Not Good News

Hi All

I was originally diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in 2020, I underwent a lumpectomy, with sentinel lymph nodes removal and a breast reduction.  I then started chemotherapy and during this time felt a lump further up but in the same breast as I had the other lump removed.  I queried this with my BCN and was informed that it was scar tissue so I took their word for it and continued with chemotherapy and radiotherapy.  All throughout the treatment, I was experiencing shoulder pain, the lump was not reducing and my right hand/arm started to ache and slight numbness occurred.  I queried again with the BCN and again was told nothing to worry about it was scar tissue.  I had radiotherapy and finished this in December 2020.  In January 2021 I contacted my BCN again to say that I was having a lot of pain and would like to be seen again.  The BCN assured me that there was nothing to worry about and that she would send me for a scan to put my mind at ease.  I had a further biopsy and was devastated to learn that this was another cancerous lump.  I was advised to have chemotherapy again and then a mastectomy to remove the breast.  After trying chemotherapy, the lump progressed to the point that I could no longer have surgery to remove the breast due to the fact that there was also a cancerous lump that had formed in the lymph nodes and was situated in an area where it was dangerous to operate.  

I was told that my cancer was then incurable, inoperable but treatable.  I have tried several lines of chemotherapy and since my latest diagnosis I was given Eribulin and Capecitabine a further course of radiotherapy all of of which have progressed my cancer and I can no longer have the breast removed.  I have lymphoedema in my right arm/hand due to the treatment, this was also something I had to battle to get referred to the clinic,  The cancer has now progressed to the whole of the breast, skin of the breast, 1 rib and chest muscle.  I now have to undergo another biopsy to see if I am suitable for a clinical trial.

I am trying to be as strong as possible to not let my family see how hard it is to hear the news, but find myself breaking down when no-one is around.  I'm not certain I am going to be suitable for the clinical trial or if it will either work.  Although I am feeling well within myself, I am terrified but holding on to faith that something will help to shrink or stabilise the tumours.  I did read an article about a drug called Trodelvy that was used in Mount Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood, Middlesex for a patient who has triple negative breast cancer.  It is a licensed drug but is not yet approved by NHS.  Has anyone had any experience of this drug or any other treatments they could suggest?  I am determined to keep fighting on and hope that they can find a suitable treatment plan for me.

Apologies for the lengthy message and thank you for taking the time to read this.  Any suggestions of anyone else experience of a treatment that has worked for them that I can raise with my oncologist would be greatly appreciated.  

Thank you