Case 4

Breast Cancer w/ Liver & Bone Mets.

35 year old woman – Oriental Medicine Cancer Center, (now IIOI)

She was initially diagnosed with Right Breast invasive carcinoma and subsequently underwent lumpectomy with lymph nodes dissection in Oct. 1995. She then completed her chemotherapy in May 1996.

She remained well until July 1997, when she began experiencing back pain. A bone scan was positive and a MRI confirmed metastatic involvement T3 T4, 5 and L. A CT scan of the torso also revealed multiple hepatic metastases at that time.

Patient underwent surgical stabilization of the T5 bone lesion, was initiated on Taxotere chemo. Despite two cycles of the Taxotere. Her LFTs and CEA had increased reflecting progressive disease. At that time, She was felt to no longer be a potential candidate for high dose chemo with stem cell resure. She than received Nevelbine, also failed response to the treatment. She was offered to participated Phase I and Phase II studies of the Her-2/new.

It was clear that every treatment had failed on her. When Patient’s family called me to see her in early December, 1997, she just saw her Oncologist a day before. The patient family was told that this patient only have a few days to live, but her family members did not want give up. At her house, Physical exam, she appeared jaundice, not alert, but able to response her name, most notable signs were, very thin woman with significant distended Abdomen. While she was lying on her bed, a palpable fluid wave was found.

I gave her three days herbal formula, monitoring patient over the phone with her family. Three days later, saw patient’s condition improved, her ascites was reduced. I changed prescription, gave her another three days herbal formula. I then heard that my patient was able to get out of her bed, went to bathroom by herself, able to eat some semi-liquid food. Following that, this patient was able to come to my home office for visit. She went to mall with her children, shopping for Christmas & New Years.

I was glad that my patient was able to have some good quality of life with her husband and children (two young kids, one 7-year-old and another only 3).