hi all
i am not sure if this is right place to post this. i had a lumpectomy and sentinel node in Oct. then found two small spots in margins s o just had mastectomy. i was offered reconstruction straight away as needed no rads. i am sore but it looks gt. went back to see results all went OK my consultant away and temp one threw may benefit from chemo at me and was referring me… i ws gobsmacked y has this come up now. never any mention of it before. i had invasive grade 2 1.4 tumor . lumpectomy removed this i had sentinel node biopsy which was clear… i had a mastectomy as found two little spots not invasive so no more lymph glands removed. now mastectomy so all gone… i am totally confused as y this chemo has been thrown at me. i do see original consultant next week and will ask him. but if anyone can help a worried me out in meantime id be grateful. i expected to go back and just get the hormone drugs for five years and get on as best as can now i don’t know… thanks to anyone who replies i hope you can understand this post OK. happy Xmas to all .xxx juliexxx
Hi Julie
All I can tell you is my experience. My tumour was the same size as yours but grade 3, and I didn’t have a mastectomy as the surgeon managed to get clear margins. My onc offered chemo as altho it only offered a 4% benefit , it put me up to a 91 % chance of being alive in five years. The chemo is adjuvant treatment and I understand that due to the grade and my age (41) it is offered to try to prevent a recurrence. The onc did say that she was possibly overmedicating me but I wanted to take whatever was offered to try to ensure that it doesn’t come back. Although I had clear margins and clear nodes there is a slight chance that microscopic cancerous cells could have got into my blood stream and the chemo is hopefully going to blitz them.
I am four into a six dose course of FEC and apart from getting a chest infection have been fine, with no bad side effects, other than hair loss. If you do have chemo it is do - able as all the other ladies on this site will testify, and I feel it is worth it for peace of mind, and so I can’t look back and wonder if only…
I’m sure you’ll get it fully explained when you see your original consultant. Hope you get on ok
Best wishes
Tracey
Julie - I read somewhere that chemo reduces the chance of recurrence by about a third so it’s of much more benefit to some women than others. I think when the benefit is more than 2 or 3% improvement in 10 yr survival that it is then offered to you. My benefit from chemo was 5% so it made it an easier decision to make but some women might think it wasn’t worth it for that.
I, too, was told by breast care nurse that chemo was unlikely, surgeon did say “limited benefit” as well so I was a bit shocked when went to see oncologist and they said I ought to be having it and 5 days later I had my first session. I’d been like you - expecting 5 yrs hormone therapy and nothing else.
Just get all the info you need, statistics if you want them, they were v good with me at patiently and slowly going through and explaining everything.
Good luck!
Nicola
I had a mastectomy in August and no lymph involvement so thought I would be back at work by end of September, Consultantant offered chemo as would benefit by 5% so took it.
It’s not nice but it is do-able.
Diane.
Hi Julie
I was booked in for bilateral mastectomy with recon in October and was told it was unlikely i would need any further treatment. The day before my op i was told by oncologist that i would maybe need radiotherapy so advised to have only recon on one breast, the one where no invasive cancer was present (invasive cancer only in one but the condition i had (LCIS) meant it could come in the other at any time). After op was told two small tumours one 19.5mm and one13mm was found in a 4cm area and because they didn’t know whether to treat as one larger tumour or two small ones so i too was offered 6 sessions of chemo followed by 4weeks radiotherapy with only maybe 5% benefit. I have chosen to take this but treatment has been delayed through infection on recon breast and going back in Jan for start date. Hope this helps and good luck to you in any decision you make. Love Sandra
Thank you everybody.
i have decided that if offered i should take it… so will wait for appt and see… iam still confused by these survival rate figs. misty you say 91% chance of being alive in five years. how do they get this surely after mastectomy clear lymph glands its gone hasnt it… i am sorry to be so ignorant. take care. julie
Hi Julie
Those figures were given to me from data the onc input into a computer programme. It takes into account tumour size, grade and stage, lymph node involvement and various other factors. Ideally it has gone after the tumour has been removed - but from what I understand it is the slight chance of microsopic cells remaining in the body that can lead to a recurrence. There are many medically qualified ladies on here who could probably explain it better - or maybe give the helpline a call.
Best wishes
Tracey x