Mesothelioma Cancer Awareness

A message from our friends at http://www.asbestos.com/


Mesothelioma is a rare and aggressive cancer. One of the primary mesothelioma causes is asbestos exposure. The cancer develops in the mesothelium, a protective membrane that lines three body cavities: the thoracic cavity (pleura), abdominal cavity (peritoneum) and the heart sac (pericardium).

A mesothelioma patient’s prognosis, or the probable course and outcome of a disease’s influence on the body, is influenced by numerous factors. Since a mesothelioma diagnosis often occurs once the cancer has progressed to later stages of development, prognosis is typically poor. However if a patient is diagnosed before the cancer has spread or elects to undergo treatment to combat the cancer, their prognosis may improve.
Asbestos is a naturally occurring toxic mineral that was commonly used throughout the 20th century in thousands of products and many industries. Asbestos is naturally resistant to heat and fire, making it ideal for use in insulation. The mineral was often used in insulation and the fine, flexible fibers were frequently mixed with cement and woven into fabrics. Exposure to asbestos can result in the development of serious illnesses such as malignant mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis.







Thursday, April 9, 2009

Triple Negative - - -

Soooo, I have triple negative breast cancer after all. I feel numb, a little scared, and sad. Maybe a little angry too.

Brian and I started looking on the Internet for hours to find info. The best ones we could come up with were the John Hopkins Hospital in MD, and the Ireland Cancer Center in Cleveland.

Last Monday, right after my CAT scan, I was admitted and stayed in the hospital until Friday. I was treated for a pulmonary embolism, put on an heparin IV, a blood thinner, and now I have to take a pill for keeping my blood thin on a daily basis for the next 6 months. The clots will eventually be absorbed, but we have to make sure that I won't have any new ones pop up.

Of course all this delayed my cancer treatment for about a week. I finally went to see the oncologist this Tuesday. I really liked him. The tests for metastasis came back negative, so this is good news, but the bad news is that my cancer is a rare form of breast cancer, which unfortunately will limit my options for treatment.

The new and more successful treatments target cancers that have estrogen and progesterone receptors. Mine does not have those receptors. It's called a triple negative breast cancer, which is more aggressive and "likes" to metastasize in other areas of the body.

So it's good that I'm clear so far, but my chemo will have to be stronger to catch and hopefully eradicate any dormant cancer cells "visiting' my other organs. :-)

I'm starting my first treatment tomorrow. I expect I'll feel sick, drowsy, dizzy and tired for a couple of days after, and my next treatment will be in 3 weeks. I'll have to do a total of 6 treatments, and then have the surgery sometime in the summer.

We're still looking for a second opinion. We have contacted a great cancer research facility in Cleveland that has just started a trial for a vaccine for triple negative breast cancers. We've also talked to a few other breast specialists and they all agree on my current treatment plan. So, I guess I'll finish my chemotherapy here, and then look at my other options after that.

That's all my news for now. I'll keep you posted on how things develop here.
Posted by at
Labels: ,

1 comment:

  1. ReneeApril 19, 2009 at 8:53 PM

    Hello from sunny Seattle, Washington. Well, sunny for today and tomorrow. :-)

    Just wanted to stop by and introduce myself . . .my name is Renee and I just finished treatment for Triple Negative Breast Cancer. I was diagnosed in June 2008, waited until August 2008 to have a lumpectomy due to husband's surgery for a rare, but benign, tumor. I had 4 rounds of Cytoxan and Taxotere, and 16 radiations. I luckily qualified for the Canadian Trial for radiation . . higher doses in less days than "normal".

    I have a group of ladies who also have TNBC who are "Journey Supporters" on my blog. They are all at various stages of this journey-that-no-one-wants-to-be-on. . .please feel free to ask us any questions you may have on how to survive the treatments.

    May blessings to you,

    Renee

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)