Fall 2009: Jake and Nancy learned that Nancy's breast cancer was stage four. Winter 2013: They are still fighting. This is a gathering place to follow their story, offer support, love and prayers... to be by their side.



Saturday, January 7, 2012

Latest scan results

Dear family and friends,
Jake and I had a wonderful Christmas Eve at the Seahawks game and fun New Year's Eve with friends downtown for dinner and fireworks.  

We met with Dr. Rinn today to review my latest PET scan.  In a nutshell, Xeloda has failed me, my cancer is worse so we need to pick another treatment.  I have progression in my liver, pleura and  bones.

I asked Dr. Rinn if it would be okay to try a hormone therapy since I'm working full time and am enjoying my work so much that chemo would really slow me down.  She agreed and said it would be okay to try faslodex, but wants to "Keep it on a short leash", meaning she wants to watch me very closely with scans and lab tests.  If the hormone therapy isn't working, she wants me to go back to chemo.

So…bye bye Xeloda, hello Everolimus/Fasloxex!

Faslodex is a commonly prescribed hormone treatment, but adding Everolimus is a new twist and, according to very recent research data, greatly improves progression free survival.  A quote from the recent research, "Everolimus is the most important advance in breast cancer treatment since Herceptin."  Everolimus for breast cancer is still considered off-label (non-standard), so Dr. Rinn will be fighting with my insurance company this week to get it covered. 

Thanks again to everyone for your support!! - Nancy

Seahawks game Christmas Eve Day