Cancer Stories

Breast cancer

My Breast Cancer experience……
I was 37 years old when I was diagnosed with breast cancer August of 2003. My mother had it around nine years earlier but I never thought it would happen to me, at least not in my thirty’s.  
I had no lump, just went for my regular yearly mammogram and they saw some calcifications on my right breast.  Did a ultrasound followed by a breast MRI, they said there was something there and suggested a fine needle biopsy, several days later the doctor called me in and bluntly and coldly said to me that I had cancer and needed to have my breast removed right away.

The shock was overwhelming as he gave me no options, so here I am crying and thinking I am going to die soon. My life literally flashed before my eyes, at the end of his speech the only good thing he said was that he would me a copy of all my record and I can seek a second opinion. Well, thank God for that.

Next day I made an appointment with a surgeon in Englewood. Surgeon was recommended by a friend of my sister-in-law who had been-there-done-that and praised that surgeon. She was right; the surgeon was great, he review everything and gave me several options, the main being to save my breast as the tumor was still very small but growing fast.  Surgery day was schedule for September 19, 2003.  My husband, my daughter and my mother where by my side at the hospital. I had a partial mastectomy with lymph node dissection, the lymph node was negative, estrogen/progesterone receptor positive meaning that my cancer was being fed by my e/p and aggressive (fast growing). For some reason after surgery and for the next several months I was very cold all the time, just had the chills. I was scared to death of being in surgery but put up a great front and try to look calm for the family, guess this is normal as everyone going through this has said the same thing. Recovery was tough but I did a lot of praying and that kept my mind busy, the support from family, friends and coworkers was out of this world, I cannot thank everyone enough. 

A friend sent me an email and at the bottom of the email there was an short prayer and I though that it was the most beautiful and appropriate thing I had seen, because now more than ever I needed God by my side “Lord I love you and I need you, come into my heart, and bless me, my family, my home, and my friends, in Jesus name”. I typed it and put it up everywhere, mirrors, in my car, everywhere my eyes looked, I was set on memorizing this short prayer. Shortly after, I did memorize it but then I could not stop myself from hearing it in my mind, it was wonderful, I just kept repeating it.

I immediately went into fix mode. I was not going to accept this cancer. I was busy praying and trying to look strong.   I did not want anyone to know how I was really feeling so writing things down and telling it to God gave me an outlet to express my feelings, thoughts and fears. This is why I am able to recall most of the details here as I was writing everything down.

The next step was to see an oncologist. He came highly recommended by my Surgeon. But learning from past experience, I opted to go for a second opinion. Both oncologists suggested the same treatment so I opted to stay with the one my Surgeon recommended. My oncologist recommended 4 cycles of chemotherapy every three weeks, using Adriamycin and Cytoxan (a.k.a. Red Devil) followed by 26 treatments of radiation. While still working full time, I had planned everything, I would take several days off to do the chemo and rest for the weekend.

First Chemo: Wednesday November 26, 2003, day after my 38^th birthday and day before Thanksgiving I had a port-a-cath installed in my chest to make the process of the chemo easier on my hard-to-find veins. My husband as usual was by my side at the hospital. The same day I was to start my first chemo, they took me in to surgery and installed the port, when I woke up I was already hooked up to the IV that would deliver the chemo. Within the hour of getting chemo my heart started to race, I felt that my heart was going to come out of my chest, I thought I was having a heart attack, I panic and told the nurse, right away they came and in and hooked me to an EKG. My heart was ok; I guess it was my body reacting to the harsh chemicals, and I mean HARSH.
I spent most of that day at the hospital, when I got home I felt drugged up and not too good but managed. Following day Thanksgiving Day had to go back to Hospital to get a shot of Neulasta which would build my blood count so that I would not develop anemia.  Afterward we had a beautiful dinner at my sister’s house which as much as I tried to enjoy was just not the same as I wanted to be home in bed but managed to stay a bit and enjoy. By Friday I was feeling worse, horrible, nausea, fatigue beyond words; every bone in my body ache and I had a huge headache, even my teeth and gums were aching. The smells bothered me (food, perfumes, lotions, etc.) and I had no taste in my mouth, therefore even water was nauseating to me. By December 3^rd I had develop mouth sores, constipation and break out of pimples in my chin and neck and all of my hairs were completely gone. I was hoping to feel better by Monday and go back to work but that was not the case, my body needed two more days and by Wednesday of the following week I was able to get out and drive without feeling that I would be a danger to myself and to others on the road.   

I was prepared for my hair to start coming out within 14 days, so within the second week of my first chemo I planned to cut it very short so I would not have to deal with hair falling out everywhere. My husband and daughter took turns in shaving all of my hair off; we made it a family affair. I was truly ok being bald as I knew this was temporary and it would grow back. I had bought a wig and used it maybe two times but did not like how it felt (hot, uncomfortable, etc.) so I got different color bandanas and that’s what I wore for the next several months. While I was ok being bald, deep inside I felt striped of something and felt a bit uncomfortable at looking at the mirror and did not want my family to see me bald at first so I would sleep with the bandana on. Throughout all of this my faith grew and grew and I pray a lot and I thanked God every minute of every day for guiding me and giving me the strength that I needed to get through this. The memory loss was the most awful thing, I was writing notes to remind me of things, but I would forget that I wrote the note in the first place if I did not put it in a place that I would constantly be looking in. 

Second chemo: December 17, 2003, as usual my husband was with me, instead of the hospital I was getting the chemo at my oncologist office. I sat down, got comfortable and my husband was with me in the room. Three weeks had gone by since my installation of the port and by this time the skin was healing and scabbing, therefore when the nurse came over and tried to stick the needle into the port through my skin, I sought God, it was the most horrendous pain I had felt, I start to cry and called out to God, my husband who was there lowered his head and had tears on his eyes, as there was nothing he could do to help me accept be there for me. Once the nurse pushed the needle through it was ok. Friday I had to go back to office to get my shot of Neulasta. Felt dizzy and light headed for the next couple of days, some nausea, a lot of fatigue, just want to be in bed could not get up, slept all day long for two to three days. I started getting a lot of heartburn after eating whatever I managed to eat and more painful mouth sores. Also by this time the constipation had gotten worse I could not have a bowel movement for about three days after the chemo and when I manage to have a bowel movement it was bloody.

Third Chemo: January 7, 2004 the needle did not hurt as it did the last time. Spoke to the doctor about the symptoms of the last chemo and he suggested taking Zantax for the heartburn, it made it better. Rinsed my mouth with hydrogen peroxide and it cleared my mouth sores faster. Everything else was basically the same except more intense, dizzy and light headed for the next couple of days, had some nose bleeds for a while which was strange as I never had a nose bleed, my eyes were very dry and blurry, all day and night on Sunday a lot of nausea and some vomiting, a very nasty taste of LED in my mouth which made the food taste awful, a lot of fatigue, throughout all of this my faith kept me going and did as much praying and talking to God as I could, asking Him to give the strength needed to get through this, but by this time I felt depleted, the accumulative effect of the chemo was getting worse and worse. By Sunday night I broke down and cried like I had not done in a long time as I felt like I was so close to death. The feeling was indescribable, but all along there is my husband holding me, I remember tell him as I cried that I could not do this anymore, that I would call the doctor on Monday and tell him that I was not going to take the last chemo, as I had no more strength to do this again. I just felt horrible. I still continue to praying as this is what kept me going.

