Hi my breast cancer was discovered after I felt a lump in my right armpit. Mammogram and ultrasound followed and they found breast cancer in my right breast. Right breast tumor approx 2cmx2cm and right armpit tumor 4.1cmx2cm. Biopsy done. Both grade 3 tumor cells. Stage 2b, invasive ductal carcinoma, ki-67 90%. Yes 90% . ER positive, progesterone negative, her 2 negative. They told me the tumor in armpit was most likely once a lymph node. My treatment plan is 4 rounds of adriamycin and cytoxan, then 4 rounds of taxol. Then surgery and radiation. I have 3 taxol treatments to go. Prior to starting chemo my right armpit felt Like a ping pong ball and it was tender. After my first two adriamycin and cytoxan doses I felt my tumor in armpit had shrunk and tenderness left. Since 3rd Adriamycin and cytoxan I feel like the size is same and now it’s tender again. Size feels bigger than it did when it first shrank. Overall size feels smaller than pre- chemo. Has anyone’s palpable tumors seem to have gotten smaller then stagnated or even gotten bigger? My oncologist said ER positive tumors sometimes don’t shrink much with chemo but the reason they started with chemo was to hopefully kill any cancer cells floating around. Even if I can still feel tumors and they are tender could the chemo still be doing it’s job and the tumor is just dead? Like dead tissue that I can still palpate? Or will they truly not know if chemo has worked until my surgery and they look at it?
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Welcome to the forum ! Sorry I can’t answer your question but hopefully someone who’s been in a similar situation will post soon . You could also post this in the main chemo section and maybe also ask the views of the nurses on the forum ?
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