oncologist at Magee-Women's about Tyker and she just poo-pooed my question.  I am also looking for a new oncologist!!!!!

I anticiapte the big "M" forthcoming -- if I have the big "M" without node involvement -- I am hoping that I do not need to undergo chemo again?  Your opinion and answers, pppppplllllease.  

PS -- I am from Cleveland originally!  The Clinic is a fantastic facility -- with great professionals!


This discussion is related to Mastecomy.

[katarina777]

PS: In my case, the chemo did great on the breast tumor but not so on the positive lymph nodes at all.  Also, I meant to say in my above comment 'radiation missed something', not chemo.

[katarina777]

I realize that these news are upsetting, but I don't think they are all bad. The reason you got chemo was not only to treat your bc but also to wipe out all potential micro-metastases that may be too small to even show up on any test. And, it's the treatment in the beginning and it's aggressiveness that matters the most. perhaps the surgeon missed something, and perhaps the chemo did...we don't know. but it sounds like your reoccurrence is localized at this point and you are not dealing with metastatic disease. so, I would think that chemo is not again indicated.

if it was me, I would opt for a mastectomy, and especially since they cannot normally re-radiate the same breast.

What I am trying to say is that I know several people who had recurrences, and/or entirely new cancers come up in the other breast, and they did fine both times and did so far not progress to stage 4 at all.