Hi,
I am 36 & newly diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer.My tumour is 4cm by 7cm plus- It is bigger than the scanning probe at the hospital.
I have had 1 treatment of AC chemo & have another 5 months to go before surgery.
I am terrified that the tumour sounds & looks so big.I fear i will have to have a mastectomy after all the chemo so why don’t they just take it away now & save me the distress or all these side effects.
has any one else got a large tumour?
I would be grateful for any advice.
Welcome to the BCC forums, whilst you are waiting for the other users to reply with their experiences and support you may find BCC’s resource pack helpful, it has been designed for those newly diagnosed. If you would like a copy just follow the link below to order a copy:
If you feel it would help to talk to someone in confidence about the worries you have, then please give the helpline a call, the staff here are all either breast care nurses or people who have personal experience of breast care issues. The number to call is 0808 800 6000 the lines open Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm and Saturdays 9am - 2pm.
I’ve just seen your post. I started a thread called Neoadjuvant Chemo under treatments / chemo earlier this month…you might find some help there. All the ladies who have posted have different dx’s , but all are having chemo prior to surgery.
One thing I can tell you is that by giving the chemo beforehand, no matter what the size or surgical outcome, they will be able to see how the drugs are working and even change them if necessary. That should also mean that a ‘response’ gives an indication of long term prognosis, but I don’t have much clear info on this yet….
I have just finished my chemo (6 months as you will do , but diff. drugs) and am waiting to get started on the surgery phase. I’ll be having scans done before I meet my surgeon to determine just what size the tumour is now (mine was ‘small’ 1.9mm but Grade 3) . I know how you feel about ‘just wanting it out’. I felt better after I did some reading, and I’m now glad I’m having my treatment this way round. Hope this helps a bit…
Hi Shell,
I also had a 4cm. tumour with a “lot going on besides” as my surgeon said, and had Neoadjuvant therapy. I have just finished chemo 4xA.C. and 3xTax (should have been 4 but Tax stopped working) followed by a mastectomy.
My tumour shrank to 2.4cm and became operable.
Chemo treats the whole body not just the tumour site and by giving you chemo quickly it will stop any possible spread.
None of the treatment I have had so far has been half as bad as I thought it was going to be, all of it was completely “doable” I can already see a light at the end of the tunnel and have booked a holiday in November!
Good luck with your treatment, try so hard to take just one day at a time and it will be so much easier.
I’ve just complete 4 x FEC and 4 x Docetaxel. My lump was originally recorded as 8cm. Have just been back for a pre-op assessment and surgeon seems pretty certain that the lump has shrunk enough to do a lumpectomy rather than a mastectomy.
From my experience seeing the lump shrinking during the chemotherapy treatment really helped keep my motivation up. You can see that the drugs are working which is a real boost.
I wouldn’t pretend that the chemo is easy, but it’s do-able and for me the reality wasn’t as bad as I’d feared.
Every case of BC is different but I had a 5 x 6 cm in my breast and a 4 x 4 cm in my arm pit plus I was 7 months pregnant with my daughter. I had 3 x AC and 3 x Taxotere. I had a non palpable lump althouth there were still active cells. I have just passed my 5yr diagnosis. I had a grade 1/2 with invasive lobular and DCIS. 2 x surgery, 25 rads and 5yrs Tamox but have been told this will be extended as I’m thought to be pre menopausal.