January 17, 2004 was feeling better and the family was visiting at my cousin’s house because her brother and daughters were coming for the first time to the US from Dominican Republic. All was well, talking in the kitchen with the ladies just goofing, then all of the sudden a bolt of lighting, as I felt it, went through my chest so strong that it literally picked me off of my chair, in the meantime everyone was asking me if I was ok, but I could not speak, I started to cry but it was not a sad cried, it was a peaceful cry, and as I am crying this soothing, soft heat was slowly rising from my chest as something that was coming out of me. I had never experience anything like this but I felt such peace within. In the meantime the ladies are all over me fanning me and I am signaling that I am not hot to stop doing that but they did not understand me as I still was unable to speak. This all happen in a matter of maybe a minute or two, just as quickly as it came it quickly dissipate. When I was able to speak and get up from the chair I walked to a window and thanked God for being with me all this time and allowing me to feel His presence through the Holy Spirit. We stayed for a while with the family and afterwards went home; as soon as I was in my room I knelt down and prayed. I truly believe that on this day I was visited by the Holy Spirit and I will never forget the experience.

Fourth chemo: January 28, 2004 last chemo, lets celebrate or not, every symptom from previous chemo was basically the same except more intense, dizzy and light headed for the next couple of days, my eyes were very dry and blurry started using tears from a bottle, Sunday night into Monday morning was horrible a lot of nausea and more vomiting, no strength at all, on a scale from one to ten I felt that my energy was about a three, to be generous. The nasty taste of LED in my mouth which made the food taste awful was even worse by now. Praying kept me focused on getting through this and directing my energy to something else other than what I was actually feeling.

Once the chemo was finished, I had to get through 6 weeks of radiation everyday Monday-Friday because I’d had the partial mastectomy. With the breast conserving surgery there is always the chance of micro-metastasis. Having radiation should kill any cancer cells that are left.

Had February to recoup but had other appoints pending. I was tested for both BRCA1 and BRCA2 which assesses a woman’s risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer based on detection of mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. My results were inconclusive. Researchers know that mutations in these genes may lead to breast cancer, but not all the mutations are mapped. Some mutations may lead to breast cancer, other mutations have no potential problems, and some like me, inconclusive, are not sure what these mutations mean.

February 27, 2004 I began taking Tamoxifen for the next five years, a low dose chemo in pill form that interferes with the activity of estrogen. Estrogen promotes the growth of breast cancer cells. Tamoxifen works against the effects of estrogen on these cells. It is often called an “anti-estrogen.” As a treatment for breast cancer, the drug slows or stops the growth of cancer cells that are present in the body. As adjuvant therapy, Tamoxifen helps prevent the original breast cancer from returning and also helps prevent the development of new cancers in the other breast. Some of the side effects of Tamoxifen are similar to some of the symptoms of menopause, hot flashes, irregular menstrual periods, headaches, fatigue, nausea and/or vomiting. After all I have been through, I need more of this?? Once I started had some nausea and lots of hot flashes, had to practically carry a fan with me everywhere.

March 5, 2004 my husband drove me to the hospital to get the port out of my chest, I did not know until I was in the operating room that I was not going to be put to sleep as taking the port out only took several minutes. My surgeon explained what was going to happen and proceeded to locally anesthetized my chest, I was not prepared for this, while I was not in any pain because of the anesthesia, I was still dramatized by hearing what was going on and the awful smell of my flesh, as he used a laser beam to open the skin and remove the port. It all took about 10 minutes but to me it felt like eternity as I prayed and cried, cried and cried…….  
March 16, 2004 had a colonoscopy. All was well with my colon, guess the constipation and bloody stool was due to the harsh chemo.  Once again I was going to get through this while working, so I spoke to my boss and opted to have the last appointment of the day in order to go to work and leave around 2 pm and be at the hospital by 3-3:30 pm.  I began my radiation treatments on March 17, 2004. Everything was feeling somewhat normal as far as my routine was going; my hair was starting to slowly grow back. Two weeks and a half after I started radiation I decided that I needed a break from it all. My husband and I decided to take a trip I always wanted to take but had not done so in the past, Las Vegas, Nevada. Within days I planned the trip for the both of us and my daughter. I spoke to my doctor and he was not happy about me postponing 3 straight days of radiation but he understood that I needed the break so off we went on April 7 to Las Vegas for 4 days. Along with my daughter and husband I enjoyed myself as much as I could and we had a great time.

Radiation continued and by the 4 or 5^th weeks of treatment my right breast was beginning to burn really bad. The pain was excruciating, throughout the day my bra would stick to the raw skin and when I try to peel it off it was just plain agonizing. It was hard to sleep as I was tired of sleeping on my left side but I could not be on my right side as it was very painful. I tried pure aloe from a plant I had in my house and it felt soothing for the most part, but like most things it works for a while, I spoke to my doctor and he prescribe a lotion to put on my poorly burn breast and that made it better.  It started to clear up about two weeks after I finished treatment sometime in May 2004.

With the end of treatment instead of joy came sadness, all of my emotions that were suppressed throughout all came rushing out and my feelings were raw and intense and it was making me feel crazy. My emotions changed from minute to minute, scared, hopeful, sad, mad, confused, what next? I didn’t want anyone to know how I really was feeling. I put on my smile, but when I was alone, I cried a lot. I was somewhat prepared for all the physical symptoms of this disease, but I was not prepared for the emotional roller coaster ride.  I took 8 months off from work on disability which gave the chance to cry even more while I was sitting at home doing nothing but I needed the rest and slowly I started to feel somewhat like my self, I knew that I would never be the same person as I was prior to my diagnosis. One major change in my life was that I was able to appreciate life and the little things it has to offer and not take my family for granted and tell them that I love them more often. I don’t get angry with people like I use to, I have learned to appreciate each person that comes my way just as they are.

I visit my oncologist every three months and have my regular mammogram and breast MRI test done every year and by the grace of God all is well. There is always that deep down fear it could happen again. I hear stories of many women that have recurrences but I have surrendered it to God. His will be done, not mine. We are all at risk for cancer and must take precautions. We can not live our life in fear of this disease, but we can take steps to prevent and if there is a positive diagnosis, meet it head on in battle with a positive attitude of winning. A positive attitude is a major part of the healing process. I remember telling people after my surgery and even today that I “had” cancer rather than I “have” because I was not willing to give cancer any control over my body is if it was still residing in me.
I don’t want to ever forget my experience with cancer because that would cause me to be unappreciative of my health today. Today I choose to live in joy and not take it for granted for I have no control of what might come tomorrow.

