It’s about treatment
I was on Ibrance on and off for 6 months. I had my first scan last week and my oncologist said it was a good scan and because I continued having problems with Ibrance she was taking me off. I’m currently only taking Letrozole 2.5 mg. I’m concerned that I’m only in that one medication. Is that a common form of treatment? I have stage 4 breast cancer that’s gone to my bones.
i have been on Ibrance since february 2020. the only thing i have had to do was have my doses lowered from 125 to 100 to 75 because it was dropping my WBC and ANC too low. i take this with fulvestrant. ive read that Ibrance doesnt work for everyone but when it works, it really works. i hope that your body will respond to it. have they tried something else??
Thank you for sharing your experience, Mrs.Bheathain. I have heard similar things about Ibrance throughout the community. It would be so great if everything worked the same across the board for everyone. I hope that you are having a great weekend. Warmly, Shayla (AdvancedBreastCancer.net, Team Member)
After 10 yrs of disease free my cancer returned 8/2020 stage 4 as plural effusion. All clear otherwise & last scan in 5/2021 still no other spread.
9/2020 had red devil. 3 of 4 rounds.
Developed severe tachycardia. TEE revealed left atrium clot. Last round skipped & clot addressed.
Nov started Imbrance. After 10 days platelets & WBC dropped (18 p & .08 wbc) & needed transfusions & several shots of neupigen. Imbrance stopped. On Exemestane since Nov 2020.
Scans clear til May & showed PE slight increase.
6/11 drained 750 ml
Relief a couple days but them worse coughing & sob
6/22 drained 400 ml
Ultrasound after this drain revealed empty so now when it returns will know it’s progressing & how fast. My reg oncologist is gone til 7/6. I love both him & who’s on call for him. I’m hoping to not have fluid build up within 11 days again. That’ll mean the current Med isn’t working to control it.
I might consent to lowest dose of imbrance to see how I react. If my platelets drop to where I need transfusion... then it’ll be other options. I’m hoping to be able to maintain working at least til late Aug when I’m eligible for fMLA again to maintain insurance without high cost of cobra.
Ugg at 54 & 10 yrs cancer/treatment this wasn’t something I thought about I’d deal with again after 10 years.Interesting comments … always count my blessings … Ibrance and Fluvestrant has really worked for me … Two years in tumors shrank No spread from the lymph node Please take people …
Is your Doctor thinking about her next move? Looking for a clinical trial? Or just waiting and seeing what will happen? Usually, these are the reasons I have found my Dr. to wait, and it's super annoying. However, if you don't like it, then be the squeaky wheel. They have other patients, as well. It's not like they are always sitting around thinking of your case. Unless you are popping up in their MYCHART, be nice when you do this. Of course, try to become their friend. When you see them, ask them how their day was. Figure out why they are so stressed, then when you see them again, ask them about what was stressing them out last time. You know, treat them as human beings. Then they might start to forgive some of your craziness that will go down over the years and pay them back for when you need them.
Now about your case, Maybe she thinks you're ready to come off it how good was your scan?
I am assuming you are hormone positive and HER2negative, as I am. The next drug that replaced IBRANCE for me was Verzinio, but there may be a few others. The Drug class is (endocrinen therapy) You should do some research on it and then come to your doctor and ask them if there is a reason they haven't put you on a second endocrine therapy.
