Hi
I had a lumpectomy (2.2 cm clear around the lump) and a sentinel node biopsy (one node out of the three had micro-metastases) and therefore had to have an ANC last week, awaiting results. If no further cancer is found then it will be my choice whether I have chemo or not, I will have to have radio either way. My consultant and oncologist disagree on my treatment. Are there any websites I can input my profile and it will give me the odds on the survival rates/cancer reaccuring, specific to my case?
Many thanks for any suggestions.
Fiona
Hi
I was in a similar position to you. Mx 12.12.12, snb. Tumour 3cm, grade 3, three nodes removed, one with cancer cells. My oncologist said it was up to me as to whether I had chemo or not. The only advice I can give, is try to find out what grade and stage your tumour was ( try to get a copy of your path report, or ask your BCN to go through it with you). As I said, mine was grade 3 and stage 2b, so I decided to go with the chemo. I don’t know of any websites where you can input your profile (I may be wrong about this). In the end, only you can make this decision. Whatever you decide, Good luck.
Poemsgalore xxx
There is a website which will give you some statistic on likely benefit of chemo. You need to put in some basic info re tumour, your age etc. It’s called ‘predict’. I was in a similar position to you. I had no lymph node involvement but one breast node was affected. I was her2 positive so had to have chemo to increase effectiveness of herceptin. Even if I hadn’t been her2+ I had decided to have chemo anyway, so in the end the statistics didn’t really matter. Chemo wasn’t pleasant but it wasn’t as bad as I’d imagined and I’m glad I gave it a shot.
Fiona, this is the one my onc used and showed me. Make sure you put in all the details, as your age, the grade, ER+ve Her+ve etc etc make a big difference to the outcome of potential treatments.
If it’s any consolation to you, I had to make this horrible decision too. My survival stats were only improved by 5% (on already good 80%, taking into account all the other treatments I was having) so I said “No thanks” to the chemo and haven’t regretted it. As soon as I declined chemo, my onc said “It probably would have been overkill in your case,” and immediately offered me Zoladex injections to induce menopause (at 51, I was probably approaching it anyway) and increase my survival statistics by 3%, as my tumour was ER+ve.
You have to make the decision that YOU are happy with, because it is you that will have to live with it. Good Luck. JCJ xx
PS Actually, I think my onc may have used this one: but you can only access it WITH your professional healthcare team, as you need to log in. Maybe you could ask about it if you have to make the decision?
Hi Fiona
i was in a similar position to you, 19mm tumour, micromet in one lymph node (less than half a mm in size), the rest of my nodes were clear, grade 2 tumour, strongly ER+ 8/8, my onc advised there was a tiny benefit (1% according to predict) to me having chemo and I snapped her hand off, no way was I risking any stray cells being loose in my body! I never wanted to be in a position of thinking “if only I’d had chemo” and as much as chemo won’t guarantee my survival, I know I’ve done everything possible to prevent it coming back. The predict tool is very good, and i imagine most people wouldnt go through chemo for such a small benefit but I’m the sort of person that wants to eliminate as much risk as possible and I feel I’ve done that. Chemo for me was fine and I continued to work through my treatment.
Very best of luck with your decision
Lydia x
Hi Fiona
I have recently been in a similar dilemma, with a 1.6cm Grade 3 ER+8 tumour but no spread to nodes or by lympho-vascular invasion. I posted 2 Borderline for Chemo threads on this site. Rather than boring everyone by repeating it all, if you scroll back through Latest Posts you should be able to pick up my posts and all the replies I had. My hospital uses Adjuvant Online to predict outcomes. I looked at Predict at home but Adjuvant Online predicted a better percentage improvement (4%) than Predict. I am still undecided and hoping that the Senior Oncologist will be able to give some guidance when I next see her. We are all different and I suppose it comes down to a personal decision. At the moment I am favouring no chemo but I think that if I had any nodes affected I would probably go for Chemo.
These decisions are so difficult but I wish you the very best of luck with your decision. I agree with JCJ that it is yours to make and must be one you are happy with.
Very Best Wishes
Rachel
Posted on behalf of new user Sue - Jo, Facilitator
Hi I am so glad to listen to people like me with breast cancer. I had two operations in November 2012 to remove a lump off my left breast, I also had some taken from my right breast. I also had some lymph nodes removed and had a drain in my rght side. I just had one lymph node removed from my left side. I thought I had come through th worst but 15 sessons of radiotherapy have left me in pieces. I am 47 years old, unemployed not by choice. I have two children a girl 17 and a boy 14. My husband nd children just do not understand. my marriage wasn’t great before this but I just feel I have gone through a living nightmare. I refused councelling but I think I need it so after Easter I am getting back in touch with my cancer nurse. I feel so sad and alone its not fair. Has anybody else experienced sheer exghaustion after radiotherapy.
Sue, I’m sorry you are struggling at the moment. It is well documented that rads cause fatigue and exhaustion for up to 3 weeks after treatment ends. Then you have the mental trauma to get over too, which in itself can make you tired. Some people take many months to get back to ‘normal’ energy levels. If you are taking hormone tablets, they can make you tired too.
Take time to rest. Explain to your family how you are feeing. It WILL get better.
Virtual hugs. You’ve come to the right place for understanding and support. (Although I’m not sure this was posted on the right thread??) We all help each other get through this *****y disease and treatments.