1 comment October 27th, 2006

Cancer at Fifteen.

So, let me start again from the very beginning. The week or two prior to my doctors appointment, my mother and I had both noticed that my stomach had grown a lot. In my mind, I just figured that I had gained a lot of weight or something along that line. My mother too thought I had either gained weight, or I was pregnant. Well, there was no way I could have been pregnant at all. I guess I should have thought something was wrong since my stomach was not feeling like a normal stomach would. I am not exactly sure how to describe it. It was kind of hard? I guess that will do. It didn’t feel like fat at all. But I didn’t think anything was wrong, so of course I didn’t do anything about it.

A week or so had passed and I was sitting in the break room at Costco, and the thing was, I couldn’t sit down. It hurt so much to sit down. I remember I had to leave the break room, and I could not find my mother in the office. So I stood there, outside the office, leaning against the wall while one of her co-workers called her over the radio. Once she arrived, I got the car keys from her and went to the car to lie down. I still didn’t think much of the pain, but luckily my mother insisted that she set up a doctor’s appointment.

I remember that it was a Wednesday afternoon. After school, I was not looking forward to going to the doctor’s office. Even while I was at the doctors, I did not think that anything serious was happening to me, or my body. They asked me if it were possible that I was pregnant. I told them no, but I was still required to take a pregnancy test. I don’t remember much of what she told me, I just remember her telling me that I needed to go to the Emergency Room right away. So, that is what we did.

While in the Emergency Room, I felt starving. I had not eaten anything during that day, and just my luck, I was not allowed to eat anything while I was in there. I had to drink something with a contrast in it for my CAT scan. It was banana flavored, but tasted nothing of the sort. It was really nasty, and I didn’t finish all I had to drink. If I tried to, I would have surely puked. We didn’t just go in and out of the ER. We were there for hours. After the CAT scan, we still had to wait for the results. The doctor came over to us, and told me that a tissue mass had grown in my stomach. I had no clue what that meant. He continued to tell us that I would have to undergo surgery to get rid of it. At that moment in time, I was not scared, all I wanted to do was go home and go to bed. The doctor however would not let us go after that. He made phone calls and tried to find me the best doctor he could, so they could help me. I think at about one or two in the morning, we were finally released.

At five o’clock the next morning I had to wake up and head out to San Francisco. I had an appointment with Dr. Chen, who works for UCSF. While heading towards the building, I noticed on the side it said “Cancer Treatment Center”. It still hadn’t hit me, what was wrong with me. But I soon found out, as we talked to the doctor. I had a tumor on my right ovary. My surgery would be scheduled for a week later. I would have to be in the hospital for three days or so, with six or eight weeks out of school. The doctors told me that many teenagers had this kind of problem, but most turned out to not be cancerous. Boy, how wrong they were.

The day didn’t end there, however. I had to get an ultra sound so they could get a better look of the tumor. When we went back to Dr. Chen’s office, she told us even more. The pictures were not clear about where exactly my tumor was. It was for sure on an ovary, but the question was, was it also on my uterus? If it were, that would mean that would too have to be removed, and I could never have children. At this point, my mom began crying. It hurt me even more to see her crying. I was scheduled the next day to have a PET scan.

I was in so much pain during the PET scan. I had to lie under a big, loud machine without moving. I didn’t get to just go in and out of there, either. The tumor put so much pain as I lay there, that it was just impossible. I had to take some vicodin so I could relax and actually get the scan done. Luckily, the results from the scan came back showing the tumor was not on my uterus.

Honestly, I was not scared at all. I believed what they said, that everything would be okay, that it would not be cancerous. I was not scared right before the surgery, because I didn’t know what surgery was like. After the surgery, I was in so much pain. All I wanted was to eat or drink something. After I was awake for an hour, they brought my upstairs to my room. It hurt so much to room. I don’t think I slept much that night.

I remember in the morning when Dr. Chen came in. I remember her telling my mother and I… that I had cancer. I don’t remember how I felt. My tumor marker had been about 9,000 after the surgery. The normal range was below six. Remember how they thought I would only stay in the hospital for three days? Well, that three turned into twelve, because during the visit, it was decided that I would start my chemo treatments. It was not during my first chemo round that I felt sick, at all. All I wanted more than anything was to go home.

When I first came home, my body still hurt so much. I didn’t have much of an appetite. I was tired all of the time. I remember my family visiting. I loved seeing everyone. It was wonderful knowing that many people were supporting me.

I had to go back to the hospital every three weeks for five days. The two Wednesdays in between those visits I had to go to the clinic to get a dosage of a medicine. I remember that medicine was the one which made me extremely exhausted.

Now, the hospital visits were what I dreaded the most. The first day would never be so bad. The days where I felt nauseous were the worst. I never wanted to eat. If I did I would throw up. And when there was nothing left to throw up, I would still throw up. I felt so horrible throughout my treatments. All I wanted to hear my doctors say was that I didn’t have to come back anymore, that I didn’t need any more treatments.

Aside from feeling sick, another side affect is hair loss. Losing my hair hit me hard. One of the nurses said it didn’t seem like I was going to lose my hair. I think during my second five day round, which included Thanksgiving Day, was when I started losing my hair. At home, I had started losing it, but it was not intense. But while I was at the hospital, it got worse. I would slightly touch my hair, and a lot of hair would fall out. After an hour or so of just laying down, I would look at my pillow, to see it full of hair. Oh, how messy my hospital room became. There was hair on my pillow, my bed, and all over the floor. It was slightly embarrassing. It was horrible. Absolutely horrible. The day I came home from that treatment, I shaved my head.

I can’t explain how happy I was when I was told it was most likely to be my last round. Even though I still had to go through that round, just knowing that I wouldn’t have to come back for five days ever again had made me so happy. No more restless nights. No more having to wake up every half hour to go potty due to all the fluids they put in me. No more having to check my vital signs at all hours of the night.

I don’t think a lot of people know how hard cancer can be, mainly because they never had to deal with it. I always think that people were around me while I was sick, still don’t know how hard it was. But honestly, I think they do. I can’t imagine what it is like to see a loved one sick and helpless.

I am so glad that I was able to get through cancer. A lot of my family members, as well as doctors and nurses have told me that I am a very strong person, but most of the time I don’t feel that way. Most of the time I felt like I was such a weak person.

This whole cancer experience… is one I will never forget. If I could, I would change it so that no one else in the world would have to go through it. Sometimes, I think that smokers deserve cancer, because they know it can happen to them. But the truth is I don’t think they deserve cancer. No one does.

The only good thing which came out of all of this is the lessons I learned. I learned to be grateful for everything there is in life, and to not take it for granted. I know that so many people do take life for granted, and it really saddens me. There are so many worse things that can happen to us in life, yet we make such a fuss over the small things which do occur. I think we all deserve a slap in the face for that.

