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Category:

Metastatic Breast Cancer

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Question:  #1771 05/27/2004		Q:	I am a 52 year old woman diagnosed with stage 4 inflammatory BC with metast. to liver and bones. I am being evaluated at M.D.Anderson, yet after 3 weeks of testing (4 weeks since diagnosis), am still not receiving any treatment. My oncologist has told me that he doesn't plan on any treatment for my breast other than chemotherapy ... in fact, he told me that my breasts were the least of my worries. Does this mean that I don't have much time left? I need to make arrangements for my children.
		A:	Inflammatory breast cancer treatment traditionally begins with chemotherapy as the breast cannot be operated on yet, given that the cancer is in the skin. the goal is to shrink the disease so it is operable later. When dealing with stage IV disease however, the situation can be harder to get into control. ask your doctor to be frank with you about length of time... he may not be able to say until chemo gets underway and they evaluate you again to see if the disease is responding or not. but ask now anyway. you are in limbo and need to be out of limbo asap... Recognizing however that this is metastatic disease, it is worth your time to make plans-- plan for the worst and hope for the best... i wish there were better words to offer. sit with your family and discuss your wishes as a "fall back" plan. MD Anderson is an excellent facility. call your doctor though and tell him you want to get rolling treatment now however, as you know time is ticking away without treatment implemented yet.
Question:  #1772 05/24/2004		Q:	my girlfriend was diagnosed 2/2/04 with metastic breast cancer in her spine, ribs, and shoulder blades.(stage IV) she went through three cycles of Taxatiel and waspart of a study for an antiogenisis(?)spelling drug anlong with it. her breast lump has basically melted away, however, they said new tests show some small spots on her liver. She is now on xelod (or something to that effect) for two weeks to start. realistically, are what is an average life span of someone like her, I know the liver is the worst, but is it possible for her to get this in remisson or are we just too late now?
		A:	The fact that the tumor "melted away" is good news because it is a measurable sign of clinical response. There are situations of remission being achieved. they are rare but do happen. each patient is different. we will hope that her disease continues to respond so her body can live in harmony with it.
Question:  #1773 05/27/2004		Q:	My daughter age 44 has breast cancer that has metastasized to her liver. When she was originally diagnosed with breast cancer there was a question about her liver as her enzymes were up. They did a biopsy on the liver and this came back as normal. Now 2 years later they are saying she has metastases in the liver. My question is how can we be sure this is cancer? Are there any symptoms?? Also, she is in Missouri and I think she needs to get a second opinion on her treatment. Can you recommend a place or doctor she could go to? Distance is not a problem...I would do anything to help her have the best treatment possible. Any help or advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you for this wonderful service you provide.
		A:	sometimes a liver biopsy is done. sometimes it is evident in looking at the xray though that it is cancer. Consider Univ of Missouri for another opinion. they have a breast center there. For support for you, consider contacting Mothers Supporting Daughters with Breast Cancer by sending an email to: msdbc@dmv.com or www.mothersdaughters.org
Question:  #1774 05/24/2004		Q:	My mother in law has just been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. She was just tested two months ago for her six month check up. The results said that there were no signs of cancer. Yet about two eeks ago she was just diagnosed with having cancer in her liver, back bone and her sternum. It was also her2/neu positive. Could it have been caught sooner or does it develop this quickly? Also, she is 53, do you have any idea of her chances for survival?
		A:	Stage IV carries a grave prognosis as you probably know. Usually it takes a while for cancer to spread from one organ to another. there are no tests that are 100% however. literally none. if there were, we could hang out hats on these tests-- but we can't. we operate in good faith regarding such results. Being her2neu+++ makes the cancer more aggressive and harder to treat usually. I'm hoping that she is hormone receptor positive and can hav hormonal therapy as part of her treatment now.
Question:  #1775 05/24/2004		Q:	my wife has stage 4 breat cancer in the breast and sternum, with smaller nodes in the lungs. The original tumor was found in 1/04 in the breast and was 3 cm. It's now 6 cm. She went throug AC and Taxol twice a month for two months each with no positive results. She is now taking daily radiation and Zomida 650mg daily. after radiation she will take 2000 mg of Zomida. is this the right regime? If this doesn't work what are her options? Are there clinical trials available? Would a visit or call to JH help? We have four children and she's not just my wife, she's my life. Any help or advise would be so greatly appreciated.
