http://www.people.com/people/article...033635,00.html
Elizabeth Edwards Gets a 'Good Sign'
WEDNESDAY APRIL 04, 2007 09:45 AM EDT
By Stephen M. Silverman
Elizabeth Edwards has received some upbeat news regarding her battle
with cancer - that it can likely be treated with anti-estrogen drugs,
she says.
Rather than having the most aggressive "triple-negative" cancer, as her
doctors had originally feared, testing proved that she had two of the
three key hormonal receptors estrogen and
progesterone.
The initial diagnosis was "slightly estrogen heavy," she said, but this
time it's a strong marker and she also has the second marker.
"I consider that a good sign. It means there are more medications which
I can expect to be responsive," Elizabeth, 57, told the Associated Press
during a campaign stop with her husband, Democratic presidential
candidate John Edwards, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Tuesday.
Elizabeth also voiced her frustration with the speculation by others
about her potential lifespan and reports that she's likely to die within
five years.
"I don't care. I'm going to fight exactly as hard if they tell me that
I've got 15 years or if I've got 30 years," she said. "I'm still going
to fight to get rid of this if they tell me I've got 15 minutes... It
doesn't matter what the prognosis is. So it's not an important piece of
information to me."
On March 22, the Edwardses announced that Elizabeth had had a recurrence
of cancer, this time incurable and in her bone. Having previously
suffered from breast cancer that was believed to be in remission, the
disease had "moved from the breast to the bone" and she is "no longer
curable," said her husband.
Despite the setback, the couple said they had no intention of ending his
presidential bid because doctors told her that the campaign would not
interfere with her treatment.
On Friday, the AP reports, Elizabeth had her first post-diagnosis visit
with the doctor, from which she emerged encouraged.
Pointing out a large bruise on the back of her hand and another on her
forearm from her IV, Elizabeth said she received an initial course of a
bone-building drug. In addition, she's taking the aromatase inhibitor
Femara and is not having to undergo chemotherapy.
Besides, Elizabeth said, the development of drugs like Femara is one of
the many reasons why she dismisses the discussions about her life
expectancy.
"Femara didn't exist five years ago," she noted. "I don't expect to get
yesterday's medicine. If I can help it, I'd like to get tomorrow's
medicine."
Elizabeth Edwards update 
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