Interesting links

As of this writing, I’ve had cancer four times. First at age 47 with estrogen receptive breast cancer, then 19 years later with a recurrence of breast cancer diagnosed as triple-negative. I was given 16 rounds of infused chemotherapy (13 before surgery and 3 after), a port placement and removal, multiple blood draws, ultrasounds, MRIs, and surgery for triple-negative cancer in lymph nodes both under my right arm and between my pectoral muscles. Six months after my last treatment, I had another recurrence requiring surgery, followed by radiation and 11 months of oral chemotherapy. Eleven months after completing that course, a mass was found just below my right collarbone as well as a couple nodules in my right lung. I then took the same oral chemo at a higher dose. It was ineffective. I was prescribed another type of oral chemo daily. Other than a bit of fatigue, there were no side effects. But it didn’t work. On January 18, 2023 I became a research subject in a clinical trial at UCSF Mission Bay that is specific to my diagnosis. It is a 1-2 year commitment. My diagnosis is Stage 4 unresectable, incurable MTNBC (metastatic triple negative breast cancer).

Prior to getting any treatments, I did a lot of research into what options were available or recommended by various individuals. It’s the same approach I took in 1999 when I was diagnosed with estrogen-receptive breast cancer. Ultimately, that led me to UCSF and Dr. Leong and a sentinel node biopsy of the lymph nodes rather than an axillary dissection, which was the standard at the time. All my adjuvant therapies were at Redwood Radiology in Santa Rosa, California and included chemotherapy and radiation.

Below are lists of my caregivers and links to their bios as well as a list of all of the cancer-related procedures I’ve had since my cancer diagnosis in September 2018. There are also links and lists of other cancer-related information I feel is worth sharing.

My Caregivers – 2018-2022

Dr. Elizabeth Whipkey-Olson – personal physician – Baechtel Creek Medical Clinic
Dr. Hope Rugo – oncologist – UCSF San Francisco
Dr. Cheryl Ewing – breast cancer surgeon – UCSF San Francisco
Dr. Jay Joseph – radiation oncologist – Providence Medical Group Ukiah
Dr. Catherine Park – radiation oncologist – UCSF San Francisco
Dr. Joanna Chensi Yang – radiation oncologist – UCSF San Francisco
Dr. Hengbing Wang – oncologist – Adventist Health Ukiah Valley

My caregivers – 1999

Dr. Stanley Leong – 1999 lumpectomy & sentinel node biopsy
Dr. Helen Collins – 1999 oncologist & chemotherapy
Dr. Ronald Van Roy – 1999 radiation oncologist
Dr. Elizabeth Blount – 1999 personal physician

Treatments 2018 – present

Chemotherapy infusions – Carboplatin and Taxol
Adjuvant chemotherapy infusions – Adriamycin
Radiation
Adjuvant oral chemotherapy – Xeloda (low dose)
Oral chemotherapy – Xeloda (high dose)
Oral chemotherapy – Bicalutamide
Clinical trail – Magrolimab and Sacituzumab (current)

2023 Procedures

Port placement – January 6
ECG – January 6
CT chest with contrast – February 22
CT abdomen & pelvis without contrast – February 22
CT chest with contrast – April 5
CT abdomen & pelvis without contrast – April 5
CT chest with contrast – May 17
CT abdomen & pelvis without contrast – May 17

2022 Procedures

CT (with contrast) – February 22
CT (with contrast) – May 17
EGG – August 17
PET/CT (without contrast) – August 16
CT (without contrast) – September 28
CT (with contrast) – November 8
Echocardiogram – November 8
CT chest with contrast – December 21
CT abdomen & pelvis without contrast – December 21

2021 Procedures

PET/CT – February 23
PET/CT (with contrast) & breast MRI – June 14
Dexa scan – June 15
PET/CT (with contrast) – October 4
FNA (fine needle aspiration) – October 5
Core biopsy with ultrasound – October 29
CT (with contrast) – November 30
Core biopsy with ultrasound – December 28

2020 Procedures

Mammogram – January 17
Breast ultrasound guided fine needle biopsy – January 21
PET/CT – January 29
Breast MRI – January 30
Breast ultrasound guided magseed placement – February 5
Breast lumpectomy – February 12
Diagnostic mammography & mammogram – September 17
Breast MRI – November 17

2019 Procedures

Breast ultrasound and tumor sites clip placement
Port placement – February 5
Breast MRI – February 26
Breast MRI – April 15
Surgery – May 15 – five lymph nodes removed
Outpatient surgery – July 22 – port removal

2018 Procedures

UCSF Appointments – Upcoming

Blood Draw (port) – UCSF Infusion Center – 5/24/23
In office visit – Dr. Rugo (and care team) – 5/24/23
Cycle 7, Day 1 – Infusion (Magrolimab/Sacituzumab) – UCSF Infusion Center – 5/24/23

Blood Draw (port) – UCSF Infusion Center – 5/31/23
Cycle 7, Day 8 – Infusion (Sacituzumab) – UCSF Infusion Center – 5/31/23

Blood Draw (port) – UCSF Infusion Center – 6/14/23
In office visit – Dr. Rugo (and care team) – 6/14/23
Cycle 8, Day 1 – Infusion (Magrolimab/Sacituzumab) – UCSF Infusion Center – 6/14/23

Blood Draw (port) – UCSF Infusion Center – 6/21/23
Cycle 8, Day 8 – Infusion (Sacituzumab) – UCSF Infusion Center – 6/21/23

Blood Draw (port) – UCSF Infusion Center – 7/5/23
In office visit – Dr. Rugo (and care team) – 7/5/23
Cycle 9, Day 1 – Infusion (Magrolimab/Sacituzumab) – UCSF Infusion Center – 7/5/23

Blood Draw (port) – UCSF Infusion Center – 7/12/23
Cycle 9, Day 8 – Infusion (Sacituzumab) – UCSF Infusion Center – 7/12/23

OTHER RESOURCES

Immunotherapy

Jim Allison, Nobel prize winner for cancer breakthrough

Anti-angiogenesis therapy

Dr. William Li – Can we starve cancer?
Eat to beat cancer – eattobeat.org

Traditional therapy – cut, burn and poison

Health information resources

MedlinePlus.gov – online health information resource for patients and their families and friends. A service of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), the world’s largest medical library, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Alternative considerations

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