I was diagnosed the first time in June 2013 with a 28mm grade 1, hormone receptive cancer. Had an immediate mastectomy and recon. Then chemo followed by auxiliary node removal then diep flap recon followed by tamoxifen.
Fast forward 9.5 yrs from first diagnosis I found a lump in my Diep recon breast.
I discovered on 14th Dec I had a 25mm grade 3 hormone receptive cancer. I had a lumpectomy in January and know that I need radiotherapy but I’ve been asked to discuss possibility of chemo with my oncologist on Friday.
Has anyone else gone through chemo for the second time??
I thought I was doing ok, mainly protecting my family and friends but I feel so low and teary and I can’t snap myself out of it.
I think many people have gone through chemo a second time. They’d probably put you on a different regimen though but don’t give up hope that you may be able to avoid it completely this time around. This is a completely new primary after all and even though it’s a grade 3 there are quite a few people on this site who’ve avoided chemo with it due to a low oncotype score. And I’m so sorry you’re feeling so low. Of course you are. It’s a horrible diagnosis and you’ll now have to go through it twice. But keep in mind that your first treatment did work. This is not a distant recurrence but just a new lump that unfortunately grew in some leftover breast tissue from your mastectomy. So your prognosis is based on that and I’m betting it’s another early diagnosis. Even though it’s a grade 3, treatment works great on them. Chemo especially can be very effective although again there are a lot of people on this site who’ve avoided it. Hopefully you can this time around and just move on with a new endocrine therapy.
Why were you given chemo though for a grade 1 lump? I think you’re the first person I’ve seen who went through that. Normally it would be just hormone therapy since the oncotype scores are almost always low.
Very sorry to hear you have had a diep reconstruction and still have had a recurrence 10 years later, or is is a new primary? I had breast conservation surgery in 2003 and it came back last year nearly 19 years after I found my lump. So in some ways I feel your pain. I had an oncotypeX genetic test which resulted in me avoiding chemo.
So I hope you don’t have to have it. Things seem to have moved on a bit since my first diagnosis and some treatments are not so bad as they were then. Cannulas are thinner. There’s a bigger range of treatments than there were. I haven’t had any of the same treatment I had last time.
i had a lymph node with cancer in it this time, but no lymph nodes last time so that was a bit of a blow. I have hormone positive cancer grade 2 about 23mm I think but that might be wishful thinking…
was the lump you found in your diep reconstruction very obvious? I am worried about having a recurrence as I had thought once you had a mastectomy and a diep reconstruction there was no breast tissue left for a recurrence to happen. But obviously not,…
I echo Seagulls question having had DIEP reconstruction this Sept (23).
Also I was told no mamograms will be needed on recon breast! I guess it’s down to self examination.
I had a new primary in the same breast as my previous BC in 2008.
I had the Oncotype test & didn’t need chemo this time. Testing, diagnostics & treatment have moved on greatly in 15 years.