Re Tumors on Spine

lynnephil
lynnephil Member Posts: 14
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Hi Everyone
My friend is devestated to find she now has tumors on her spine and is having more chemo.
Is there anyone out there who can give me some encouragement for her as she has alway been so positive but is feeling very low at present.
best wishes to all Lynnephil

Comments

  • bdean
    bdean Member Posts: 259
    #2
    Hi. Are your friend's tumors from breast cancer that have matastisized to spine? That is what mine are; and are estrogen positive as the breast tumor was. I have been taking Aredia with the chemo Taxol. Last bone scan was very encouraging. The Aredia does not stop the tumor; but improves the damage done by cancer; the chemo stopped the tumor growth; and one Vioxx a day usually keeps me pain free. A friend of mine has had a tumor on her spine for five years and the Aredia seems to have helped stop its growth--since it is still same size! It has been a year since mine was discovered; and I feel better today than I have in ages. Tell your friend to keep positive. She will be in my prayers. God bless all of you. Brenda
  • pamtriggs
    pamtriggs Member Posts: 386
    #3
    Dear Lynne
    I consider myself something of an expert on spinal tumors I have one on just about every vertebrae. These are metastized from original BC. Are your friends BC mets & if so is she estrogen positive. Mine have been treated with Tamoxifen (which has now failed - I am now on Megace) and masses of radiation. A new one was discovered last week. I am having radiation (5th course) for that now so all my spine & pelvis has now been done. The pain can be excrutiating but the good news is that they can be stabilzed & growth held back. As long as this happens spinal tumors do not kill you. Just make sure she gets regular MRI & CT scans so that any collapsing ones do not cause paralysis. I now have two compression fractures but they are responding to treatment. So encourage her not to get too depressed. SHe wil find the chemo will stop it a lot - especially Taxol. That is my next step if Megace fails. Femara is also a good hormone treatment for bone mets if she is estrogen positive. LOve Pam
  • lynnephil
    lynnephil Member Posts: 14
    #4
    pamtriggs said:

    Dear Lynne
    I consider myself something of an expert on spinal tumors I have one on just about every vertebrae. These are metastized from original BC. Are your friends BC mets & if so is she estrogen positive. Mine have been treated with Tamoxifen (which has now failed - I am now on Megace) and masses of radiation. A new one was discovered last week. I am having radiation (5th course) for that now so all my spine & pelvis has now been done. The pain can be excrutiating but the good news is that they can be stabilzed & growth held back. As long as this happens spinal tumors do not kill you. Just make sure she gets regular MRI & CT scans so that any collapsing ones do not cause paralysis. I now have two compression fractures but they are responding to treatment. So encourage her not to get too depressed. SHe wil find the chemo will stop it a lot - especially Taxol. That is my next step if Megace fails. Femara is also a good hormone treatment for bone mets if she is estrogen positive. LOve Pam

    Hi Pam

    Thank you so much for your support. I went to see my friend today and told her about what you are going through. Dawn is on a french chemo called Vinorelbine and is going to ask Oncologist about Femara (we in the UK are not told if our BC is estrogen positive or not - we are both going to check on that!)
    Anyway we had a good laugh together and I know that with your help I could see the positive fun loving person reappear.
    Good luck with your treatment as you seem to have gone threw so much and still give lots of encouragement to others.
    We both wish you well and God bless - Lynne
  • lynnephil
    lynnephil Member Posts: 14
    #5
    bdean said:

    Hi. Are your friend's tumors from breast cancer that have matastisized to spine? That is what mine are; and are estrogen positive as the breast tumor was. I have been taking Aredia with the chemo Taxol. Last bone scan was very encouraging. The Aredia does not stop the tumor; but improves the damage done by cancer; the chemo stopped the tumor growth; and one Vioxx a day usually keeps me pain free. A friend of mine has had a tumor on her spine for five years and the Aredia seems to have helped stop its growth--since it is still same size! It has been a year since mine was discovered; and I feel better today than I have in ages. Tell your friend to keep positive. She will be in my prayers. God bless all of you. Brenda

    Hi Brenda

    Thank you so much for your support. I went to see my friend Dawn today and she is on a French Chemo called Vinorelbine and is going to ask her (our) Oncologist about taking Femara (thanks Pamtriggs) instead of Tamoxifen and about Aredia. We in the UK are not told if our BC is estrogen positive or not - we both are going to question that!
    Dawn finds that Vioxx is very good to keep her pain free. Anyway thanks to your support and Pams I managed to cheer her up and we had a good laugh.
    Thank you for your prayers and you will certainly be in ours. God bless Lynne

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