Part 1: Disaster – twenty months after surgery!

Part 2: Chemotherapy rescued her.

Part 3: After chemotherapy she opted for CA Care Therapy.

Due to the massive metastasis as shown in the PET scan done on 10 December 2021, Lucy had no choice but to proceed with chemotherapy. Indeed the cancer had spread extensively.

Lucy wrote:

1. On 11 December 2021, I received the 1st cycle of chemotherapy. The regimen used was: Daxotel (taxotere), Endoxan (cyclophosphamide) and Herceptin.

2. My  naturopath doctor advised that my diet needs to include fish, meat, melon, veggies, sea salt, brown sugar, good oil!

3. On 31 December 2021, I had the 2nd cycle of chemo.

4. On 21 January 2022, I had the 3rd cycle of chemo.

5. On 11 February 2022, I had the 4th cycle of chemo.

6. On 4 March 2022, I  had the 5th cycle of chemo. I suffered water retention.

7. On 25 March 2022, I had the last or 6th cycle of chemo. Water retention was more serious.

8. PET scan on 14 April 2022 showed good response indeed.

Comments

1. Amazing results of chemotherapy. Compare these three pictures –

Left: After surgery Lucy was on alternative therapy, refusing to undergo chemotherapy. The result was extensive metatastasis (middle). Right: Lucy has no choice but to go for chemotherapy. The outcome of 6 cycles of chemotherapy was just fantastic! In my 25 + years dealing with cancer patients, I have never seen such a great outcome of chemotherapy. Salute the oncologist! You rescued her!

In fact, the results were so unbelievable that one is tempted to ask if it is for real and not a fake? My answer is NO, detailed study of the PET scan results below are real! Study the images carefully – those before and after  chemotherapy.

The one lesson I learnt is that while chemotherapy had earned bad reputation there are times that chemo did help and can save your life. So let us be open minded. There is no one rule for treating cancer.

2. Is Lucy cured of her cancer? Even though PET scan showed complete response to the treatment, does it mean Lucy is cured? Unfortunately, the answer is NO. The cancer may come back after a period of time.

Below is the blood test results over a period of time. It is indeed most baffling. Even when she was diagnosed with breast cancer her CEA and CA15.3 (these are the normal tumour markers for breast cancer) still remained within normal range. When Lucy suffered extensive metastasis her CA15.3 reading was also normal while CEA went up to 8.3 (normal value is 5.0).

After 6 cycles of chemotherapy her CEA went down to less than 0.5 and CA15.3 dropped to 10.8. But 3 months later, in July 2022, the CEA had increased to 2.5, while CA15.3 dropped further to 9.2.

Indeed readings like these are mind-boggling.

3. More treatments needed. Since no one can predict if the cancer can recur or not, as a precaution the oncologist said Lucy will have to undergo treatment with Herceptin for life! This treatment is going to cost a tidy sum of money!

Nancy said, Since I have used up all my medical insurance I declined further treatment from him.

 The oncologist (from the private hospital) then referred Nancy to the government cancer hospital for further treatment due to this financial constrain.

Nancy wrote:

1. On 19 April 2022, I was started on an oral drug Letrozole. This was prescribed by the oncologist from the government hospital.

2. On 9 May 2022, the doctor in the government hospital said the use of Herceptin is optional. If I wish to use it I need to buy from the pharmacy. It costs RM1,500 per dose.

3. On 2 June 2022, I was started on Zometa for bone metastasis. It costs cost RM200 per dose every 3 months.

4. On 25 August 2022, I had the second dose of Zometa. My next appointment is in November 2022.