I’ve just been diagnosd with Grade 3 invasive ductual cancer. I’m 43 year old and scared. The doctors has told me its 5cm big. I will require chemo, radiation therpy and might need a masectomy due to the size. I’m in absolute shock and trying to deal with this. Don’t know anybody else that has gone thru this.
The doctor has give me an option to pick.
Have the op and then chemo
2 Have the chemo (might help reduce the lump) and them the op.
How do you decide? Why can’t they just make the decision for me. That is the hard part and also that I might lose my breast.
This is all happenng so fast over these 2 weeks.
Firstly welcome to the Breast Cancer Care discussion forums, I’m sorry to read about your recent diagnosis, I’m sure some of the other users will be along soon to offer you their support and experience.
In the meantime maybe you would like to talk this through with a member of our helpline staff who are there to offer emotional support as well as practical information. The free phone number is 0808 800 6000 and the lines are open Monday to Friday 9.00 to 5.00 and Saturday 10.00 to 2.00.
Chandrika30 - really sorry you find yourself on this site but just wanted to say hello. I aslo have a 48mm invasive ductal grade 3 diagnosed December. I was advised to have chemo first to shrink and stop spread as my tumour is negative to all hormones and my second time of having BC. If you don’t really want a mastectomy discuss with surgeon re chemo first because they might be able to shrink tumour to then allow them to do just a lumpectomy. I have now had my 4th and last chemo so awaiting surgery in April. My tumour after chemo 2 had shrunk by 80% and I can’t even find it now So for you it might be worth going that way. I have decided on double mastectomy anyway but that is my personal choice. Hope this helps a little I know your head will be all over the place but once you know your treatment plan you can concentrate on things one step at a time.
Hope everything goes ok for you and sending massive hugs
Hi chandrika. Firstly sorry for the position you have found yourself in. I was diagnosed in January with a tumour similiar to yours in size. I too understand that is it frustrating to be given the baton and asked to make such big decisions. Unlike you I was told that I would be operated on and had my mastectomy on the 13th Feb. I have however had to make other decision with regards to my treatment for example of chemotherapy options. I can say from my experience that having the op gave me the reassurance that the tumour was gone. I am recovering well and will being seeing my oncology team on friday to go through my chemo treatment. I was told that after the have the op it would probably be at least 4 weeks before the chemo would start. This is to give you time to heal. I think the thing you would want to know is how long the chemo would be for and if you are happy to delay the operation or if you want to feel that something was being done more immediateley.
I know it is hard, but what I am learning is the more I am informed the better. Becoming informed gives me a sense of control. For me, being a situation like ours where it is easy to feel a loss of control, then knowledge is power and that has helped me make some difficult decisions. Getting yourself on the forum and using this website is one of the best ways of doing that.
I know it is early days for you, but you will find you become knowledgable really quickly. I am attending a support group for the first time today and will be speaking to ladies who are all at various different stages in their treatment so again this might be a useful source of information and advice. Speak to a trusted friend, don’t feel that you can’t speak to others.
Good luck chandrika. There are some amazing ladies on the forum and we can all support each other. XX
Hi Chandrika, I was diagnsoed with grade 3 IDC two and a half years ago. My tumour was 80mm at the time I started chemo, which I had before surgery. Because of the location of the tumour I knew from day 1 I would have to have a mastectomy, but was offered immediate reconstruction.
My breast surgeon, who is just amazing, advised me to have chempo first but said if I really wanted it ‘out now’ he would do that. There original plan was for me to have six cycles of what is called FEC, with a review after three, and thn maybe switch to another drug called Docetaxol/Taxotere; I was told that 80% had the switch. FEC worked quite well, reducing the tumour to about 50mm after two cycles, but then seemed to stall, so I switched to Taxotere which redcued it fruther to the extent that my oncologist could ‘no longer accurately palpate’ it. When the pathology came back I was told that 20mm remained, of which less than 4mm was active cancer cells; the rest was scar tissue.
