Info
& Links
Diagnosis
Brief:
Stage IV Metastatic Breast Cancer (invasive
lobular carcinoma)
ER-Positive
PR
- weakly Positive
HER-2/neu
Negative
Vicky's
Medical Team:
We
learned early on that the second most important
element to Vicky's well being and success was the
medical team that cared for her. We know that
extraordinary people have come into her life to
put the medical technology to work through their
respective expertise and discipline. Of course,
the most important element for Vicky's well being
is her faith in God. And, we know that God
has led us to find these talented
professionals.
Dr.
Stephens, (Onco) Evansville http://www.ohaev.com/Team/Physicians
Dr.
Storniolo, (Onco) Indianapolis http://iuhealth.org
Dr
Ting, Indianapolis (ENT) http://medicine.iu.edu/oto/about/faculty/ting/
Dr.
Wesley Thompson (GP) Fairfield http://www.fairfieldmemorial.org/medical-staff
Dr.
Pat Molt (Surgeon) Fairfield http://www.fairfieldmemorial.org/medical-staff
Susan
G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation www.komen.org
National
Breast Cancer Foundation http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org
National
Cancer Institute http://www.nci.nih.gov
American
Cancer Society http://www.cancer.org
Breast
Cancer.org http://www.breastcancer.org
Mayo
Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.com/
WebMD
http://www.webmd.com/
People
Living with Cancer.org http://www.plwc.org
About.com
Cancer Info http://cancer.about.com/
European
Site http://www.cancerbacup.org.uk/Home
Good link to information about lobular carcinoma:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/invasive-lobular-carcinoma/DS01063
CA 27.29 Marker
A tumor marker is a substance shed by a tumor into the bloodstream where it
can be detected with a blood test to differentiate cancerous from normal tissue.
CA 27.29 (i.e., Cancer Antigen 27.29) is a tumor marker for breast cancer; more
specifically, it is a mucinous glycoprotein antigen made of carbohydrates (a
chemical that resembles a type of sugar) and is the product of the MUC-1 gene,
which is present in breast cancer cells. CA 27.29 is shed into the bloodstream
in high levels when breast cancer metastasizes (spreads). As breast cancer
metastasizes, the level of CA 27.29 antigen in the blood rises.
The CA 27.29 test, also known as Truquant(R) BR(TM) Radioimmunoassay (RIA),
has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the
detection of breast cancer recurrence in patients initially diagnosed as Stage
II or III. The test works by detecting the CA 27.29 antigen. Truquant BR RIA is
manufactured and marketed by Biomira Diagnostics Inc., and additional
information may be obtained by calling Biomira at 1-800-556-1275.
The CA 27.29 test is most useful when it is used regularly to monitor the
course of disease and response to treatment; a decrease in CA 27.29 indicates a
good response to treatment while an increase indicates resistance to treatment
and progression of the cancer. An increase in CA 27.29 above the upper limit of
normal in patients with no clinical evidence of disease has been shown to be an
early indicator of recurrence. In one study, elevated CA 27.29 levels provided a
positive predictive value of 83.3% for recurrent disease an average of 5.3
months before other tests or symptoms. Since the CA 27.29 test has not been
shown to be able to detect CA 27.29 in all cases and has detected it falsely in
others, the test is used in conjunction with other methods for monitoring breast
cancer recurrence. Nevertheless, the ability of the CA 27.29 test to predict
breast cancer recurrence earlier than other methods in most patients shows
promise because it allows for the opportunity to treat the cancer before it has
spread too much, and treatment is more effective in these early stages.
MRI
and Lobular Diagnosis
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2168.2002.02208.x/abs/;jsessionid=blxl66Wf6_uc
and K. Horgan