		A:	It's hard to say if there are other treatment options that may benefit or not... her situation sounds grave however with progression of this disease. What you have described for treatment sounds very common and unfortunately not all cancers respond to chemo, so the disease progresses. Rather than bringing her to hopkins, you may consider having her medical oncologist speak by phone to one of our medical oncologists who specialize in breast cancer care. that would be better than physically bringing her here and would accomplish the same goal. if interested in doing so, send an email to Lillie Shockney at shockli@jhmi.edu I understand what you are saying-- she is your life--- at some point, even if drugs can be found to stunt the growth for a while, this cancer has grown to a point that it will impair the ability of her body to be able to fight off the cancer cells long term. She is blessed to have a supportive husband. This is also the most important time to express feelings to one another and hope for the best but prepare one another for the worst. Feel free to talk more with Lillie about that as well.
Question:  #1776 05/21/2004		Q:	My mother in law has metastatic breast cancer.5 years ago she had both breasts removed. The reocurrance was found 1/03 when she developed fluid around her lungs. The cancer is in the chest wall cavity. At that time she was given 3-9 months. She was put on Herceptin and did pretty good. A scan in 4/03 showed it in her liver. The chemo was changed and we were told afer this there was only 1 one chemo option. So then 1/04 a new scan showed continued growth in the liver lung & into the abdominal cavity. She switched chemotherapy. Now though, she is anemic, tired, wbc & rbc counts are low, decreas appetite, and she cant seem to relieve constipation & bloating. She has gotten no answers about the later bowel problem and we are concerned that it is just shutting down. What do you think? In the last 2 mos. she has had 3 blood transfusions, and is on weekly procrit shots.
		A:	Her situation sounds grave by this diion. it is hard to render definitive thoughts without seeing her. constipation can be from medication (pain pills), decrease in activity, change in diet, or slowing down of GI system in response to cancer progression. this is a time to spend with her and discuss her wishes in depth.
Question:  #1777 05/21/2004		Q:	Sir: My husband has bone metastisis from breast cancer. His GGT level has steadily gone up, does the GGT level have any affect on cancer? If not, what other reasons could there be? He does not drink. What reading is too high and when should we be concerned. It now is 124. Thank you.
		A:	In some cases it does. not always though, and as his doctor has probably told him, there are times that lab values climb and we simply don't know why. the doctor is probably doing periodic scans of his bone, lungs and liver to see if there is progression of disease or not.
Question:  #1778 05/21/2004		Q:	My mother has just been diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time, 2 years ago she had chemo and radio therapy and then a month ago found another lump under her arm . This was found to be cancerous . Her chest x-ray showed multiple spots all over the lungs and a CT scan since has confirmed that it has spread. I understand chemo was an option again. Although she has not had her treatment prescribed yet is this the next course of action ? From reading other replies am I to understand that this is just conrolled and not cured ? I have great concerns as to her prognosis as she tends to pan over things for our sakes. I can't bear the thought of prolonged Chemo, she did so badly on it before. I have a 10 yr old brother and she is so worried she will not see him grow up. I would appreciate your honesty. Many thanks.
		A:	Depending on the prognostic factors-- were the hormone receptors positive? her2neu positive? may influence the ability to get it into control now... it is a very concerning situation. the chemo drugs used now will be different drugs than used before and may not make her as ill too. keep that in mind. Having a 10 year old son to raise is a huge concern. how well she initially responds to treatment will set the stage as to how easily or not easily it will be to slow the progression of this disease. i am hoping that her tumor was originally hormone receptor positive with the hope that hormonal therapy will be an option. I know this is a very difficult time for you as well.
Question:  #1779 05/14/2004		Q:	Diagnosed with breast ca 12/03, had left breast mastectomy, pet scan showed spot on liver, 1/04 liver resection removed tumor from liver and right breast lumpectomy positive for caner. Have had 6 cycles of TAC er/pr neg, her2nu neg. Mother had bc in 72 and died 7 months later from brain met. I do not have any other detais of mothers cancer. Is it possible that I can beat this. Doctor tells me I am unique case all cancer has been surgically removed from my body. I am 39 with two small children and am devistated. Will complete treatment 5/27/04 and and want to have right breast removed and do tram flap reconstruction right away. Are there any cases like me that the cancer never came back????
		A:	There are... it is unique in being able to surgically resect all the cancer, so that is good news. and you are being aggressive with your treatment which is smart. hoping you are hormone receptor positive to further carry you up the survival curve with hormonal therapy. hang in there. your children are your goals and will keep you on track and optimistic.
