Will immunotherapy help treat my metastatic breast cancer?

Question

Hello doctor,

My breast cancer has spread to my bones and liver now. Started with stage 2 breast cancer last year, and now this. Painkillers barely touch the bone pain anymore. Chemotherapy makes me so sick that I lost all my hair, and I can not even keep water down some days.

My husband tries to help, but I see the fear in his eyes. Our 20th anniversary is in six months; will I make it? Also, I have a few more questions -

What about that new immunotherapy? Insurance denied it twice already. I am 58 years old and facing this.
Also, I am worried about my teenage daughter; she is not coping well. Any support groups you recommend?

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

It looks like progressive breast cancer. There are still many treatment options available that can benefit and prolong life. The further treatment plan depends upon-

Previous drugs received, and how many cycles and lines of chemotherapy.
Hormonal status of the tumor, HER2 neu (human epidermal receptor growth factor 2), and BRCA (breast cancer gene) status.
The general condition of the patient and whether they are suffering from any other chronic illness.

Immunotherapy can be a good option, but mostly in triple-negative variants of breast cancer. If your cancer is HER2 neu positive 3 plus, then there are a lot of treatment options available (anti-HER2 neu therapy).

For support groups, you can search on social media. You may find a group in your area.

I wish you a healthy, long, and suffering-free life.

Kindly follow up if you have more concerns.

Thank you.