hi if I had been given the choice I would have taken the chemo,
I have had 2 primaries 11 years apart one in each breast, i am 45 years old, so I would definately have taken anything offered to me
hope this helps
love Liz xxx
My Oncologist thought long and hard before recomending chemo plus radiotherapy after lumpectomy showed clear margins and no sentinel node involvement.
I think it was grade 3 and def triple neg.
I had 3 fec and 3 docetaxyl over a period of 18 weeks and while the SE’s were unpleasant they were manageable and I have just completed 4 weeks of radiotherapy.
I feel much more confident that there will be less chance of secondaries with the treatment so am grateful for oncologist’s decision,
Margaret
Shelob
My operation was on the 7th March this year. Afterwards I had an infection in the wound which took some time to heal up (was admitted to hospital to have intravenous antiobiotics). Then had radiotherapy which finished over a month ago now. I feel OK in myself, although I still feel very tired (maybe due to the radiotherapy). I am getting better all the time though, but some people say it takes a year to feel 100% again. My onc said I was borderline to have chemo, but I refused it anyway. He gave me an extra 3% on top of 90 something percent (cant remember now), which in my opinion was not enough to warrant the gruelling chemo process. As I said it is a lottery. chris x
I think it could be the rads Chris im okish but still find im very tired once the evening hits i’ll be 4 weeks post rads this tomorrow.
speaking of the stats my onc said that its just a ‘rough guide’ not gospel & explained the same result can come out for up to as many as 5 different diagnosis with completely diff sizes of tumour, node & margin status & they are taken from figues as far back as 10 years ! so your right there Chris it is just a lottery, mine was 2-3 % my onc explained it very well & went into detail about my path results & why he thought I wouldn’t benefit & took into concideration women he’d treated with my stats over all the years he’d been practicing which I think is alot better way of weighing it up, as he said its not you WILL be 2 or 3 women out of 100 that will benifit its you ‘MIGHT’ be one of the 2 or 3 women. I think mine was same as yours Chris 2/3 % on top of 90 something percent & look at our age difference !
I really do feel for anyone having to make the decision for themselves & as for Shelob where one consultant is saying something completely different that would just do my head in. I found it quite shocking, the surgeons at my hospital just give us the results & where there is an indecision they don’t even go there & leave that between the patient & oncologist. My OH kept pressing the surgeon for his opinion as he knew how stressed out I would be having another week to wait to see onc & he just said sorry im not an oncologist he is the only one that can inform you with the correct info its his field not mine.
I was diagnosed four and a half years ago at the age of 60 and was also given the choice of chemo or not. In my case the possible extra benefit was thought to be 4 per cent.
I decided to have the chemo. I felt I wanted do everything possible to help myself and that if I had a recurrence and hadn’t had the chemo I wouldn’t forgive myself.
As many others have said, chemo is not nice but IS ‘doable’. I got through it and am still (fingers crossed) here and cancer free.
Good luck with your decision.
Very best wishes
Anthi x
I always balk when I read about people being given odds like that, because a few percentage points sounds like such a miserable return for going through the nastiness of chemotherapy. Trouble is if cancer does return, it is 100% your problem.
Of course, chemo is not without risks, and that has to go into the equation, but it’s not a simple cost/benefit exercise. The risks of chemo, can never outweigh the benefits, because it can potentially save lives.
Hi,
I recently had that choice…
I had TC chemo 3.5 years ago, TN, Grade 3, 2.6cm, no nodes. I also had lumpectomy & rads. Recently I’ve had a local recurrence so have had MX and LD reconstruction. Initially my onc said that the tumour (which could be cells that survived original treatment or a new primary - they dont know) was so small 7mm that he probably wouldn’t recommend further chemo. However when I met him last week he said it was debatable and he wouldnt twist my arm but on the balance of things he would recommend a course of CMF. He said it would reduce my chance of recurrence/spread which are 10 -15% by a third i.e. 3 - 5%. I think its worth going through. It might come back anyway, but at least I’m doing anything I can to reduce the odds.
Best wishes
Katie
Hi, im TNBC. Grade 3 tumour diagnosis in 2009, no nodes involved. Had TAX chemo. Sadly mine is back! Spine and lungs. So…am i glad i had the chemo?? Yes. I think it kept it away nd bought me more time. Of course i wish it stayed away, but it didnt. But chemo has another function. If it is going to come back, deleying this as much as possible. Just another perspective. Hard though, but im glad i went for it.
Sadie Xx Xx
Hi Sadie
like you i am TNBC Grade 3 no nodes diagnosed in may 2009 19mm tumour… didnt have tax but had epi-cmf… sadly mine is back too.
where did yours come back and what did they offer as next treatment?
as iv not had tax i thought they would offer that as its now in interpectoral nodes… but been told it will be surgery followed by more rads and then bilat mx as im a brca 2 carrier.
got bone scan tomoz and ct next week to see if there is any other spread.
its poop!
Lx
Ive just read the very sad book about Caron Keating (Gloria Hunnifords daughter). She was diagnosed with breast cancer stage 1, grade2, threw everything at it, did everything she could to try and keep it at bay. She had the best health treatment there is, and even tried alternative therapies, good organic food all the time. She did EVERYTHING she possibly could and it still came back in her spine. It just goes to show that whatever you do it may come back. It was a very sad book, and sometimes I think I should not have read it, but I did. You can have all the money in the world, the best food, the best treatment on offer and still nothing works. She was a very brave woman indeed. Alas, she died after fighting this dreadful disease for 7 years. chris x