Question:  #1780 05/13/2004		Q:	I was diagnosed with invasive lobular breast cancer june 2003 and i have carpel tunnel now and wonder if its related to cancer or treatment - also wondered if i could be prescribed a diet due to the weight gain from treatment to help prevent reoccurance. Chicago Area..
		A:	Low fat diet is smart for everyone-- staying under or around 30 grams of fat a day. Carpel tunnel is not related to breast cancer.If weight gaine was considerable it can aggravate it though due to additional fatty tissue in the area of the wrist interestingly enough.
Question:  #1781 05/12/2004		Q:	yes I have multiple tumors in my liver. I was diagnosed with stage 3B now I am stage 4. there putting me on 4 rounds of chemo. but he did say, there are so many tumors they couldn't be couldn't be counted. and my bone and back in my chest area.. I just want to know what happens at the end of all this...what actually happens when its this bad, he said if I didn't do the treatment I would only have 3 or 4 months.. I just want to know what actually I will go through at the end finally.. thanks
		A:	The experience can be different for each patient but usually, at end stage of life due to mets from breast cancer, there is an increase in pain (bone pain from mets) requiring medication and appetite loss resulting in weight loss and generalized fatigue. It's important to have a plan for yourself--- your wishes need to be heard. you also need to look at closure with family and friends and with yourself frankly to know that you haven't done anything to deserve this. it just happened. Hospice is a wonderful organization to involve with the time comes to help you with closure and to pass on with dignity and as pain free as possible. some women go into an obtunded state during the last few days and are not able to move or communicate but can stilll hear so make your family aware of that-- that you will probably still be able to hear them talking to you in your presence. take care.
Question:  #1782 05/12/2004		Q:	Are bone metastases ever painless? I have stage I cancer based on tumor size, negative nodes, and a negative CT of the chest/abdomen/pelvis. However, I got a copy of my DEXA scan today which indicates osteoporosis of my lumbar spine at age 41. I don't have any new symptoms. I'm very petite with a family history of osteoporosis, but I was just wondering how concerned I should be about the need for a bone scan to rule out mets?
		A:	osteoporosis and bone mets are two totally different animals and unrelated to one another. bone loss is due to aging, some hormonal therapies, and heredity. Bone mets is evaluated by bone scan or PET scan sometimes... not a dexa.
Question:  #1783 05/12/2004		Q:	Is there any way that you can give me the statistice of breast cancer in kentuckey and the percentages that we have aginst the u.s.a.
		A:	The american cancer society has that information published on their website at www.cancer.org
Question:  #1784 05/10/2004		Q:	My sister has recently been diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer, originating from her breast cancer treated with surgery and chemo 2 years ago. She has two large tumors on her liver and numerous smaller ones. A recent bone scan was determined to be good, in that no additional spread has been detected beyond the liver. My question is as follows: Is liver resection possible with widespread tumors in the organ? and if resection will not be the treatment of choice, can other methods be used such as cryosurgery, RF ablation, alcohol injection and cutting off the blood supply to the tumors? One final question, I've been reading about an amino acid deprivation therapy in clinical trials....could you direct me to more information about this topic? My sister's oncologist gave her an estimate of 2 years of life remaining, with no encouragement to seek out any type of treatment. He seemed quite surprised and offended that she challenged hsi pronouncement on her life. I find that appauling and will be vigorously supporting my sister in her fight to survive.
		A:	Usually only tumors in the liver that are mets can be resected or laser ablated if there is just one foci of disease-- not multiple foci. Seeing a medical oncologist who specialist who specializes in metastatic disease for breast cancer as a second opinion may be beneficial in ensuring that no options possible have been overlooked.
Question:  #1785 05/10/2004		Q:	I was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. Had Grade 2 tumour.!00%receptive positive. 20 mlymph nodes removed 15 affected. Have now been told that I have bone marrow involvement. Not given much information. Any information would be helpful.
		A:	It is unusual to do bone marrow transplant today for breast cancer today so seek a second opinion about it.