Add comment October 5th, 2006

1 comment September 23rd, 2006

Cancer…my second time around. This is my strory.

Hi! My name is Tracy S. from Eastern Ohio. I’m a 40 year old divorced mom of one son who will be 14 this month.

I have a cancer story to share. Actually, I have two, as I went through cancer 8 years ago at the age of 32 and am now going through it and the treatments once again at present.

I can only hope that my experiences can maybe, in some small way, but hopefully in a big way, help even one person find the courage, hope, faith and strength to cope and get through their own trying time or that of a loved one or friend.

One very important thing I want to say right at the beginning is..NEVER ever give up. Please, the biggest part of the fight is just that, the fight for the will to live.   Your inner strength will play one of the biggest parts of the therapy and healing. It all starts at home…within you. And each and everyone of us has that inner strength…you just may have to dig a little deeper to find it. No pity partioes will help you….be strong and FIGHT!
8 years ago, I was experiencing a lot of pain and abnormal bleeding. (I promise never to get graphic). I went to my gynecologist and had a regular pap smear…oh and yes, just my luck, there was a power outage right in the middle of my exam!! Anyway, as soon as he had a look-see, he knew right then and said that it was displasia, which is pre-cancerous cells. It must have been pretty bad if he could actually see it without waiting for test results. I was floored. Cancer. My mom had died of lung cancer when I was just 18 and now I was going to face cancer….without her? I was so afraid…for about the first 5 minutes and there it came, this inner strength. I found it somehow and knew right then that it was do or die. Period. I have lived with the most positive attitude out there ever since and it has got me through things I never thought possible.

The test results came back and it was full blown cervical cancer that was invasive, which means that it was spreading. I had 2 surgeries to try and get it all to no avail. I was sent to one of the top 14 hospitals in the country and still have the very same oncologist  now as I did then. We did the normal MRI, CT Scan and PAP’s and sat down with a plan. Did I want more children? Yes, but I wanted to save my life so I could be there for my husband and my only child. I saiod I was ready for the radical hysterectomy, which is something like a compltete (full) hysterectomy but they had left the ovaries to save me from going through premature menopause at such a young age. Needless to say, it didn’t work and at the age of 32 I was having the night sweats, hot flashes, mood swings and everything else that applies to menopause.   That was ok though, my surgery was over, I was healing and it was time for the radiation therapy to begin. 12 weeks of intense radiation to my abdominal area. It wasn’t bad though, there was no pain, no burning, no iotching or anything. I did however, start to feel a bit nauseaded for about the last 3 weeks off and on, but nothing too major. I also got fatigued more often and quite sleepy, but I got through it like a real trooper. (Remember that inner strength?)

It was over within about 4 months tops. I felt good and was healing ever so nicely…and so very happy to have that disease out of my body once and for all. I was very, very happy and relieved and felt I had been given a second chance at life.  When people say that colors are more vivid and scents smell stronger and the world seems sweeter? It’s true, at least in my case it was. Many things changed about me, some better, some worse. But, because of the changes, I am no longer married. That is a whole other story though.

One thing I would like to mention is this. When I said about the pain and bleeding? Those were all symptoms I never really should have been having. They said that I shouldn’t have really had any symptoms whatsoever! Tell me that wasn’t like a tap on the shoulder from someone watching over me!!

So, 8 years later rolls around. I am now having pain in my lower abdomin where the appendix would be. I fought with it for about 5 nights and got really scared, so I went to the ER. They said it was way too low to be the appendix and thought maybe ovaries or gallbladder. I had an internal ultrasound and they found absolutely nothing…NOTHING to be causing the pain. Not one thing! They sent me home. I followed up with my regular doctor who also found nothing. He told me that instead of passing the buck, so to speak, that he wanted me to go back to Magee Women’s Hospital where I had went before. I was more than happy to go back there since they were the wonderful people who had saved my life.

I got back to Magee, had a CT Scan which showed clean and my wonderful oncologist requested me to have what they call a PET Scan. This is nuclear medicine now that we are talking about and a very expensive test. He wrote a 19 page report on my existing and prior case and the test was ok to have, the insurance would cover all of it!!  I was scheduled and went it for it. One week later, on April 5, 2006, my 40th birthday, my oncologist calls me and tells me in such a nice kind way that, “Trac’, I want you to have a round (6 cycles) of chemo”. I asked, “I have cancer again?” and he said “Yes Chief, you have 2 infected lymph nodes to take care of”. Once again, my world crumbled for about an hour and there were tears and horrible images going through my mind. I was afraid and very much alone without my husband with me this time around. That inner strength? It came back. Again it would pull me through some of the deepest darkest places I have ever been. Everyone has it within them, you just have to be wise enough to see it and smart enough to use it. It’ll save your life. Trust me.

Again, the pain I was having? There was absolutely nothing to cause it. The lymph nodes were both on the right side, one by the kidney (very small tumor) and one by the lung, just a little larger of a tumor. So again, another tap on the shoulder from someone watching over me? Had to be. And if it wasn’t for the PET Scan being done, I most likely would have been a goner because before my chemotherapy got started, 2 cancerous lymph nodes turned to 5…quickly. And if I wouldn’t have had that scan, it would have went undetected for God only knows how long and would have eventually become invasive and aggressive and invaded the major organs. So I can only thank God and my Dr. for this test.

I finished up one round (6 treatments) of two different types of chemo, one being the older Cisplatin and the other being the newwer experimental chemo Paclitaxol. They have been outstanding for me! I am now back down to 2 very small (.6 mm) sized tumors and have just finished up chemo number 7 with one more to go. They feel that this 7th one took care of what it needed to do but the 8th would be for good measure. I pray this is so. I want to be danicing with NED (No Evidence of Disease) for Christmas and have my hair growing back!

Ah yes, the hair falling out. I ended up having a 16″ ponttail cut off and it now sits in a large freezer bag in my drawer as a reminder to me of yet another bout with a very serious killer disease. And yes, it started falling out right after my very first treatment. BUT, I am on some pretty heavy duty chemo, this will not always be the same senerio for everyone. As a matter of fact, I lost most of my body hair, but hey ladies, no more legs to be shaved for quite some time!

Now for the side effects of the chemo. With having 2 different types, it’s harsh to the body, mostly the stomach and the nausea can be brutal at times. The metalic taste in my mouth makes ever=n water taste burnt. Fresh fruits and vegiies are the key to getting through this. I stay away from fried, heavy and greasey foods because they irritate the belly and make it all worse. I take in a lot of fluids to help flush out the excess chemo (which needs to be done since some of the older chemo can be hard on the kidneys). I have been prescribed some really top of the line anti-nausea meds that work wonderfully. There are so many medications that can be prescribed to get you through the hard times and nausea, etc. Chemo is a very dramtic thing to go through…physically, mentally, emotionally…every way possible. But, there are people out there who are more than willing to help out and be supportive so that NOBODY will ever have to go at it alone…ever. I have made wonderful friends through a place called “Chemo Angels”. I have 2 women “Angels” who sent me gifts and cards once a week to keep my spirits up and they couldn’t be more wonderful. I have made a new best friend through one of them and we keep in touch. She has also went through cancer, so she knows exactly where I am coming from and headed.

