Chemo before surgery?

Just found out I need chemo before surgery as four lymph nodes taken at SLNB are all involved so it’s put my surgery and recon on a back burner, will need rads after mx. Got to have scans next week and really worried and confused.

Hi Dee

Whilst you await replies you may find this chemotherapy publication helpful to read;

breastcancercare.org.uk/upload/pdf/chemotherapy_07_web_0.pdf

Don’t forget that you are welcome to call our helpline for further support and a chat about your concerns.

Take care
Lucy

Hi Dee read your posts on the adventurers thread but thought this might be the better thread to post on.I had chemo before surgery . My BC was found on routine mammogram late last Nov and the plan then was surgery WLE before Christmas and no chemo. After us, biopsy, bone scan, MRI and CT scans the plan changed radically. As I did not know about this site til much later I hadn’t realised that a lot of ladies have surgery first (seems more the norm) from reading these threads.Has it been explained to you why this is now your plan? I had a node show up on 2 of the scans and the MRI placed the BC in the lower outer quadrant plus some multi-focal bits into the upper outer quadrant. Grade 1 was identified. The hope was that chemo would shrink the tumour/s and so a less extensive WLE would be needed.I had 6 rounds of chemo with a MRI after the first 3 then a change in chemo for 4,5,&6. All this was between late Dec and late April.Another MRI scan then showed not a lot of response going on so Onc and surgeon jointly decided I needed ‘a very generous’WLE and full axillary node clearance.( Histology showed there had been a chemo response tho’)I am sure your surgeon/Onc must have a good reason for the change in your plan.But it is so hard when the goal-posts move and it is all change again. Just when you get your head around one course of action something else crops up. Do you have a BCN? Can she talk you through the reasons for this? Perhaps when the results of all the scans are available it will become clearer.I saw from the other posts that you describe yourself as a normally strong person but this BC can beat the s**t out of even the strongest of us ( only temporarily of course) then we pick ourselves up and get going again which I hope you will do soon.If I can offer any more info, and it is only my experience of course please let me know. (((Hugs))) Jackie

Jackie, Thank you and (((Hugs))) back too.
Initially I was told two tumours in left breast both with invasive stage 1 poss 2 and dcis so mx was the only choice. I’d got my head round the mx and knew the immediate recon was subject to SNLB results; that’s when everything changed and I just couldn’t get my head round it, and you know what the early hours are like…
I’ve spoken with my BCN in the last hour and she’s explained it all again to me so I think I’m a bit clearer now (I hope).
They took four lymph nodes out, three are affected with the fourth a possiblity so they’re calling it four out of four, which means it could have spread, and that’s why they’re doing chemo first. I’m having a bone scan on Monday and a CT scan some time next week too, so that’s more results to wait for - it’s awful isn’t it!
The chemo might start the week after; I’m having 4 x EC then 4 x Taxotere - if that makes sense?
Like you my BC was found via routine mammogram but I’m just so grateful they called me early as I’m 49 and not 50 until September so I can’t help thinking about all those women who haven’t been called at 52! my cousin is one of them and dread to think where I’d be if it was two years later until I got called as I don’t have any sign on one of them and a dimpling on the other, neither can be felt… My BCN told me about this site on her first visit so I was on it as soon as she’d gone out of the door! I’m just sorry that you had to go all that time without it. I really appreciate your post and it’s already it’s brought me a source of comfort to prepare me for the next round… I certainly felt like I’d had the s**t kicked out of me this morning, along with that truck…
Thanks again, I’m here for you too etc…

Denise x

Denise so glad your day has improved you must be shattered with having had such a bad night too.Its good that your BCN could explain more to you.My mammo was done at 2 1/2 yrs from the last one, no reason, so I have wondered too how much difference that may have made.It does make one wonder when I hear of people like your cousin being 52 and no mammo yet My lump was never palpable to me, surgeon or Onc. There were times usually in the wee night hrs that I thought someone was winding me up as it finally only showed up in its entirety on the MRI. I had a us guided metal marker put in early on as it was thought it might disapppear with chemo. The Onc also us guided put 4 tattoos on my breast marking the outside edges for the surgeon and I still had to go to the breast clinic on the morning of my op to have another ultrasound and take that with me to the hospital I was having the op at so the surgeon knew where he was aiming for.Good luck with the scans sounds like they have been quick off the mark getting those organised for you. As you say the waiting is the worst but they do have targets for starting treatment from time of diagnosis 31 days I think.Yes 4 x Ec and 4 x Tax sounds similar to what some of the other ladies have had. There is a saying that the ladies on here say to each other 'One day at a time’I have not always been very good at this but it’s true.Its tough at times but all doable and you really do sound like one very brave lady. Have a good bike ride ( think that was on the other thread? Mm your BCN visits at home?Good service though isn’t it? (((Hugs)))) Jackie

Hi Denise,
Oh l do get so confused with all these chemo’s and how many and when they have them!
Mine had spread to my lymph nodes, but l still had a mx first then 3 FEC and 3 TAX, l asked my bcn about having chemo before surgery, she said no our surgeon only does that when he wants to shrink a turmour first, so they are all very different, the main thing is they are starting treatment!!
Good Luck
Sandra xxx