Hi,
My sentinal node biopsy showed all clear. The cancer has been removed but I am left with DCIS which will be cleared by a mastectomy in April. My oncologist advised that chemo would only increase my already good chances by a small margin, so I decided not to have chemo. I would be interested to hear the views of anyone else in a similar situation.
MY breast care nurse said that if chemo made more than a 3% difference to your stats, you should strongly consider having it.
I was grade 3, 2.0mm and 32 yrs old. Chemo made 5% difference to my survival stats and with a 1 and 2 yr old despite clear lymph and no vascular invasion i went with it.
Sure others will come along with advice too.
S
X
I had chemo. For me, if BC does come back, (and there are no guarantees for anyone one way or another), I don’t want to be kicking myself for not having taken every treatment option offered to me at the time. My type of BC is not the same as yours though, so I hope some ladies who have had DCIS / mastectomy add their views, which may well differ from mine and Evie2007. I found the thought of chemo a lot worse than the reality, so it may be worth giving it a try, after all you can always stop at any time?
scottiedog x
My sentinel node was clear, too. My oncologist said the risks outweighed the benefits in my case - WLE/SNB, Stage 1, Grade 2, ER/PR+. I am 55. Good luck with your decision.
Ann x
Hi Karen
I had the same choice as you, just 2% benefit for taking chemo and I decided to go with chemo. Gave up after 4xFEC as I was really struggling and still have ongoing side effects after 3 months. I wish I hadn’t done the chemo - I don’t think the benefits were worth the risks etc.
I am not the sort of person who needs to do everything or who regrets wrong decisions but I think if the cancer came back and I hadn’t done it I would kick myself. But now I have to live with the affects!
It’s a personal decision - everyone takes to chemo very differently and you can’t predict how you will be - it might be no problem for you or you might really struggle. It’s a very personal decision and only you can make it, but make sure you can live with your decision whichever way you make it.
I am 43 and I don’t have children. If I was younger or with children I would probably have no doubt and go with it. If older, I definitely wouldn’t - I don’t know how older people cope with the chemo! (Although my onc said often younger people suffer more).
good luck
Helen.
chemo has risks itself which if you have a low grade small tumour or DCIS are probably not outweighed by benefits. I didn’t want to raise my risk of other kinds of cancers later on
Mole
I went the mx and tamox route, which was standard when I was first dx and unfortunately after 12 years I had a recurrence. There is a lot to weigh up, isn’t there?
I guess the best person to advise is your Onc, who had all your individual results in front of him. They don’t give us chemo, or withhold it, for fun - I think if I were you and I had any doubts I’d be having the discussion
best of luck
monica x
My onc advised that the 3% increase wasn’t enough to warrent the risk of serious side effects that can happen with chemo . Took the advice of another corrospondent and said to him " If it was your mum sitting here what would you advise her?Even though my tumour was very close to my chest wall I decided against chemo as he really did stress the toxic danger of chemo in later years.having said all that if he had recommended it i’d have snatched his hand off.
I had a lumpectomy where they then found a large area of DCIS and a microscopic spread into only one node. I now need a mastectomy and armpit clearance. I am seriously thinking of not undergoing chemo after as the invasive tumour was only grade 2 and like I say the particle was only microscopic and has now gone. The thing is I’ve now been told if I have an immediate reconstruction then decide to have chemo it could desroy it. Anyone have any info on reconstructions and chemo?
Hello Tanya P
I am currently undergoing chemo my regime as been FECx3 and 3Taxol, I have my last Taxol next week,
I had mastectomy grade 2, with immediate implant recon, I had six nodes taken during the op and one came back with traces of cancer, Chemo was recommended to me for insurance is words where “if I bought you a brand new mercedes I would want you to have the top class insurance”. After all no-one knows how long that infected one was swanning around in my body prior to the op. I personally have had no problems with my recon whilst on chemo, and I wasn’t told that I might,
So to me I am glad I have done it, don’t get me wrong I really have had thoughts of not having the last one, but I can’t play about with my life, if this thing ever comes back at least I know i took all the treatment thrown at me.
good luck with your decision ann x
Hi
I also had a 2% benefit with chemo and found making the decision quite a dilemma, onc originally suggested 6 x FEC which I felt was too much to cope with, but also didn’t feel comfortable doing nothing - in the end we compromised on 4 x EC.
Good luck whatever you decide -
Chris
Hi Tanya - I’ve had mx 3 weeks ago, with recon in the form of the tissue expander fitted. Not sure what type of recon you’re having but for me its a case of an implant and expander to stretch the skin - it will remain in throughout chemo and rads if necessary and when treatment is complete I’ll have another op - (hopefully minor) where the temp saline implant is changed over to a permanent silicone implant.
Like you I may have a decision to make re chemo - I’m grade 3 however as there is no lymph node involvement and the tumour was small I need to weigh it up. I’m told by the breast consultant that the onc will meet with me next week to discuss. (breast nurse still thinks onc is likely to want me to have chemo )
Not sure if any of this helps
Lynn
hi Karen - I was in the same position as you and decided on no chemo as it only made a 3% difference to already good chances. My onc said that as the chemo carries a risk of more complex problems due to it’s toxic state he would strongly recommend not having it But… said I could go out the door and find doctors who would recommend it!! Lets hope we’ve done the right thing.
I am starting chemo and Herceptin next week. It has been a really difficult decision as I had a Mastectomy and had Grade 1 4mm invasion with microscopic in one out of seven nodes which were removed, I still don’t know if what I am doing is right. All of my friends and family seem to think it is. I don’t think I would forgive myself if it came back and I hadn’t had chemo. I know there are risks either way but feel I just have to go with it. Met the chemo nurses yeaterday who were great and very reassuring. The side effects frighten me but not as much as dying and keaving my family.
Hi everyone
Yes all your comments are helping, it’s so nice to hear all your vieas and the fact that others are having to think about chemo. I wasn’t sure if I was being totally stupid having to debate it. I’m having the DIEP recon so no implants involved. I suppose when I have the clearance, see if other nodes are involved and then get my % of benefits I’ll be able to make a more informed decision.
Not sure when I have my op yet and there seems to be a bit of a delay as I need to go to another hospital to have it. I’m hoping that if the microscopic spread was anything to worry about, then maybe they’d be getting more of a move on than they are.