Well, that, in a nut shell, is my story. I could go into more detail, but wanted to just get the important things in here for you to read. Eeven though I have been through some of the most life transforming things anyone could imagine, I still have so much faith, hope and strength and wish that all of you could find that within you or someone you are trying to help cope with cancer. Just being a friend and offering words and a shoulder…always willing to listen and offer that shoulder for them to cry on makes all of the differenc einthe world. Offer to cut grass and do yardwork and don’t take no as an answer. Any cancer treatment will be rough and will really sap the energy out of a person, so just go and do it for them. Nice cards and a phone call to say HI is more than wonderful. Just letting that person know you care is more than you could ever imagine.

All of my very, very best to you. May God be with you all during the hard times you may face.

Tracy…..

Add comment September 23rd, 2006

The Year that Took my Breath Away

On October 10th of the year 2004, my Aunt Dianne went into the hospital to have surgery on what the doctors were calling a fibroid tumor on her ovary. When she went in for surgery and they opened her up, they found that she had stage four Ovarian Cancer. There wasnt anything they could do as far as surgery went because the tumor was attached to some major organs. My mother and my Aunt had promised on another years ago, that if either one ever got really sick, they wouldnt do chemo and whatnot. Well, that was before my Auntie had two sons. She tried. She went through the chemo four times. It was having no effect, she just kept getting sicker, she couldnt go to the bathroom, she couldnt eat…. Things got really bad, really fast. In December of 2004, she was hospitalized because she was so sick and they had to give her tube feedings. I went to see her on Christmas, and it was the hardest thing I have ever done. She didnt even know who I was, the cancer had invaded her brain. She tried, she fought with all she had in her, but on January 2, 2005, my poor sweet Auntie passed away, at home with her brothers, sisters, and youngest son holding her hand. This isnt the end. One month later, on February 11, 2005, my Aunt Debbie wasnt feeling well. Her stomach was hurting and she went to the doctor. They did all sorts of blood work and an ultrasound and found that she as well has ovarian cancer. stage 3…. My aunt debbie is a fighter. She went through chemo for a few months and went into remission!!! All was looking well, until around July, when I myself started to feel really lousy. I couldnt sit down because it caused severe pain, I couldnt make love to my fiance because it felt like a knife was tearing away at my insides, so I went to the doctor. I had a smear and it came back extremley abnormal, so I then went in for a colposcopy. When the results came back from the biopsy, my heart hit the floor. I had CIS(Carcinoma that has not invaded the deeper epithelial tissue). I was so scared. It took me a few months to find a doctor that I was comfortable with seeing as how I was having surgery on my reproductive system. In October of 05, I went in for surgery and it was a success. I have now been cancer free for a little under a year. I feel in my heart, that my Auntie Dianne got sick to save us. To spare me and my aunt , to teach us that if there is pain, dont ignore it because something may really be wrong. If it wasnt for her, I would have kept dismissing the pain as gas or whatnot, until it was too late. Out of death, comes new life……. Thank you Auntie Dianne, for opening our eyes and our minds. We love you and miss you deeply.. This was my story…

Janelle Liss

1 comment September 12th, 2006

LIVE STRONG

When I was diagnosed with Uterine Cancer back in October 2004 all that came to my mind was that I was going to die. That word CANCER will scare anyone into thinking that they are about to die. All my hopes and dreams of becoming a mother was dashed. But there was some light, my nephew Remy (who was 4 at the time of my diagnosis). He was my strength to beat this because I wanted to be here to watch him grow up. I had a total hysterectomy on November 5^th 2004 and they had reached my cancer in its early stages and it didn’t have a chance to spread anywhere else so I didn’t have to undergo any chemotherapy or radiation. I was lucky!

I was watching TV one day and I caught the segment of the Oprah Winfrey show where she did the story on Lance Armstrong and about his cancer story. At that point I was beginning to feel like I was a fake and that I cheated somehow. I was feeling like such a fake and I convinced myself that I WAS NOT A SURVIVOR. In my mind I didn’t survive anything. I had surgery and that was it. I didn’t go through anything that Lance had gone through so how can I be a survivor. I convinced myself that I WAS NOT A SURVIVOR. My Mom also saw the story on Lance Armstrong and she suggested that I get one of those “LiveStrong” bracelets. I didn’t deserve it, so I thought nothing of it.

My nephew came for a visit about 2 months later and we were waiting on breakfast one morning at Starbucks. This older gentleman sitting in the nice comfy chair asked my nephew about his yellow bracelet. This is what he told him…”I wear this for my auntie who had cancer but went into the hospital and is better now…” I asked him who gave him that bracelet, he said grandma did. He said he wanted everyone to know how much he loved me and he didn’t want me to die. Right then it hit me, I AM A SURVIVOR! It took my little nephew of all but 4 years old, to realize that yes, I am a survivor of cancer and yes I WILL LIVESTRONG. I purchased a whole lotta bracelets and handed one out to every single friend that I have. I attached a little note to each one saying that I thanked them for all their love and support and I asked them to wear this bracelet to show their support. I told them that I had donated to the Lance Armstrong Foundation so that others who didn’t have the love and support that I did could find some…I have a reason for living strong and its for my nephew…. REMY!

1 comment September 10th, 2006

Breast Cancer & Marriage

I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 24.  I wasn’t sure if my boyfriend at the time would want to stay with me, with all the surgery, radiation, chemo that I would be going through, not to mention the losing of half my breast.  Before my surgery, we attended his company picnic and won a free couple’s getaway package at a local hotel.  We decided to take the weekend a week before my surgery.  I was looking forward to it, since I was really nervous about surgery, and couldn’t wait to get away.  As we were getting dressed for our free dinner at a great place, he proposed. Completely surprised me!  Life after that was a whirlwind.  There was surgery, chemo, and radiation, and all that goes with cancer treatment.  Yet there was also wedding planning!  It was wonderful to have something to distract me, and wonderful to have such a caring person to stand by me. 

We planned on our wedding the next fall.  We didn’t realize at the time that our wedding date was the exact day, a year later, that I started chemo!  What better way to celebrate?  Things were coming together.  The only thing I got to miss out on was getting my hair styled.  I had to wear a wig for my wedding, which I think turned out well, but wasn’t what I pictured as a little girl.  Marrying my prince charming was, though. 

It is so great to have a person like that in my life. I can’t imagine going through this on my own, and having a boyfriend stick around through it. I believe if it weren’t for him, and of course for God, that I wouldn’t have gotten through it.