Question:  #1786 05/10/2004		Q:	Hi expert, I am 52, was diagnosed in july of 2002 with infilterating ductal carsanoma. I was stage 3B at that time. Had a right breast mestectomy/tram flap.Had 38 nodes out of 41 positive, did 6 rounds of chemo (cytoxin,adrainmycin,taxotere, every 3 wks. and did 33 rounds of radiation following. Then 2003 it comes back in my left fifth rib so they put me on tomoxifen for 3 months , my tumor markers kept going sky high, then the switched me to arimadex and that didn't work, still the numbers kept going up. so the dr put me on 12 rounds of carboplatum, taxel,still no change.. then I did 8 more treatments of the same. numbers kept getting higher, he put me on a hormone shot called faslodex once a month for 6 months. went to the emergency room yesterday for pain in around my belly button area and the right side, they told me I am stage 4 with multible tumors in my liver and bones. I am so scared, what do you think they are going to try next..Please help me out.. thank you.. .
		A:	you have been aggressive with your treatment but it sounds like the disease still wants to progress. It is very reasonable to ask your medical oncologist to present your case to their "tumor board case conference" for other oncologists to provide input as to what next to do.
Question:  #1787 05/10/2004		Q:	I have been diagnosed DCIS Grade 3 solid and comedo with 1mm microinvasice cancer cells. What are the chances of a recurrence or a metastatic? Is there a way I can prevent having this besides radiotherapy? Thank you.
		A:	It is highly unusual for DCIS with microinvasion to spread to other organs and be an issue. The need for radiation therapy there though is usually 100%. Without it, local recurrence can happen and commonly does, despite clear margins. The cancer cells are also tested for hormone receptors to see if estrogen or progresterone stimulate them to grow. If so the addition of hormone therapy would be considered for prevention of recurrence and protection of the other remaining breast.
Question:  #1788 05/10/2004		Q:	My wife Dot has large extensive mets to the mediastinum plus mets to lungs spine neck and bones.we can cope with all chemos/radiation etc but find her nausea very depressing.Dot was nauseaous before chemo and all the usual meds (Zofran etc) do not help.What can we do ?
		A:	sometimes ice caps help. using other anit-emetic drugs with steroids sometimes helps. talk with the medical oncologist about other options.
Question:  #1789 05/10/2004		Q:	my dear wife passway this year with metastic breastcacinoma she was on oxcygen please could explain abit more to me on this thankyou
		A:	Sorry to hear of your loss. Metastatic breast cancer occurs when breast cancer spreads from the breast to other organs in the body-- commonly the lungs, bone and liver. women commonly need to be on oxygen to support their breathing as the disease progresses. When the disease has effected other organs the body starts to shut down and results in the woman passing away from this disease.
Question:  #1790 05/07/2004		Q:	I completed AC/T + radiation for T4N2M0 (8cm grade III/III)ER/PR/HER2 neg Breast cancer in 1999. I am now 42 years old..non smoker..exercise, and keep a healthy weight. Recent CT scan showed Nodules on both of my lungs "inderterminate" I also had uptake on left rib area, that is thought to be inflammatory from recent bilateral mastectomy. (I had rigt MRM originally with immediate Tram) Tram had failed and decided to take in down and take off the other. Question: I am scheduled to have another set of scans in June to see if these nodules are changed. What is the likely hood of them being cancer? They were not present on previous CT scans or MRI and PET's I'm quite concerned about this, and wonder if biopsy should be done, although the nodules are small 5-7mm Thanks you so much
		A:	With known aggressive locally advanced disease in 1999 it is always a worry that the disease can spring up later and create trouble. a biopsy may be done to confirm what it is using MRI guided imagery perhaps.
Question:  #1791 05/06/2004		Q:	My dear friend is 38 years old and was diagnosed with dinvasive ductal carcinoma, 2 years ago. Her tumor was 5cm, ER/PR neg, HER2/neg. She had stage 2b, grade 3. She had a lumpectomy followed by six weeks of radiation. In February of this year, she had a local recurrance and had mastectomy. Her margins are close. She is currently taking navelbine and Xeloda and may get a boost of radiation when finished. My question is what are her chances of the cancer spreading to other areas? Is the recurrance because of inadequate treatment or because the cancer is so aggressive?
		A:	Recurrence happens to about 15% of women and those with large tumors run a higher incidence of this risk. so do ER negative tumor histories. Her doctor needs to advise her how concerned he may be about her having disease spread elsewhere. scans were probably done to look at this already.
