Showing posts with label metastatic breast cancer. advanced breast cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label metastatic breast cancer. advanced breast cancer. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Breast cancer knowledge is a powerful tool

If you have not already registered for the 6th World Conference on Breast Cancer now is your chance. Just go to www.wcbcf.ca

This international conference will help to raise awareness and spread knowledge. Breast cancer knowledge is a powerful tool given many women and men affected by this disease, in some parts of the world, will not have access to timely services once the disease is in an advanced state. Identifying breast cancer early and knowing what to do is an important part of survival. You and others will share information and create long standing networks, while you learn about the newest research, lab developments and discoveries emerging worldwide. Don't miss this opportunity.

Update on your blogger (Kim Tempest pictured above with her daughter): Sorry I have been absent from the blog for awhile. It has taken a bit to get on track with treatments. As you probably know, I am at the cancer thing again, with metastatic breast cancer in my bones and liver. The good news is that the treatments I am on are working. The bad news is that they won't be able to completely get rid of it.

Interestingly enough I did not know that I was even at risk of bone metastases. I figured once I had done breast cancer the first time that was it. My treatments had been so aggressive I figured we had got it all. Turns out I am not alone. Many women who have been through breast cancer are unaware that if their cancer does re-occur that it will most likely come back in the bones. I, like others, also did not know that metastatic cancer in the bones also places me at greater risk of fractures which can lead to further complications. Who knew - you learn something every day. With this knowledge I am able to do things to reduce my fracture risk - like bone strengthening medications and exercise.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

This is a big week

Lot's happening this week. I will have my port-a-cath put in on Monday. Really do not know what to expect. They are putting me out for it so I am sure I will spend most of the day asleep. For whatever reason I always find it hard coming out of general anesthetic.

Wednesday I get ALL of the news. The doctor will have all of the results back from the pathology of the liver biopsy and the pathology review of my original breast cancer, which they have now tested for HER2 (those are those little receptors that attach themselves to the breast cancer cell - breast cancer was not tested for it when I was originally diagnosed in 2003). So we will know exactly where we stand on the battle field.

The next step is to select the artillery we will use. I sat in on a webinar put on by the CBCN the other day on advanced metastatic breast cancer. I was very happy to learn that treatments can be very specific and targeted based on all of the information collected on the breast cancer cells you are dealing with. The newest treatments are less toxic than chemotherapy of yesterday and are having remarkable results.

The goal is to treat the cancer like a chronic disease like diabetes. It may not be curable but my quality of life can be maintained and survival extended.

Now my personal goal is to extend my life beyond my oncologist's retirement and given he looks like he is ten years old that is a really long time.

Yes - I can!!