2 comments September 9th, 2006

Types of Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer
Types of Breast Cancer
There are several types of breast cancer. The aggressiveness of the cancer and the likelihood that the cancerous cells will spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body depends on the type of cancer involved.

Breast Cancers
Common Breast Cancers
The most common types of breast cancer are: Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). A cancer that is contained, and thus does not yet have the ability to spread beyond the immediate area, is said to be in situ . Ductal cancer in situ (DCIS) is confined to the ducts of the milk-producing glands and has not invaded the surrounding tissues of the breast, although, if neglected, it might eventually do so. For the time being, however, it doesn’t have access to the blood vessels or lymphatic channels that exist in the fatty tissue outside the glands, and it cannot spread to other organs in the body. DCIS is a breast cancer at its earliest stage (Stage 0), still confined to the ducts. Nearly 100% of women with cancer at this stage can be cured. In screening centers, 20–30% of the new breast cancers diagnosed are DCIS and 70–80% are invasive. On a mammogram, DCIS in the majority of patients looks like a cluster of calcifications (tiny white spots or little grains of sand) without a mass. In about 15% of patients, there’s also a lump, and in the remaining 10% of women, a mass is found without calcifications. Invasive (infiltrating) ductal carcinoma (IDC). This is the most common form of breast cancer —70–80% of invasive breast carcinomas are IDC. This cancer begins in a duct, breaks through the duct wall, and invades the fatty tissue of the breast. From there it can spread to other parts of the body via the lymphatic channels or bloodstream. Invasive (infiltrating) lobular carcinoma. Between 10–15% of invasive breast cancers are this type. The cancer cells have grown through the wall of the lobule and can spread to other parts of the body by way of the lymphatic channels or bloodstream.


Breast Cancers
Less Common Breast Cancers
There are several less common forms of breast cancer. Medullary carcinoma. This invasive cancer is the pink color of brain tissue (the medulla) and has a relatively well defined, distinct boundary between tumor and normal breast tissue. About 6% of all breast cancers are of this type, and its prognosis is better than for invasive lobular or invasive ductal carcinomas. It can exhibit different degrees of aggressiveness. Tubular carcinoma. This accounts for 1–2% of breast cancers, and its cells look like little tubes (hence the name). It is an invasive cancer but it spreads beyond the breast only infrequently, and therefore has a better prognosis than invasive ductal or lobular carcinomas. Colloid or mucinous carcinoma. Also rare, this is an infiltrating ductal cancer that is formed by mucus-producing cancer cells. Papillary carcinoma. Extremely rare, the cells of this particular breast cancer stick out like little papules, or finger-like projections. This form of cancer can be either invasive or noninvasive. Inflammatory breast cancer. This advanced form of breast cancer starts with breast swelling and skin that looks red and feels warm. Usually there’s not a distinct lump, and the first impression is that of infection. Infections either get better or worse, so if the inflammation doesn’t clear up or gets worse after 10 days to two weeks of antibiotics, you should see a breast surgeon, who will probably order a mammogram and then perform a biopsy of the skin. This is an unusual type of breast cancer, and it’s an aggressive one. The skin is red because cancer cells are congesting the lymphatic channels, thus blocking fluid drainage from the lymph vessels of the skin.

Add comment January 25th, 2006

Male breast cancer

Definition
Male breast cancer is a malignant tumor that forms in a man’s breast.

Description

Breast cancer is rare in men, but can be serious and fatal. Many people believe
that only women can get breast cancer, but men have breast tissue that also
can develop cancer. When men and women are born, they have a small amount of
breast tissue with a few tubular passages called ducts located under the nipple
and the area around the nipple (areola). By puberty, female sex hormones cause
breast ducts to grow and milk glands to form at the ends of the ducts. But male
hormones eventually prevent further breast tissue growth. Although male breast
tissue still contains some ducts, it will have only a few –or no– lobules.
Near the breasts of men and women are axillary lymph nodes. These are underarm
small structures shaped like beans that collect cells from lymphatic vessels.
Lymphatic vessels carry lymph, a clear fluid that contains fluid from tissues,
cells from the immune system, and various waste products throughout the body.
The axillary lymph nodes are important to breast cancer patients, as they play
a role in the spread and staging of breast cancer.

Breast cancer is much more common in women, mostly because women have many
more breast cells that can undergo cancerous changes and because women are exposed
to the effects of female hormones.

Infiltrating ductal carcinoma is the most common type of breast cancer in men.
It is a type of adenocarcinoma, or a type of cancer that occurs in glandular
tissue. Infiltrating ductal carcinoma starts in a breast duct and spreads beyond
the cells lining the ducts to other tissues in the breast. Once the cancer begins
spreading into the breast, it can spread to other parts of the body. This distant
spread is called metastasis. When breast cancer metastasizes to other areas
of the body, it can cause serious, life-threatening consequences. For example,
breast cancer might spread to the liver or lungs. About 80% to 90% of all male
breast cancers are infiltrating ductal carcinomas.

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is not common; it accounts for about 10% of
all male breast cancers. It also is an adenocarcinoma. In situ cancers remain
in the immediate area where they began, so DCIS remains confined to the breast
ducts and does not spread to the fatty tissues of the breast. This means it
is likely found early. DCIS also may be called intraductal carcinoma.

Other types of breast cancer are very rare in men. Adenocarcinomas that are
lobular (forming in the milk glands or lobules) only occur in about 2% of male
breast cancer cases because men normally do not have milk gland tissues. Inflammatory
breast cancer, a serious form of breast cancer in which the breast looks red
and swollen and feels warm, also occurs rarely. Paget’s disease of the nipple,
a type of breast cancer that grows from the ducts beneath the nipple onto the
nipple’s surface, only accounts for about 1% of female breast cancers. However,
slightly more men have this form of breast cancer than women. Sometimes, Paget’s
disease is associated with another form of breast cancer.

Although not a form of cancer, but a benign condition, gynecomastia is important
to mention. It is the most common of all male breast disorders and can be associated
with male breast cancer in a rare condition called Klilnefelter’s syndrome.
Gynecomastia most often occurs in teenage boys when their hormones change during
puberty. Older men also may experience the condition when their hormone balance
changes as they age. Gynecomastia is an increase in the amount of breast tissue,
or breast tissue enlargement. If a man has Klinefelter’s syndrome, he can develop
gynecomastia and increased risk of breast cancer.

Demographics

Breast cancer in men is rare, accounting for less than 1% of all breast cancers.
Still, about 1,450 American men were diagnosed with the disease and 470 men
died from it in 2004. Although studies show the number of breast cancer cases
in women has decreased in the United States and Europe since the 1960s, the
number of breast cancer cases in men have not decreased, but remained stable
or slightly increased.

The rate of increase in cases begins and steadily rises at age 50 for men.
However, the average age for male breast cancer is between 60 and 70 years old,
with a median age of 67 years. Men often are diagnosed at a later stage than
women.

