Update on my wife, diagnosed with hormone-sensitive Stage 4 IBC July
2005:

She is on letrozole (to reduce oestrogen) and lapatinib, no pain-
killers; the lapatinib is a clinical trial with placebo, but she has
been having (manageable) lapatinib side-effects. Side effects: sores on
skin, dry skin, diarrhoea. A few weeks ago she had bleeding round the
edges of finger and toenails, and was told that this was a known side-
effect of lapatinib. The lapatinib was stopped for a week, then
continued at 1.25g, instead of 1.5g, per day. If the bleeding recurs she
will not be able to continue in the trial, but OK so far.

Recent scan and examination revealed breast less inflamed and less hard,
lymph nodes in armpit no longer noticeably swollen, less leg pain, bone
lesions actually healing (holes showed in the earlier scan, and are now
partly filled in). So there's a bit of anecdotal evidence on letrozole
plus, probably, lapatinib until the clinical trial results are
officially in.

That's the situation today; tomorrow has yet to come.

Best wishes,