Question:  #1792 05/06/2004		Q:	My Mother who just turned 76 lost both of her breasts to cancer in 74 & 75. Four years ago this month she was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic Breast Cancer. She was on aromatas inhibitors for 3 1/2 years and last September another mass was found in her chest so she was started on Taxotere. It was a long road and the Chemo made her pretty sick but to make a long story short, last week her CTscan came back clear. The masses in her chest are gone and her Dr has told us that the cancer is in remission. As you can imagine we are thrilled. Here's my question. How common is this? I read all I can about Stage IV with Mets and haven't seen many references to remission. Also, how hopeful can we be that the remission will last for a while? Mom is off all cancer treatment but will be seen once a month by her Dr and will be scanned every 2-3 months. Is this news as amazing as I think it is?
		A:	yes, truly amazing and something to celebrate in a major way on Mother's Day! very unusual to go into full remission. excellent! give her a hug from Hopkins!
Question:  #1793 05/05/2004		Q:	my friend has been on chemo. for 15 yrs breast ca 10yrs bone ca for 5yrs rec.nevelbine havine add.problems dr said she the longest pt on this med Could be result But then don't know
		A:	that is a long time and there isn't much information about long term use of such drugs for years and years.... she has done amazingly well though for having had mets so long.
Question:  #1794 05/05/2004		Q:	My aunt has metastatic breast cancer. She was diagnosed approx 3 years ago. It was also present in her liver and lungs. She went through Chemo for about a year and recieved a clean CT scan and no further cancer cells were located. About 5 months ago she was having gastric problems thought to be brought on by the cumaden(blood thinner) she was on. Her stomach became very swollen and she had it drained. She met with her oncologist and discovered she now has stomach cancer. She is very secretive regarding her sickness and I just want to know about her life expectancy. She is currently going though Chemo again (I forget what kind) and it is causing skin breakdown in her hands and feet. Her skin appears burned and is peeling. Her doctor dicontinued a couple chemo sessions but she started again last week. She is in her mid fifties. My grandmother had breast cancer in the 70's, had a mastectomy and was in remission for over twenty years before dying of non CNS lymphoma (she had 3 tumors on her brain). Please just give me any information you can, I would just like to know as much as possible. Thank you.
		A:	Breast cancer doesn't commonly spread to the stomach organ so it is unusual for it to be mets but is possible. so the doctor needs to confirm it is mets and not a new form of cancer being a new primary site. her life expectancy is impossible for someone to say without seeing her and examining her and really looking at her medical records in total and knowing a lot more information. Tell her that you want to be helpful and supportive to her and see if she will open up. it is a patient's right to be secretive if they wish-- but they also need support from family and friends.
Question:  #1795 05/05/2004		Q:	Hi Friends: can you help shed some light on my dilemma. I have had a mastectomy 6 years ago, with chemo and radiation following. The cancer metastasized into the tailbone. had rediation to the area 2 years ago. Have had several Ct and Pet scans(with fusion)..they show absolutely no tumor anywhere. However, my CA 27/29 bloodtest tha i get monthlt continues to go up. My oncologist says tha if he went by the scans, he could declare me cancer free but since the test show increased numnbers each month , there must be cancer cells somewhere! He is stymied. What could be the cause and should I seek a second opinion? would appreciate your expertise in this matter. I am at a loss! Thanks you so much!
		A:	Blood tests just as scans can provide false positives and false negatives. how a patient feels is an important indicator of how someone is doing. getting a second opinion in the reading of the films and examining the pt might be helpful.
Question:  #1796 05/05/2004		Q:	I sent a question yesterday about the nodule on my lung and being a 4 year cancer survivor with stage IIB. My biopsy is in a couple of days and I'm a little anxious since I've had a CT and PET scan and they still cannot determine what is on my lung. I've had both of my ovaries removed--is this going to help with my chances of survuval??
		A:	Knowing what you are dealing with and if it is cancer or not is important for planning a treatment plan, if such planning is needed. ovarian removal for women hormone receptor positive usually is helpful or doing some form of ovarian ablation. we hope that you get a report that says benign findings in your lungs.....
Question:  #1797 05/05/2004		Q:	My mother in law has stage IV metastatic breast cancer. It was diagnosed 2 years ago, with mets to bone, lung, and liver. Her bone mets continues. Her doctor state the lungs now have no cancer and that her liver-which had several (10>) tumors of varying sizes, is almost cured. She has been on an aggressive regimen of Taxotere and Zometa. I am an RN and previously worked at a cancer center. We rarely saw this response with liver cancers,--they usually progressed to terminal stages fairly quickly. Is it due to the fact it is a metastatic breast cell which could cause such a positive result, or is it possible the information we're receiving is incorrect. This has had my husband's family on a roller coaster of emotions, and me somewhat confused. Any ideas? Thank you.
