Hi all, just looking for anyone in a similar position to me. I am a 39 year old mum of 2 (1 and 4 year olds) with ER+, HER2-, grade 2 breast cancer with micromets in the sentinel node. I had a lumpectomy and sentinel node removal in October and am now moving on to further treatment. My Oncotype DX score came back as 17 which, as I am under 50 years of age, puts me in the low and medium risk of reoccurrence category where chemo may or may not be beneficial. My oncologist is recommending I don’t have chemotherapy and just radiotherapy and hormone therapy as he does not feel the risks of chemo outweighs the benefits in terms of reducing reoccurrence within the next 5 years. Unfortunately oncotype DX does only looks at a 5 year projection and therefore I don’t have a good idea of the benefits of chemo over say 15 years compared to the potential long term risks.
I am trying to weight up the pros and cons which seems impossible and ultimately I will go with the doctors recommendation I think. But I just wanted to see if there was anyone here, particularly premenopausal women who opted not to have chemotherapy or had an intermediary onco DX score and how you decided whether or not to have chemo.
Sorry this is pretty niche but thought I’d check anyway!
Hi there. I was in exactly the same position in 2020 as you are at the moment except that I was 48 at the time and my oncotype score was 19. I was advised the same as you and so I went straight from surgery to radiotherapy and tamoxifen, no chemo. Good luck with your treatment. X
Although I’m slightly different (51, post-meno, grade 2 lobular, HR+/HER2-, 35mm, node positive with 1 macro and 2 micro metastasis), I am also struggling with the fact that oncotype only has data for 5 yr survival for node-positive cancer. My score was 16 which indicates chemo is of no benefit…for 5 years anyway.
I have just this morning posted this question under the ‘ask a nurse’ section. Perhaps their response will be helpful for you too.
My thoughts with you - especially as you’re thinking about your children. I have 3, they’re older (teens) but I’m not prepared to leave them anytime soon
Hope you get the reassurance that you need, and can learn how to think positive (I’m a little way off that myself, but I am told that comes with time )
Hi , I know you posted this a couple of years ago but I wanted to know how you were getting on. I am 42 and just got my oncotype back and it was also 17. I was wondering if you were offered Zoladex injections.
Hi, I was diagnosed last year at 46, HR+/HER2-, Macromets in 1 lymph node, grade 2. Had a lumpectomy & radiation therapy. Oncotype was 17 and my oncologist said no need for Chemo. I am on Zolodex & Letrozole but very happy to not receive chemo as the SEs are known to be very nasty.
xx