Depending on the location of the tumour, it is perfectly possible for neoadjuvant chemo (chemo before surgery) to shrink it enough that a lumpectomy (or Wide Local Excision) is possible. For some women this is a really important factor in deciding.
For me, there were benefits in having chemo first - it meant I had plenty of time to research and consider reconstruction options rather than having to decide there and then. It also gave me reassurance that the chemo was working and I knew that if it seemed to stop working they could do something else. FEC-T which is the regime I ended up with is really good for most people - not a stroll in the park but eminently doable.
I know that you mean about wishing they’d just tell you what to do! I was glad I didn’t have any choices (even my recon options were limited to one in the end!) but you will make the right choice for you, and that’s what matters.
I can’t answer your question about why they can’t make the decision for you but I can tell you my experience, then it might help you make your mind up. I was dx in November 2010 and my lump was also large - 45mm. I was told chemo first then surgery (defimitely mastectomy due to its location, radio and because it was HER2+ then 12 months Herceptin.
I had 4 x AC chemo then 4 x Paclitaxol chemo. What actually happened was that the tumour shrunk so much I had a WLE, then radio then the Herceptin. So surgery for me was only a day case and very minor. I have been so lucky.
Because of what happened to me I would always go for chemo first given a choice as I don’t think you have anything to lose. The lump is the size it is now, it could be smaller after so what have you got to lose. And of course the chemo will mop up any stray cells which may be lurking anywhere else undetected.
Its such a shock when you get a diagnosis and then to have to make decisions with very little information is soo hard. Like others on here the decision was taken out of my hands and I was ‘told’ that I would have a Mastectomy and then chemo afterwards - At the time I was ok with that as I just wanted the cancer taken out. My tumour was in 9cm. There are pro’s and con’s too either and no right or wrong. You may want to ask about reconstruction as when I was told that I would have to have a delayed one rather than immediate. I think it they are going for immediate reconstruction then its a lot to have Mx, make decsions on reconstruction and then have to go through gruling chemo and rads and all this could really knock you about - at least with chemo first it does give you chance to come to terms with it all and make some decsions on reconstruction in a more balanced way. good luck for your treatment x
Hi sorry to hear of your diagnosis I think that really this decision is one only you can make a I understand your dilemma! I don’t think I can assist in your decision but I will tell you about me as sometimes other people’s stories can help!
I was diagnosed on 4th Feb this year, I was told after the biopsy and a week long wait that I had a 23mm tumour and at least 3 infected lymph nodes! I wasn’t given a choice I was told I was having a lumpectomy and full ancillary node clearance followed by chemo and radio then 5 years tamoxifen! After my surgery it turned out the lump was 49mm and I had 9 lymph nodes infected! Even though the lump was so large my surgeon performed wonders and apart from the scar you wouldn’t even know he had taken anything away and I still have My boob!
My cancer is gradev2 and I start my chemo tomorrow, things have moved really fast for me!
I really hope you find some help on here, just don’t google!! Good luck and big hugs xx
Hi dear ladies,
Thank you all for sharing your stories. It’s really help me knowing that there are others like me out there. It’s been great to hear all the different types of cancer and sitiuation you all are in. Still need to get in terms with all the breast cancer lingo out there.
I’m seeing my surgeon tomorrow which hopefully will help me make a decision. I have come to terms with the mastectomy if that happens.
I’m usually a pretty stong person that has unfortunately had to go through many crazy things in life. Somedays I just want to cry and feel sorry for my self. Other days I am a go getter. I been lucky to have friends around to help me and my family.
Today I spoke to a lady who just happens to live around the corner from me going through the same thing. She’s had a mastectomy on both breast and going to start her chemo. We two are going to support each other. Be each other’s strengh.
I wish you all the best in your treatments and hugs from me to you all.
Thank you again. I will be on this forum from now on for my online support. First time for me to every be on any forum.
Speak to you all soon.
Take Care
Chandrika x