Hi Strudel et al,
i am very interested to hear/learn all about the oncotype testing on this thread…we didnt have this testing when I was diagnosed in 2001. Tho from the sound of it I would have been down for chemo anyway!
my tumour was lobular, E pos and 8x7 cms…and 12/13 lymph nodes cancerous with leakage into my armpit tissue. So when it was offered, i opted for ‘extra’ chemo after my orignal treatment as they thought it would be back pretty soon.!
this Oncotyping sounds like a great resource and am so glad you ladies have the option.
I agree with the lady who said that the onc wouldnt refuse if it should be given…they really have to do everything by the book these days and of course people would come back and poke them in the eye( or worse) if a mistake was found to have been made!
(Me, well I was quite happy to have chemo at the tIme…seized everything I could as I had a poor prognosis).
Very best of luck with everythingxx
hugs, Moijan???
So, that’s a result. Well played, Strudel. I suspect the ‘almost acrow but not quite’ played a part, but it’s a testament to pushing anyway.
Ok I’ve thought quite hard about posting this but I’m going to. Strudel’s point is an important one. Please don’t think I dislike doctors or think that the NHS is a bad way of delivering healthcare. It’s pretty good and mostly very fair. But medics are not always right and sometimes they make bad decisions. Or they make ok decisions but not the best. Or they’ve had a bad month and missed out on reading the latest research. Most of the time none of this will matter. Most of us will have ‘big standard’ breast cancer and they will be spot on with the treatments. But I think we should be prepared to question and sometime to push. So Strudel I salute you.
Silver, it’s a good thing really & not always that bad. We can swap baldy pics and all your cancer friends will be there to hold your hand. And to pass around the tough pants!
Ali xxx
Strudel, I dont blame you at all, really I dont Xx and I do believe we should all fight our corner, its so important to be true to ourselves.xx
i would never wish to influence anyone to have treatment…or not to.
I guess its good to write down the pros and cons…and ask…'how will I feel after ive had chemo? how worried will that make me feel? '. And also, ’ how will I be feelng later on if I dont have chemo? How worried might I be ’ It boils down to trying to make the optimum decision…in the absence of sny certainty whatsoever.
a very difficult choice, best wishes for your desired outcome,
hugs, Moijanxx
well done, Stru, its a timely reminder to be as well informed as possible & to question borderline decisions.
I had a 7mm grade 2 er+ bc & was not offered the test, but I’m fine with that as I really don’t think it would have changed anything.
ann x
Hi. Late to this thread but I’m glad to see you were finally put forward for the test.
I was 51 at diagnosis last year and initially told a small 1.5 cm invasive tumour. I asked about Oncotype when told this but was told I wouldn’t be eligible. I had two lumpectomies and the tumour was in fact 3.6, at which point the surgeon suggested chemo and rads but said I was now eligible for the Oncotype DX test, having used the NICE calculation. The longest 2 weeks of my life pretty much, during which time my partner and I decided at what figure in the grey zone I would go for chemo. I ended up with a score of 17 , so below the grey area and didn’t have chemo. I had 15 lots of radiotherapy and 5 boosters. The Oncotype report was very detailed with a graph showing the likely benefit of treatment. I asked for a copy. Adding chemo to the mix didn’t show any benefit or change to the 20% chance of recurrence it showed me to have. As my tumour was highly hormonal I am on Anastrazole. I was already post menopausal following total hysterectomy. Good luck to anyone waiting xx
That’s really interesting, as it was the surgeon who pushed for Oncotype test rather than the oncologist and was suggesting I throw everything at it! I also felt a greater rapport with the surgeon, than the oncologist. Nice to meet you too! I spent a long time waiting for rads, so hung around there for a while. Must be feeling brighter, as I’ve popped back out of the hormone thread! Xx
Hi Stru,
Thanks for your kind comment. I was quite straightforward really. My IDC was picked up on screening in Feb last year. I had no idea it was there, came home from holiday to find the recall letter with an appointment for the next day, so I did not go through the anxiety of finding a lump, getting referred etc.
Mine was a 7mm IDC, grade 2, er+, ‘bog standard’ in other words! No nodes, clear margins - had WLE, rads & now tamox. Now feeling back to normal, apart from posting on here if course.
I’ve certainly learnt a lot over the past year & its been so great meeting you all & chatting on here.
ann x
Yes, Silverlady, I too was wondering if Strudel has to wait for the result before having Tamox…but actually, now I come to think of it, they prob wouldnt give both at once.
Tamox, as you know, is an excellent drug and seems to work really well for most pre meno users. I was on a d/b trial between tamox and letro for about five years…before letro they gave tamox to all…now the aromatases are known to suit us meno ladies better.
best wishes Strudel, will be really interested to hear your results and choices xx
good luck to the rest of you too, especially those waitingxx
hugs, Moijanxx
Late to the party but so pleased they’ve said yes for you Strudel. Shame you that you had to push so hard for it though.
Its interesting you said about tamoxifen. Im concerned because i was given it and took it for 2 weeks, stopping a few days before surgery. Im sure that means the results could be wrong as you shouldnt have had any treatment before the sample is sent.