anyone out there who has breast cancer metastized to the femur bones and pelvis

czsteve
czsteve Member Posts: 11
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I was diagnosed with metastized breast cancer that was found in my upper thigh bones and into my pelvis area. A fracture to my pelvis is how the new cancer was found. I have not been dealing well with this diagnosis. I was a 6 year cancer survivor when all this erupted. I am still in shock, depressed and wonder daily how long I will survive now that I am stage 4 and there is not stage 5. My oncologist gives me every reason to be hopeful but I want to hear from others who have dealt with this. I went through radiation of the area and am now going through weekly chemo treatments scheduled for 6 months and then monthly for the rest of my life. Any one out there who can give me some insight?

Comments

  • Tux
    Tux Member Posts: 544
    #2
    Welcome czsteve! I am so
    Welcome czsteve! I am so sorry to hear of your dx. I have not had any experience with this, nor do I know anyone with this situation personally. Perhaps someone on this board can respond with more knowledge. I sincerely wish you the best in your treatments. Hugs & prayers sent your way....
  • mimivac
    mimivac Member Posts: 2,143 Member
    #3
    Welcome, cz
    So sorry to hear of your recent recurrence. I can understant that this has blindsided you just when you thought you were in the clear. I hate that. But I do know that women can live many, many productive, good years with bone mets. There are some here on this site who might chime in. Take it slowly and seek support and listen to you oncologist -- there is every reason to have hope.

    Mimi
  • m_azingrace
    m_azingrace Member Posts: 399
    #4
    mimivac said:

    Welcome, cz
    So sorry to hear of your recent recurrence. I can understant that this has blindsided you just when you thought you were in the clear. I hate that. But I do know that women can live many, many productive, good years with bone mets. There are some here on this site who might chime in. Take it slowly and seek support and listen to you oncologist -- there is every reason to have hope.

    Mimi

    czsteve
    I am so very sad for you, that the cancer has mets to bone. In July I was dx as stage IV, with mets to bone in my spine, upper left arm and skull. MRI's are negative for mets to brain or other organs, so that's a good thing. The oncologist has me taking Femara to shrink the tumors, and Zometa to strengthen my bones. So far, the side effects are minimal. After the initial shock of it...first that I even have cancer, then hearing the stage...I'm now doing okay. Fortunately, I have lots of loving support from family and friends, and this site has been a God send to me. Still, one day at a time, but so far, they are mostly all good days! I wish the same for you. Because all this is so new to me, I have little to offer in terms of experience or advice. I do send hugs and prayers to you. Gracie
  • fauxma
    fauxma Member Posts: 3,577 Member
    #5
    m_azingrace said:

    czsteve
    I am so very sad for you, that the cancer has mets to bone. In July I was dx as stage IV, with mets to bone in my spine, upper left arm and skull. MRI's are negative for mets to brain or other organs, so that's a good thing. The oncologist has me taking Femara to shrink the tumors, and Zometa to strengthen my bones. So far, the side effects are minimal. After the initial shock of it...first that I even have cancer, then hearing the stage...I'm now doing okay. Fortunately, I have lots of loving support from family and friends, and this site has been a God send to me. Still, one day at a time, but so far, they are mostly all good days! I wish the same for you. Because all this is so new to me, I have little to offer in terms of experience or advice. I do send hugs and prayers to you. Gracie

    czsteve
    We have many ladies
    czsteve
    We have many ladies on board that are stage 4 and have mets to various places. We have a survivor that has had 2 primary cancers and was given 6 months and she is 5 or 6 years out. So this is the place to be for encouraging words. I am sure that you are in shock, scared, angry and more but we are a great group of listeners and we sincerely care for each other. We will listen to you, advise you, care and support you. So please use us to help you through this. And in turn you will see how you will be able to inspire and help others here as well. So sorry that you needed to come here but welcome to our family.
    Stef
  • mlmjt1
    mlmjt1 Member Posts: 537 Member
    #6
    Hi czsteve
    Read the post, take a deep breath...I just read about a gal who has stage 4 cancer in her bones and she is doing really well. Literally, I think she wrote her post just for you.

