Das Boot said:
Great article CurlyNight, it will be awesome if they can go on to find a viable test from the work they are doing.
Logically it seems like there must be many biological markers that could be detected ahead of time, it's just a matter of finding reliable ones that can be reasonably detected.
I hope your treatments are going well, and I always appreciate your positive presence in the threads you post in.
They have blood tests now called tumour markers, but this is for detection for recurrence. The CA 15-3 and CA 27.29. You get your baseline #s before you have the tumour removed. Then they periodically monitor these numbers after treatment to see if there's a jump, which would indicate cancer has returned. The problem is it seems from what I've read that there is no consensus on what # constitutes a problem (how much of a jump means trouble), that there seems to be many false positives and you don't want to get someone on tx again based on this alone. So they are saying it has to be a big jump. My first onc did order these tests for me. When I changed oncs, my current one who is also a researcher in the field says they aren't reliable and so she doesn't do this. I can see both sides. I've kept my report just in case and gave her a copy.
What most oncs do is unless you are having symptoms that could = mets, they just see you once a year for a check. No scans or anything unless you have symptoms which in the case of breast cancer would be liver, lung, brain and/or bone. This is where breast cancer cells migrate to.
I have 2 more Taxotere chemos to go and then I'm done with chemo. Tomorrow then on 3/1. Shortly after I have a CT scan to check on that lung nodule. We are hoping no change in that litte beast. I have an appt with the radiation onc on 3/9 to start that process. Rads will be 5-6 weeks M-F. After rads I see my onc to determine the best course of maintenance for me. I'm on the border of menopause, being I went in not in it and now it's been a couple months----so is it menopause or chemopause. I'm at the age when my mom stopped. I didn't realize I have options, though I'm not sure I want to make a decision like this. All this time I've been told what to do. Now do I want Tamoxifen, ovaries removed, monthly shot that puts you into menopause + aromatose inhibitors which is relatively new (came out in 2014) and is tooted to be more effective--or a combo.
Once I start maintenance then I see my onc a month later to see how it's going then every 3 months after that. Surgeon I see in July and I think then it goes to once a year for 5 years (as that's the magic # for greatest chance of recurrence). He's basically my mammogram since I'll have permanent implants by years end. I see my plastic surg monthly to monitor for infection and also how my skin is looking. I thought I could have my tissue expanders out and implants in this summer but it's 6 months after rads since it does a number on your skin. So I'm back at the holidays and dealing with how to not see fam again (since only bro knows about my bc).
So it's a ways to go. I'm keeping positive and am helping those who are behind me in the process the best I can. My nurse navigator really likes my humour, personality and intelligence. She wants me to co-teach the pre-surgery 1:1 class she does for those pts who want to speak to someone who has been there. I'm seriously considering it as I do like to try and help people if I can.
