Mets to bone after 5 years free!

I am so very sorry to hear this! 

I have bone mets (3-4 ribs) that has been in remission since 2011.  I was initially treated with zometa and arimidex, which helped.  I asked onc if I could switch to xgeva instead of zometa because I prefer a quick shot to an IV infusion and there is some evidence that xgeva may be superior to zometa. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22975218  The long and short of some of the studies that I have read is that xgeva (denosumab) is superior at preventing SRE's (skeletal related events such as fractures) to zoledronic acid (zometa).

Anyway, my markers were still high after a couple of years of treatment and my onc switched me to faslodex and xgeva.  That knocked the bone (and lung) mets into remission.

I also had radiation first and that really, really, helped with my pain (ribs).  The only side effect that I had was a little queasiness because the radiation onc said that he had to zap a bit of my liver because of the way my (right) ribs wrapped around it.

I was officially diagnosed with bone biopsy in 2009 but I had the rib pain, pleural effusion, etc starting in 2005.  I fractured ribs after moving boxes (after Hurricane Katrina) and I had multiple PET and bone scans before one brave radiologist finally called the ribs bone mets after a repeat bone scan in 2009.

Just telling you this because many are living longer and longer with mets.  Don't give up!!!

I am sorry Tasha for your diagnose.  Wishing you the best on this journey.  I had 2 lesions on 2 ribs found in 2000.  I went on Arimidex and was NED (no evidence of disease) until my 3rd recurrence in 2008.   Don't Google, some of it is very old stats.

Wishing you the best,

Doris

CypressCynthia said:

Great advice Doris!  When I

Great advice Doris!  When I googled bone mets, I think I read that average prognosis was 2-3 years after diagnosis.  I

Many of us are proving that the info out there is very outdated.  Tou have been 13 years and I have been 8.  Hang in there and don't google!!!

I got similar diagnosis in June of last year that was after 4 years with NED. It was very shocking to discover to have multiple tumors on several bones, located at both sides and other areas . I did not google anything just trusted my oncologist and asked for support of this board. I was treated with oral Chemo Xeloda for 8 months and tolerated it relatively well. It did stop the spreading of my cancer. Now I am on different treatment and some of my lesions have been healed and new bobe tissue was generated there. During my treatment I was able to keep my job.

Please stay in touch and connected. It is hard to accept and deal with mets,  diagnosis of stage IV can be very scarry, we are here to help.

Hugs to you

new Flower 

Since I was diagnosed only 3 months ago with IDC and ILC. Just wanted to tell you that I am very sorry that you have to deal with this. I want to wish you good luck!

Hugs, Carmen

... Yet, I'll chime in with this: resist 'googling'... !!! Rely on your med pros, J.

Dammit. A 2nd DX is a real sucker punch, ain't it? Damned sneaky, relentless, evil cancer.

Kind regards, Susan