Hello - I thought this would be a great place for some advice as I was newly diagnosed with breast cancer on new years eve. Two weeks ago I had the lump removed as well as 19 lymph nodes as my biopsy showed 3 positive cancer cells there too. However, my surgery results have shown absolutely no cancer at all in any of the lymph nodes removed and apart from feeling I have had extensive surgery unnecessarily and a future risk of lymphoedema, my oncologist has advised chemotherapy, radiotherapy and tamoxifen as further treatment. My consultant said that she has never seen this before (whereby the biopsy showed positive but the surgery results were then negative). I have been reading other peoples stories and they have not had to have chemo when no cancer has been found in the lymph nodes so am wondering if I should get a second opinion. I am 36, have no children but am desperate to start a family and now have to go through embryo freezing so am hesitant about having a course of chemotherapy. My breast cancer was 15mm and stage 3. Any advice on other sufferers treatment much appreciated. Many thanks, Suzy
Hi Suzy
Welcome to the Breast Cancer Care discussion forums. Whilst you wait for the other users to reply to your post with their experiences and advice you might find it helpful to have a look at the BCC booklet on ‘treating breast cancer’. I have posted the link to this publication below:-
breastcancercare.org.uk//docs/bcc08_treating_final2_0.pdf
I hope you find this helpful.
Kind regards
Sam (BCC Facilitator)
Hi Suzy
I think the younger you are the more likely the oncologist is to suggest chemo, because they would like to throw everything at it to prevent recurrence. You say you are stage 3, do you mean GRADE 3? Grade 1 is slow growing cells, 2 is more aggressive and 3 even more so. If you are Grade 3 that would be another reason to suggest chemo to you. You are absolutely entitled to get another opinion and you may well find that a 2nd opinion will suggest something different - all oncs are a law unto themselves and can suggest different drugs and treatments as they see fit. (It’s one of my bugbears that there is no definitive standard of treatment across all hospitals and all medical professionals). You need to feel real trust in the team who look after you and if you don’t then you should seek a 2nd. opinion. You are probably on a borderline where some would recommend one thing and some another. Best wishes to you.
Thanks so much. I am getting a second opinion on Monday but am pretty confident that the recommended treatment is consistent with my diagnosis and what they found. I have done so much reading now, I feel more confident that the treatment they are advising is correct. Thankyou though for your comments. Suzy 
Hi, I was diagnosed in december havind had the operation to remove my right bust and 12 nodes which one and a spec in another which they werent to concerned about the bit in the other but they said that I should have chemo so i have just started a week ago. I know what you mean about getting a second opinion but I think by reading other peoples experience some people have it even if it hasnt gone into any nodes, perhaps the consultant thinks it would be best for you. We all hate the thought of he chemo I feel the same but have got my head round thinking its for the best.I am on the epi/cmf for six months which I know is a long time buts whats six months out of your life when its for a reason. It would be nice to chat letme no how you go on but take care if you do have chemo I can assure you we have a hidden strength within us to see us through speak to you soon jackie
i had a 16mm grade 3 hormone receptive tumour in 2007, i had clear lymph nodes, though vascular invasion seen, i was told i did not need chemo even though i was only 44 years old at the time by the oncologist, yet i had a third unnecessary operation to remove dead skin as my surgeon felt i should have been down for chemo, funny how different pct’s differ so much in treatment.
Alisonxxx
Hi Alison,
I had a 1.3mm Grade 3 hormone receptive tumour removed with no vascualar invasion and no node involement and am currently undergoing chemotherarpy (I’m 46)
i reckon i just got the bad onc, there was questions raised about it, but the way i see it now, if i ever did get secondaries it might give me a better chance, hope you get through it all ok gingery, i know a lot of people who have had chemo and i can imagine it gets a bit hairy at times, i am still waiting to hear of any other women who had the same sort of size and grade as me who didn’t have chemo as well! i did push to have my ovaries out though, and i am on aromasin, so i reckon thats a good enough combination
Alisonxxxx
Hi Alison,
a quick question for you, my Onc suggested I think about having my ovaries out, I’ll be on Tamoxifen first, he said this after I asked him why Tamoxfien and not Arimidex and Zoladex as I’ve read that taking an aromasin has had lesser reoccurance rates. What made you decide this route and how did you find suddenly having no Oestrogen.
Hi Gingery, i just read up about having the ovaries out, seeing as i wasn’t offered chemo i felt i had to fight for the best treatment i could get, and i had been told by my surgeon that if i had chemo it would probabley put me through the menopause, so as that didn’t happen i took matters into my own hands and asked very nicely for an oopherectomy, luckily for me the gyni decided to take the whole lot, i had started on tamoxifen, but it really didn’t suit me, so i was put on zoladex for three months to shrink up the ovaries, then i had the whole lot taken away and started on arimidex, and no, i didn’t cope well with it, i took it for seven months, then i switched to aromasin, i now have high bp, arthritis in my knees, and the usual aching joints, and of course the hot sweats and flushes, but i will keep on taking the tablets as i am too scared to come off them, and i just make sure that i enjoy my life, which i seem to do more than before this happened. you can only go on arimdex or any of the aromatiase inhibitors if you are post menopausal, so most women do start on tamoxifen, then if you go through the menopause proper they put you on something like arimidex, but tamoxifen is very good as well, and many people have it for 3-5 years then go on an aromataise inhibitor, so if you have your ovaries removed then you’ll be post menopausal. hope this makes sense!
Alisonxxx