		A:	Breast cancer that has spread to other organs like this, including the liver, sometimes really surprises the medical team and achieved a clinical response to therapy. good for her. sometimes too the information provided isn't totally correct either. only her doctors know for sure.
Question:  #1798 05/05/2004		Q:	My wife is 38 and we have 2 boys aged 6 and 9. She was dx with metastatic breast cancer 4 months ago to her liver ( "extensive " ), ribs ( at least 2 ) and spine ( bottom 4 vertabrae ). She's presently having chemo ( Vineralbine ) via a Hickman Line, Herceptin, Arimidex, etc. etc..... pain relief using oramorph, declafenic and slow release morphine tablets. The pain is under control and apart from abdominal swellings, constipation, nightly sweats and fatigue is coping extremely well. She remains very positive and optimistic of living long and well. However, I suspect that her condition will eventually deteriate, weeks rather than months. Her doctors have said that patients in her condition very rarely survive 12 months but together we are giving it our best shot. My question relates to our boys. We try to spend as much time as possible as a family and get days out together. We are planning on giving each son a box of special 'presents' such as photo's, letters and cards. We have bought a video camera for my wife to leave a special loving message to each of them. My question is what else can we leave for our boys ? Any suggestions would be gratefully recieved. Thank you.
		A:	This is a challenging time for you all. she is blessed with a loving husband and that is a God send. Having her write notes in each of the cards for each of their birthdays, graduation from high school, college, wedding, even when their first child is born is a powerful way to help her still be "right there" instilling her values in them. If she can record her favorite moments she has experienced with THEM in a journal for each of them, that would be good to do too. (recalling carrying them during pregnancy, feeling them move for the first time, giving birth, funny experiences, loving experiences.) They also need to know that they didn't cause this to happen. children worry about that. they think they made their mommy sick. Identifying another family member or friend to be a pinch hitter for events at school that require a "mother" would be good to line up for future when necessary too.
Question:  #1799 05/05/2004		Q:	I was diagnosed 3-2000 stage II-B 24 weeks chemo and 6 weeks radiation. Started tamoxifen Dec 2000, had a hyst. June 2002 and my last ovary was removed January this year (none were cancer but was developing cycts and tumors due to the tamoxifen I was told--I'm still taking it). Last month on a CT for abdominal adhesions, a 1/2" spot was found on one lung. Did a PET scan and came back with the nodule being a "possible tumor" with no other evidence of cancer. I'm having a biopsy in three days. Do I need to be worried? My general health is excellent. I don't feel bad or hurt or run down--I feel great. The doctors seem baffled. I'm only 34 and have made it past the 4 year survival mark and don't really want to put my three small children through this again.
		A:	It's too soon to worry dear. right now your are dealing with fear of the unknown. the biopsy will provide you a definitive answer. it is good news though that you are feeling well. If it is cancer they may decide to consider another form of hormonal therapy if verified to be the same type of breast cancer as the original, being hormone receptor positive. We will hope though that it is something benign. hang in there....
Question:  #1800 05/03/2004		Q:	My 45 year old wife was diagnosed with breast cancer 8 years ago, underwent surgery, chemo, and radiation treatment and was in remission until a few months ago. She was recently diagnosed with cancer in the ovaries, omentum, and other portions of the cavity. Her original cancer was estrogen negative, the latest cancer is estrogen positive. After a lot of testing the latest cancer was diagnosed as metastatic breast, although there was some uncertainty whether it is breast or ovarian cancer. She underwent chemo (Taxol and Carboplatin) and again went into complete remission, and has been taking Arimidex. However two months after finishing the chemo her blood markers started rising quickly. Obviously the Arimidex is not effective. I'm wondering if the diagnosis was correct. Perhaps it was actually ovarian cancer after all. Would Arimidex be effective in suppressing ovarian cancer? Is it unusual for the original cancer to be estrogen negative and the metastatic cancer to be positive?
		A:	Its a bit unusual to see mets of an original breast cancer be the opposite for hormone receptors. something to consider is having the pathology slides reviewed at another comprehensive cancer center where large volumes of women with breast as well as ovarian are treated for a second opinion.