“You’ve been on cancer treatment for over 20 YEARS?”
I nod my head.
It amazes some people that I’ve been living from treatment to treatment since being diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in 1998.
That’s how those of us with MBC live our lives.
Some have asked about my treatment history. After being asked so many times, I put my chart on a timeline that spanned 9 feet. Here is the tabular view. Click on the hotlinks to if you’d like more information.
| Item | Treatment | Start Date | End Date | Notes |
| 1.0 | Lumpectomy | 7/7/95 | Stage 2a, 1+node, ER-, PR-, HER2- Age 42 | |
| 2.0 | Cytoxin, Methotrexate, 5FU | 8/1/95 | 2/1/96 | 6 Rounds Chemo, Radiation after 3rd Cycle |
| 3.0 | Radiation to Breast | 12/1/95 | 12/31/95 | 30 Rounds, Right Breast |
| 4.0 | Biopsy – Breast | 1/3/97 | Rt Breast Biopsy-benign (dead tissue) | |
| 5.0 | CT Scan | 10/16/98 | Suspected mets, left scapula, left sacroilliac, left ischium, pubic bone | |
| 6.0 | L Ishium bone biopsy | 11/23/98 | Bone Mets Confirmed: ER+, PR-, ER2- | |
| 7.0 | Adriamycin Cytoxin | 12/8/98 | 3/4/99 | #1 Bald, 3 rounds, didn’t work |
| 8.0 | Portacath Installed | 12/9/98 | 6/28/05 | Right Side |
| 9.0 | Aredia | 2/12/99 | 7/19/99 | 6 cycles, Stopped before having bone marrow transplant |
| 10.0 | Taxol Carboplatin | 4/9/99 | 7/22/99 | 5 cycles; worked |
| 11.0 | Autologous Bone Marrow Transplant | 3/25/99 | 11/1/99 | STAMP V HDC/SCR Trial |
| 11.1 | Stem cell collection | 8/16/99 | 8/23/99 | 3 Hours Daily, City of Hope |
| 11.2 | Daily Chemo 24 hour | 9/10/99 | 9/14/99 | Cytoxin, Carbo, Thiotepa, Mesna |
| 11.3 | Stem cell infusion (PSCR) | 9/17/99 | Followed by 2 weeks in hospital, blood transfusions | |
| 12.0 | Tamoxifen | 1/1/00 | 1/1/01 | Daily oral pills |
| 13.0 | Emergency Appendectomy | 3/13/00 | Likely side effect from Chemo | |
| 14.0 | Aredia | 9/5/00 | 7/1/06 | Developed Osteonecrosis of the Jaw |
| 15.0 | Biopsy-Breast | 10/3/00 | Benign – palpable lump | |
| 16.0 | Arimidex | 1/1/01 | 1/1/06 | Mets advanced to spine, right knee after Tamoxifen |
| 17.0 | Femara | 1/1/06 | 6/5/09 | Mets advanced in spine, ribs, sacrum, left acetabullum |
| 18.0 | Left Breast Reduction | 3/27/06 | Equalize left side with right | |
| 19.0 | BRCA 1/2 test | 1/18/07 | Negative BRCA mutations | |
| 20.0 | Faslodex | 6/5/09 | More mets-pelvic area; Faslodex resulted in Full Body Hives, discontinued | |
| 21.0 | Aromasin | 8/25/09 | 12/20/09 | More spine mets |
| 22.0 | Xeloda | 1/1/10 | 5/10/11 | #2 Bald |
| 23.0 | Pancreatitis | 1/26/10 | 1/31/10 | 6 days in hospital, from Xeloda |
| 23.0 | Xeloda Reduction | 2/12/10 | Reduced 25% | |
| 24.0 | Xeloda Reduction | 4/23/10 | Reduced another 25% due to low blood counds | |
| 25.0 | Mastectomy | 3/30/11 | New Primary Breast Tumor; ER+, PR-, HER2+ | |
| 26.0 | Portacath | 5/16/11 | 2/19/13 | Left Side |
| 27.0 | Taxol | 5/17/11 | 10/19/11 | More mets-skull, spine, pubic bone |
| 28.0 | Herceptin | 5/17/11 | 12/12/17 | |
| 29.0 | Arimidex | 10/20/11 | 7/17/13 | More mets-sternum, spine (2nd time on drug) |
| 30.0 | Bowel Obstruction | 6/26/12 | Diagnosed with Crohn’s side effect from chemo | |
| 31.0 | Right Breast Reconstruction | Latissimus dorsi flap | ||
| 31.1 | Mycobacterial infection | 5/24/13 | Expander infected; removed expander | |
| 32.0 | Taxol Gemzar | 12/10/13 | 7/1/14 | #3 Bald; 6 cycles of TG; mets tumors grow |
| 33.0 | Aromasin | 1/14/14 | 7/14/14 | Taken after cancer stabilized with TG, second try with this drug |
| 34.0 | Kadcyla | 7/8/14 | 11/21/14 | #4 Bald, 3 cycles; issue with low blood counts |
| 35.0 | Ixempra | 10/14/16 | 9/5/17 | #5 Bald, was just on Herceptin between Kadcyla and Ixempra |
| 36.0 | Perjeta | 5/1/15 | 12/12/17 | Added to Herceptin |
| 37.0 | Apply for Clinical Trial | 9/5/17 | 1/3/17 | IGNYTA, STARTRK-didn’t have mutation in ALK, ROS1, NTRK!-3 |
| 38.0 | Halaven | 10/9/17 | 11/20/17 | Mets grew in sternum |
| 39.0 | Neratinib | 1/28/18 | Ongoing | 6 Daily oral pills, extreme diarrhea |
| 39.1 | Faslodex | 1/28/18 | Ongoing | Benedryl pre-med to prevent hives |
Cats & Cancer 