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Mum's first appointment tomorrow

GalaxyRipple
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Hello

So I posted a couple of weeks ago about my mum. My mum has estrogen positive breast cancer in 2013, she had mastectomy, chemo, radiotherapy and was put on anastrozole (still on it now)

In October last year, my mums ibs changed and she began experiencing constipation, feeling full up, not being able to eat properly, being sick, feeling sick, stomach ache, heartburn.

She had tests and they found swollen lymph nodes in her collar bone and stomach. They tested the node in her collar bone and found it positive for breast cancer. Then she ended up with a bowel blockage a few weeks ago. Had to have emergency surgery and had to have a defunctioning loop ileostomy fitted.

During the surgery they found (as it says in her discharge notes) "disseminated malignancy in the abdomen, ascites, peritoneal and omental deposits, right colon covered in mets and completely fixed in hepatic flexure, palpable large nodes from GOJ region down to pelvis"

I find this really confusing as I don't know what the majority of it means?

They took biopsies and mum has an appointment tomorrow with the oncologist, from what they said in hospital, they think it is breast cancer that has spread, but they were still waiitg for histology report. 

Im confused why she is seeing an oncologist and not the breast specialists, if it's breast cancer?

Also can anyone make sense of the discharge notes?

Also, shouldn't anastrozole have stopped breast can er coming back? 

Thank you 

  • Hello and thank you for posting. I'm sorry to hear about your mums situation.

    I think she has her oncology appointment today, so hopefully you will be getting the answers you all need.

    It is difficult for us to say exactly what the discharge letter means as we aren't part of her care, but the biopsies they took will be giving them more information. I think from what you have said, and your previous posts, they are concerned about cancer in other places other than the breast.

    The Doctor your mum is seeing today, an oncologist, is a cancer specialist doctor who deals with chemotherapy and radiotherapy as opposed to a breast specialist who are generally surgeons. They will be the best people to talk through with what is happening.

    Anastrozole, the same as other breast treatments, will do their best at keeping cancer under control. But sadly sometimes treatments are unable to stop the cancer growing further. 

    Take care, and if you want to talk anything through after today please give us a call on Freephone 0808 800 4040, the lines are open from 9am till 5pm Monday to Friday.

    Sarah.

  • Offline in reply to CRUK Nurse Sarah

    Hello

    Thank you for replying. 

    My mum had her appointment today and my brother went in with her. 

    They said the breast cancer is in some of my mums lymph nodes, the stomach area and also two small nodules in her lungs.

    Mum had her bloods done today and they're going to ring to book her in for a scan and then she is starting Capecitabine.

    The oncologist also said my mums cancer has changed from estrogen driven to non hormonal. Does this mean it's her2 positive or triple negative? My mum didn't think to ask.

    Is the chemo tablet she's being given for her2 positive or triple negative do you know? Xxx

  • in reply to GalaxyRipple

    Hello and thanks for your further post,

    I can understand that you have been looking up other breast cancer types, but this may not be appropriate.

    Breast cancers can change their biology such as the Dr has said sometimes through treatment, and this may be the case here. This does not necessarily mean it is a new/different type of breast cancer. So the chemotherapy tablet your mum is on, would be suitable for her current situation.

    I hope that you get to find out more in due course.

    Wishing you the best,

    Vanda

  • Offline in reply to CRUK Nurse Vanda

    Hello

    Thank you for replying. 

    So do you mean the cancer may not now be considered hormonal, her2 positive or triple negative, so it doesn't have to be one of these?

    I know the Dr said to her to stop her anastrozole now because it's not going to do anything.

    Thank you xxx

  • Offline in reply to GalaxyRipple

    Hi again

    Hopefully the appointment today with the specialist will help clear up some of your queries.

    When a breast cancer comes back, its' 'makeup' can change - so although your mum's initial cancer was hormone positive, this seems according to the specialist, to have now changed to a hormone negative, which means the anastrozole would not be effective and so was stopped. This can happen.

    If the original cancer was HER 2 neg , this can sometimes also change, so hopefully the specialist will go through this with your mum.

    So it's possible that this cancer is now triple negative if the HER 2 remains neg, or it may be HER2 positive now, which would not make it triple negative. 

    Capecitabine can be given in both situations.

    I hope you get to know a little more after today's appointment. It can be easier talking things through on the phone, so do give us a call if you have any other queries.

    All the best

    Wanda

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