    Please hang in there. I know there are lots of gals out there who are stage 4 who are doing ok.

    Hugs
    Lindat
  • pinkflutterby
    pinkflutterby Member Posts: 615 Member
    #7
    mlmjt1 said:

    Hi czsteve
    Read the post, take a deep breath...I just read about a gal who has stage 4 cancer in her bones and she is doing really well. Literally, I think she wrote her post just for you.

    Please hang in there. I know there are lots of gals out there who are stage 4 who are doing ok.

    Hugs
    Lindat

    Im stage IV too
    Hi Linda :) I am stage IV with mets to my spine liver and ribs. My breast and liver are clear of tumors now :) dealing with the bone mets now. I get chemo once a week and Zometa once a month. So far so good. My onc is very very optomistic for me as well so I am too! She said to me I will live with stage iv cancer for a long time so Im counting on it!!!! Libby
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #8
    Tux said:

    Welcome czsteve! I am so
    Welcome czsteve! I am so sorry to hear of your dx. I have not had any experience with this, nor do I know anyone with this situation personally. Perhaps someone on this board can respond with more knowledge. I sincerely wish you the best in your treatments. Hugs & prayers sent your way....

    WELCOME
    to the site. My heard goes out to you. It is very difficult since you are a 6 year survivor.
    We have several sisters on this board who have been diagnosed with stage IV. I am sure they will respond soon. Please express yourself and feel post any topic or question.It is a very open and supportive group.
    I wish you the best in your treatments.
    Hugs
    New Flower
  • Deb1969
    Deb1969 Member Posts: 165
    #9
    pinkflutterby said:

    Im stage IV too
    Hi Linda :) I am stage IV with mets to my spine liver and ribs. My breast and liver are clear of tumors now :) dealing with the bone mets now. I get chemo once a week and Zometa once a month. So far so good. My onc is very very optomistic for me as well so I am too! She said to me I will live with stage iv cancer for a long time so Im counting on it!!!! Libby

    I am stage 4, i have mets to
    I am stage 4, i have mets to my liver. Ive taken 4 rounds of AC, and Taxol and Herceptin are next. The PET scan after these 4 rounds showed improvement. Stay strong and positive. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
    Deb
  • terpsi
    terpsi Member Posts: 33
    #10
    metastatic breast cancer
    I was originally diagnosed in 2004 and then in 2008 had back pain for months until I got my diagnosis in January 2009 and then aggressive treatment. Surgery, radiation and then chemo, which I'm on now. My diagnosis is MBC triple negative now, though my primary was ER positive. My mets are so far only in my bone though my tumor was wrapped around my spinal cord, so they're watching for mets to my brain; also, I have mets to the ribs, so they're watching for mets to my lungs.

    The most devastating part of MBC is hearing it is incurable. I could not get those words out of my mind for . . . I'm dealing with it now, I suppose.

    I'm a writer, so I've gathered as much information as I can for a blog that I write specifically targeting those of us with advanced, or metastatic BC. In my research, I have found the following that has helped me:

    Metastatic breast cancer is also called advanced breast cancer.

    MBC is staged as IV, typically, if it's found as the original diagnosis. After a recurrence, as mine is, and, it sounds like yours, it's referred to as distant metastases when it moves from the primary site to another location: bones or other organs. If you look at my blog, you can click on several links there for sites with very good information on MBC. They are informative, supportive and always make me feel hopeful.

    Despite the woeful prognoses listed for us (many say two or three years from diagnosis), many survivors of MBC live 10 to 15 years. Personally, I intend to hang around 15 :).

    Treatment options for MBC are limited. Also, as we go through the treatment, the options dwindle. Having an oncologist who is very aware of the options for MBC and who is open to discussion and questions is optimal. I look online for new treatments targeting MBC and talk to my oncologist about anything I find, new or old. The American Society of Clinical Oncologists have an annual meeting presenting new research; this year the hot topic for MBC seemed to be PARP inhibitors. I'm not sure whether I would qualify for a study, but I'm watching the news on it in case I am.