Causes and symptoms

Scientists do not know what causes most cases of male breast cancer. However,
excellent progress is being made in genetic research and in understanding how
genes instruct cells to grow, divide, and die. For example, researchers have
now mapped all of the genes in the human body. Genes are part of the body’s
DNA, which is the chemical that instructs the cells. When DNA or genes carry
defects (mutations), they activate changes in the cells, such as rapid cell
division, that lead to cancer. Some genes, called tumor suppression genes, cause
cells to die. Scientists have identified some genetic mutations that are risk
factors for breast cancer. In other cases, environmental, or outside, factors
are thought to increase a man’s risk for breast cancer.

Mutations of at least two versions of a tumor suppressor gene (BRCA1 and BRCA2)
have been identified as causes of breast cancer in women. In men, the BRCA2
mutation is considered responsible for about 15% of breast cancers. Men can
inherit genes from either parent. Studies have shown that BRCA1 also may increase
a man’s risk for breast cancer, but its role is less certain. These mutations
have been shown to increase other cancers in men, including prostate cancer.
Klinefelter’s syndrome is a rare genetic cause of breast cancer in men. It results
from inheriting an additional X chromosome.

Several other factors also may cause male breast cancer. Some conditions, such
as the liver disease cirrhosis, can cause an imbalance in a man’s hormones,
producing high levels of the female hormone estrogen, which can lead to breast
cancer. Exposure to some substances such as high amounts of radiation may contribute
to male breast cancer. A 2004 report studied why a cluster of breast cancer
cases occurred among a small group of men who worked in the basement office
of a multi-story office building. The study linked their breast cancer to exposure
to high magnetic fields from a nearby electrical switchgear room in their work
space.

Many men do not realize they can develop breast cancer; they ignore the symptoms.
The most common symptom is a mass, or lump in the chest area, particularly around
the nipple. The lump will be firm, not tender or painful. Other signs that may
warn of male breast cancer include:

Skin dimpling or puckering

Changes in the nipple, such as drawing inward (retraction)

Nipple discharge of any kind

Redness or scaling of the nipple or breast skin

Abnormal swelling (or lump) of the breast, nipple, or chest muscle

Prolonged rash or irritation of the nipple, which may indicate Paget’s disease

Diagnosis

Physicians follow the same steps for diagnosing breast cancer in men as in women,
except that routine screening of breast cancer is not done in men. Once symptoms
are noticed, however, physicians will proceed in the same way. The physician
will conduct a thorough medical history and examination, including questions
that may identify risk factors for breast cancer, such as male or female relatives
with the disease. The medical history also helps gather details on possible
symptoms for breast cancer.

The physician also performs a clinical breast examination. This helps locate
and study a lump or suspicious area. The physician will feel (palpate) a mass
to get an idea of its size, texture, likely location and relation to surrounding
skin, muscles and tissues. At this point, the physician already will begin to
look for signs that the cancer may have spread to other organs and to the lymph
nodes. The physician will palpate lymph nodes and the liver, for instance, to
see if they are enlarged.

The next step in diagnosis usually is a diagnostic mammogram. Mammography is
an x ray of the breast. Mammograms are performed by radiologic technologists
who take special training in the procedure. Mammograms are evaluated by radiologists,
physicians who receive medical training specifically in interpreting x rays.
If the initial mammogram shows suspicious findings, the radiologist may order
magnification views to more closely look at the suspicious area. Mammograms
can accurately show the tissue in the breast, even more so in men than women,
because men do not have dense breasts or benign cysts in their breasts that
interfere with the diagnosis.

The radiologist also might recommend an ultrasound to follow up on suspicious
findings. Ultrasound often is used to image the breasts. Also known as sonography,
the technique uses high-frequency sound waves to take pictures of organs and
functions in the body. Sound wave echoes can be converted by computer to an
image and displayed on a computer screen. Ultrasound does not use radiation.
A technologist will perform the ultrasound; it will be evaluated by the radiologist.

Biopsies, which involve removing a sample of tissue, are the only definite
way to tell if a mass is cancerous. At one time, surgical biopsies were the
only option, requiring removal of all or a large portion of the lump in a more
complicated procedure. Today, fine-needle aspiration biopsy and core biopsies
can be performed. In fine-needle aspiration biopsy, a thin needle is inserted
to withdraw fluid from the mass. The physician may use ultrasound or other imaging
guidance to locate the mass if necessary. The fluid is tested in a laboratory
under a special microscope to determine if it is cancerous.

A core biopsy is similar, but involves removing a small cylinder of tissue
from the mass through a slightly larger needle. Core biopsy may require local
anesthesia. These biopsy techniques usually can be performed in a physician
office or outpatient facility. The cells in biopsy samples help physicians determine
if the lump is cancerous and the type of breast cancer. A tissue sample also
may be used for assigning a grade to the cancer and to test for certain proteins
and receptors that aid in treatment and prognosis decisions.

If there is discharge from the nipple, the fluid also may be collected and
analyzed in a laboratory to see if cancer cells are present in the fluid.

Diagnosis of breast cancer spread may require additional tests. For example,
a computed tomography (CT) scan may be ordered to check organs such as the liver
or kidney for possible metastasized cancer. A chest x ray can initially check
for cancer spread to the lungs. Bone scans are nuclear medicine procedures that
look for areas of diseased bone. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been increasingly
used in recent years as a follow-up study to mammograms when findings are not
clear. However, for metastatic breast cancer, they are more likely to be ordered
to check for cancer in the brain and spinal cord. Positron emission tomography
(PET) scans also have become more common in recent years.

Treatment team

The treatment team for male breast cancer normally consists of a primary care
physician, a medical oncologist (cancer specialist) and if radiation therapy
is used, a radiation oncologist. Many other staff also are involved. For instance,
special oncology nurses help guide patients through their care and recovery.
Radiation therapists are specially trained technologists who deliver the radiation
therapy treatments prescribed by the radiation oncologist.

Clinical staging, treatments, and prognosis

A technique called sentinel lymph node biopsy may be the first step in staging.
The sentinel node is the first one the cancer cells are likely to reach, so
it is the first one checked for cancerous cells. Using a radioactive substance
and blue dye injected into the area around the tumor, physicians can track the
path of the cells and stage the cancer. The technique has been used for many
years on women with breast cancer; research in 2004 showed it worked well for
predicting lymph node status in men as well.

