hya everyone i asked my breast nurse if i could go on holiday before i start radio therapy. I had lumpectomy and sentinel mode removed on june 5th and i get my results on 27th and because my lump was only 12mm and only one node removed i thought that i would not need chemo i have set my heart on the fact that i wont need it and was looking forward to a holiday abroad, but she told me that i will be having chemo because of my age i am 45 does anyone know why age has something to do with it
Hi Jackie
It’s just a precaution but as far as I understand the younger you are, the more quickly the cancer can spread and that’s why they are much more cautious with younger women and sometimes give them much more aggressive treatment.
Ruby
Hi Jackie,
I was 44 at dx, and was warned by a BC nurse to expect chemo whatever the results of my surgery, due to my age.
thanx for comments will keep fingers crossed just been on the discussions for chemo it all sounds pretty scary and getting butterflies in tummy now its getting nearer x
Hi Jackie
You may be interested in BCC’s publication about chemotherapy. You can either download a copy or order a free copy on line. Just follow the link below.
breastcancercare.org.uk/content.php?page_id=664
If you feel you need to speak to someone in confidence then BCC’s helpline is available Mon - Fri 9am - 5pm and Sat 9am - 2pm. Calls are free on 0808 800 6000 The staff here are all either trained breast care nurses or people with personal experience of breast care issues. Hope this helps.
Best wishes
Lucy
Hi,
I was 44 when dx and my surgeon and breast care nurse told me that women of my age always have chemo treatment after surgery regardless if they had a lumpectomy/mastectomy etc. Is is believed to be the most effective course of treatment for younger women.
Sheana x
thank you lucy might just do that x
I was 40 when first diagnosed but I know of other women in our support group who are in their 50’s having chemo so not sure whether it’s totally down to age.
I’ve also got a couple of friends within the group who didn’t have chemo or radiotherapy who were younger but were felt to have caught it at a very early stage.
I don’t think necessarily that because you’re younger that your cancer will spread quicker - it depends on what type of breast cancer you’ve been diagnosed with which seems to determine that.
Who knows what to believe!
Hi
I was 31 when diagnosed in October. I was also told that I would almost definitely have to have chemo regardless of tumor size. I was told that this was simply because being young means there are more years when you could have a reoccurrence compared to older ladies. Good luck with the chemo.
Hi
the criteria for chemo are age, grade of cancer and size. You don’t say what grade yours is, but you tick the other 2 boxes! you are under 50 and tumor bigger than 10mm. You even tick those boxes if you have DCIS…
Mine is grade 3 and 11mm and I’m 44, so I tick ALL the boxes! Dont’ worry - be thankful that they are doing their best for us to stop recurrance.
I asked about holiday with mine - onc said I couldn’t go abroad, but Wales was ok providing that I could get to a hospital in case of infection!!
Good luck!
Td x
sorry - didn’t answer question!!!
young women with cancers are far more likely to have aggresive ones and tiny little bits that have already travelled, EVEN IF the lymph nodes are unaffected. If the nodes are affected, it will change the type of chemo, not change the fact you have it!
they tend to start 4-6 weeks after surgery, last for around 18 weeks and then have a month off after before rads…you should still be done by Christmas though!!
love Td x
Hi jackie
I am 39 and diagnosed with BC in February. They told me due to my age i most definatley have chemo.
Chemo is daunting and it is normal reaction to feel scared. I remember that feeling really well. Coming onto these forums have really helped me and have been really supportive. We are all here to support you and give you advise, if we can:-)
Kirsty xxx
I’ve also heard a rumour the chemo is dependant on whether or not you have children under seven. All I know is that I was asked how old my son was by about 25 different people!
Could be true Meg, but when I went to onc there was a ‘mix up’ with some results. He initially spoke about FEC) after asking how old my kids are (0ne is 3) it’s true!) but when the path reports were noted to have changed from Nolymph node involvement to 4/14 affected, it changed to TAC… as TAC has Adriamycin (doxrubicin ) in it, dunno what that does specifically - he said it had a seek and destroy element and was like a pit bull with a bone. Nice.!!!
Td x
Hi Jackie
Not sure about any of this. I was 55 when diagnosed (56 now) and reckoned after mastectomy and lymph node removal that would be that. But no. Because I was “so young and fit” I had chemo, rads, the works. Hated the idea but am grateful nonetheless. I reckon they are just doing the best they can regardless. I have no children, just step children, so it can’t have been that. I think the NHS has been brilliant.
Take care all
Dilys
I was 62 at dx no nodes 2cm tumour clear margins BUT triple negative.Onc said all trip negs get chemo regardless of other factors.I had 4xfec and 4xtaxotere.
Good Luck from Valx
I was 65 at diagnosis and had the lot - surgery, chemo and radiotherapy. It must depend somehow on the size and grade of tumour - mine was 36mm.
Sarcath
I’m 51, had grade 3, 2cm lump and no lymphnodes involved, so we were devestated when we were told i ad to have chemo. It was never on the agenda. the BC nurse said they didnt have any idea until the lump was examined. the grade 3 made it necessary to have chemo. So here goes, lets get the blighters
Bridie
Decisions about chmeo are based on many criteria…mainly to do with the patthology of the tumour: grade, er, pr her2 status, node involvement, vascular invasion, size.
Younger women are stastically more likley to have cancers with some of the more aggressive prognostic factors…usually grade 3, more likley to be her2+ or triple negaive etc.
Statistically all other things being equal I think women under age 35 have a slightly worse prognosis than those who are older who have identical disease.
Many many post menopausal women have aggressive cnacers too and will receive chemotherpay etc. (and in any case many doctors see women in their 50s as still ‘young’ in cancer terms) Ageism seems to creep in after age 70 (I know a woman in her 70s who had to really argue for hercepetin).
These days there is a tendency to ‘overtreat’…far far more people get chemo than will actually benefit from it but there are tests beginning to be used to assess which tumours are more likely to respond can’t remember name of one test already in use for er+ and pr+ tumours.) The purpose of chemo is to try to wipe out micro metasteses which have broken off from the original tumour.
This is all just what I have gathered from bits of reading and lots of talking.
Jane
thanx everyone i couldnt sleep last night it all seems like one big dream and someone needs to pinch me to get me out of it i was fine about my op and now its seems that its not the end for some stupid reason i honestly thought cutting out the lump and a few radiation treatments im all done and dusted how sad is that! i just had my appointment come through for the oncologist i still got butterflies and feeling really down and ive not even been back to see my specialist yet for my results im going to call my breast nurse today i think to talk about my fears x