    While original diagnosis gets most of the attention with breast cancer, recurrent BC or MBC is still posing the greatest challenge for treatment that inhibits progression of the disease. None of MBC is at this time curable. Probably because mets take the disease into so many new variations, it's another needle in the haystack of causal relationships and their treatments.

    I hope this helps. I'd just noticed your post and wanted to respond but just realized I am a little short of time. Dealing with this is a daily challenge. I am still working and have gone through a lot of stress coping with how to deal with that and reactions of colleagues and . . . If you have support, be sure to share your feelings and emotions. If you don't have support, find someone in whom you can trust to be able to cry and share the moments that are frightening, who won't minimize it but will allow you to express those negative feelings. You need to take care of yourself and your emotions and not worry about trying to make others feel comfortable about your difficult diagnosis.

    My heart goes out to you and all of us dealing with MBC. Write any time.

    Many hugs,
    donna peach
  • czsteve
    czsteve Member Posts: 11
    #11
    terpsi said:

    metastatic breast cancer
    I was originally diagnosed in 2004 and then in 2008 had back pain for months until I got my diagnosis in January 2009 and then aggressive treatment. Surgery, radiation and then chemo, which I'm on now. My diagnosis is MBC triple negative now, though my primary was ER positive. My mets are so far only in my bone though my tumor was wrapped around my spinal cord, so they're watching for mets to my brain; also, I have mets to the ribs, so they're watching for mets to my lungs.

    The most devastating part of MBC is hearing it is incurable. I could not get those words out of my mind for . . . I'm dealing with it now, I suppose.

    I'm a writer, so I've gathered as much information as I can for a blog that I write specifically targeting those of us with advanced, or metastatic BC. In my research, I have found the following that has helped me:

    Metastatic breast cancer is also called advanced breast cancer.

    MBC is staged as IV, typically, if it's found as the original diagnosis. After a recurrence, as mine is, and, it sounds like yours, it's referred to as distant metastases when it moves from the primary site to another location: bones or other organs. If you look at my blog, you can click on several links there for sites with very good information on MBC. They are informative, supportive and always make me feel hopeful.

    Despite the woeful prognoses listed for us (many say two or three years from diagnosis), many survivors of MBC live 10 to 15 years. Personally, I intend to hang around 15 :).

    Treatment options for MBC are limited. Also, as we go through the treatment, the options dwindle. Having an oncologist who is very aware of the options for MBC and who is open to discussion and questions is optimal. I look online for new treatments targeting MBC and talk to my oncologist about anything I find, new or old. The American Society of Clinical Oncologists have an annual meeting presenting new research; this year the hot topic for MBC seemed to be PARP inhibitors. I'm not sure whether I would qualify for a study, but I'm watching the news on it in case I am.

    While original diagnosis gets most of the attention with breast cancer, recurrent BC or MBC is still posing the greatest challenge for treatment that inhibits progression of the disease. None of MBC is at this time curable. Probably because mets take the disease into so many new variations, it's another needle in the haystack of causal relationships and their treatments.

    I hope this helps. I'd just noticed your post and wanted to respond but just realized I am a little short of time. Dealing with this is a daily challenge. I am still working and have gone through a lot of stress coping with how to deal with that and reactions of colleagues and . . . If you have support, be sure to share your feelings and emotions. If you don't have support, find someone in whom you can trust to be able to cry and share the moments that are frightening, who won't minimize it but will allow you to express those negative feelings. You need to take care of yourself and your emotions and not worry about trying to make others feel comfortable about your difficult diagnosis.

    My heart goes out to you and all of us dealing with MBC. Write any time.

    Many hugs,
    donna peach

    MBC
    Thank you for your response. It is tough what we are going through. I try to stay positive and lately I have more positive days then negative. I guess I've moved past the shock stage and realized I will see Christmas this year and a good chance the next several. When I was diagnosed again in September, I thought that it was the end. I had just reached 6 years of survivorship in August.

    Hugs and prayers to you,
    Peggy

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