Staging

Cancer staging systems help physicians compare treatments and research and identify
patients for clinical trials. Most of all, they help physicians determine treatment
and prognosis for individual patients by describing how severe a patient’s cancer
is in relation to the primary tumor. The most common system used for cancer
is the American Join Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM system, which bases staging
largely on the spread of the cancer. T stands for tumor and describes the tumor’s
size and spread locally, or within the breast and to nearby organs. The letter
N stands for lymph nodes and describes the cancer’s possible spread to and within
the lymph node system. In some descriptions below, the cancer may have been
found by sentinel node biopsy as microscopic disease in nodes that are in the
breasts (rather than the armpits). For simplification, these findings have been
grouped with the axillary lymph nodes. M stands for metastasis to note if the
cancer has spread to distant organs. Further letters and numbers may follow
these three letters to describe number of lymph nodes involved, approximate
tumor sizes, or other information. The following is a summary of breast cancer
stages:

Stage 0: Tis, N0, M0: Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). This is the earliest
and least invasive form of breast cancer; the cancer cells are located within
a duct and have not invaded surrounding fatty tissue.

Stage I: T1, N0, M0: The tumor is less than 1 in. in diameter (2 cm or less)
and has not spread to lymph nodes or distant organs.

Stage IIA: T0, N1, M0/T2, NO, MO: No tumor is found or the tumor is smaller
than 2 cm and cancer is found in one to three axillary lymph nodes (even if
no tumor is found), or the tumor is between 2 and 5 cm in diameter but has not
spread to the axillary lymph nodes. The cancer has not spread to distant organs.

Stage IIIB: T2, N1, M0/T3, NO, MO: The tumor is between 2 and 5 cm in diameter
and has spread to one to three axillary lymph nodes or the tumor is larger than
5 cm, has not grown into the chest wall or spread to the lymph nodes or distant
organs.

Stage IIIA: T0-2, N2, M0/T3, N1, MO: The tumor is smaller than 5 cm in diameter
and has spread to four to nine axillary lymph nodes or the tumor is larger than
5 cm and has spread to one to nine axillary lymph nodes. The cancer has not
spread to distant organs.

Stage IIIB: T4, N0-2, M0: The tumor has grown into the chest wall or the skin
and may have spread to no lymph nodes or as many as nine lymph nodes. Cancer
has not spread to distant sites.

Stage IIIC: T0-4, N3, MO: The tumor is any size, has spread to 10 or more axillary
lymph nodes or to one or more lymph nodes under or above the collarbone (clavicle)
on the same side as the breast tumor. The cancer has not spread to distant organs.

Inflammatory breast cancer: Classified as stage III, unless it has spread to
distant organs or lymph nodes not near the breast (which would classify it as
Stage IV).

Stage IV: T0-4, N0-3, M1: Regardless of the tumor’s size, the cancer has spread
to distant organs, such as the liver, bones, or lung, or to lymph nodes far
from the breast.

Treatment

If the axillary lymph nodes were identified as containing cancer at the time
of the sentinel lymph node biopsy, they will be removed in an axillary dissection.
Sometimes, this is done at the time of the biopsy.

For Stage I, surgery often is the only treatment needed for men. Women often
have lumpectomies, which remove as little surrounding breast tissue as possible,
to preserve some of their breast shape. For men, this is less of a concern,
and mastectomy, or surgical removal of the breast, is performed in 80% of all
male breast cancers. Men with Stage I tumors larger than 1 cm may receive additional
(adjuvant) chemotherapy.

Men with Stage II breast cancer also usually receive a mastectomy. If they
have cancer in the lymph nodes, they probably will receive adjuvant therapy.
Those with estrogen receptor-positive tumors may receive hormone therapy with
tamoxifen. The treatment team may recommend adjuvant radiation therapy if the
cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes and/or to the skin.

Stage III breast cancer requires mastectomy followed by adjuvant therapy with
tamoxifen when hormones are involved. Most patients with Stage III disease also
will require chemotherapy and radiation therapy to the chest wall.

Men with Stage IV breast cancer will require systemic therapy, or chemotherapy
and perhaps hormonal therapy that works throughout the body to fight the cancer
in the breast, as well as the cancer cells that have spread. Patients also may
receive immunotherapy to help patients fight infection following chemotherapy.
Radiation and surgery also may be used to relieve symptoms of the primary cancer
and areas where the cancer may have spread. The treatment team also may have
to diagnose specific treatments for the metastatic cancers, depending on their
sites.

If male breast cancer recurs in the breast or chest wall, it can be treated
with surgical removal and followed by radiation therapy. An exception is recurrence
in the same area, where additional radiation therapy can damage normal tissue.
Recurrence of the cancer in distant sites is treated the same as metasteses
found at the time of diagnosis.

Prognosis

Prognosis for male breast cancer varies, depending on stage. Generally, prognosis
is poorer for men than for women, because men tend to show up for diagnosis
when their breast cancer has reached a later stage. The average five-year survival
rate for Stage I cancers is 96%. For Stage II, it is 84%. Stage III cancers
carry an average five-year survival rate of 52%, and by Stage IV, the rate drops
to 24%.

Alternative and complementary therapies

Many alternative and complementary therapies can help cancer patients relax
and deal with pain, though none to date have been shown to treat or prevent
male breast cancer. For example, traditional Chinese medicine offers therapies
that stress the importance of balancing energy forces. Many studies also show
that guided imagery, prayer, meditation, laughter, and a positive approach to
cancer can help promote healing. Early studies have shown that soy and flaxseed
may have some preventive properties for breast cancer. However, these trials
have been conducted in women. When looking for these therapies, cancer support
groups suggest asking for credible referrals and working with the medical treatment
team to coordinate alternative and complementary care.

cancer treatment

Coping with cancer treatment

It is difficult for some men to accept and cope with a breast cancer diagnosis,
since it is a relatively rare and unexpected disease among men. It is important
that men work closely with their treatment team to talk about the their concerns
and to carefully follow all instructions for care. Support groups and family
support are critical in coping with a breast cancer diagnosis.

Eating a nutritious diet, stopping use of tobacco, and limiting use of alcohol,
can help in recovery from breast cancer. Beginning a regular exercise program
when the treatment team recommends also helps.

Clinical trials

Research currently is underway to test various chemotherapy combinations for
male breast cancer at different stages. A clinical trial also is underway to
investigate a vaccine for treating patients with metastatic breast cancer. The
National Institutes of Health list clinical trials by disease type, including
those for which they are recruiting patients. Choosing to participate in a clinical
trial is a decision that involves the patient, family, and treatment team.

Prevention

Some forms of male breast cancer cannot be prevented. But detecting the cancer
at an early stage can prevent serious complications, such as spread to distant
organs. Men who have a history of breast cancer in their family should pay particular
attention to the symptoms of breast cancer and seek immediate medical evaluation.
Physicians may be able to test the blood of men with family history for presence
of the BRCA2 gene so they may more carefully watch for early signs of breast
cancer. Avoiding exposure to radiation also may help present some male breast
cancers.

Special concerns

Men should remember that there are important difference between male and female
breast cancers. Some experts say that specific guidelines and instructions for
men with breast cancer are noticeably lacking, so men should not be afraid to
ask questions or to push a physician for more information when he suspects he
might have a suspicious lump or finding in his breast.

1 comment January 25th, 2006

Breast Cancer In Details

Add comment January 25th, 2006