Hello,
The oncologists are asking me to choose whether or not to have chemotherapy… i’ll explain.
I’m a new subscriber to the forum and this is my first posting, but I quickly just wanted to say how much help & strength i’ve got from reading some of the discussions over the last few weeks - thanks to you all.
My potted history:
Diagnosed Jan 2004 aged 29, 9mm Grade 1, 0/5 nodes, +/+/-
Treatment - left side segmental mastectomy & radiotherapy.
After a long discussion I chose not to have Tamoxifen as my partner and I were planning to start trying for a family as soon as we were able. Though they would have preferred that I did, the oncologists weren’t too concerned about me not taking Tamoxifen as my prognosis was ‘excellent’.
After the required 2 year wait, we started trying for a baby but after over a year, we had had no success, so had been to our GP to begin to find out why when…
After my routine mammogram, local recurrence diagnosed April 2008 aged 33, 14mm Grade 2 (+3mm satellite focus), 0/18 nodes, +/+/-, no vascular invasion.
Treatment - left side full mastectomy with immediate reconstruction (LD Flap & Becker expander implant), definitely going to be starting Zoladex & Tamoxifen but first we’re going for IVF. Chemotherapy…I don’t know?
Having read so many of the discussions on this site - I thought that those of us who are hormone receptive positive would be prevented from having IVF and discouraged from pursuing pregnancy, but my oncologist says that the data shows no difference in the numbers of recurrence for those that did or didn’t have IVF or pregnancies. Is this too good to be true? I believe in preserving my options but not at the expense of my own health & recovery. This brings me to my current dilemma, it’s borderline whether I would benefit from chemotherapy (a small tumour, Grade 2 and no nodes involved) so they are leaving the decision about having it or not to me. If I was a women with no other concerns other than doing everything to prevent the cancer from coming back then they’d suggest that I had chemo but they understand that I have other elements to consider, i’m still young with great hopes of having a family and wish to preserve my fertility as much as I can, so they ‘wouldn’t think me insane to turn down chemotherapy’. You’ll all know the whirlwind, blur of decision making that comes with a breast cancer diagnosis but how do I make a decision like this in the end other than going with my gut… Has anyone else been in this situation? - all/any feedback very welcome ladies. IVF is starting as soon as a fortnight from now and they’re encouraging me to see this long road as one stage at a time, but i’ve got such a lot to think about that my poor old head is fit to burst.
(Don’t even get me started on the state of my reconstruction - but that’s for another forum posting methinks!)
Look forward to hearing back from you.
Meg x
Hi Meg and welcome to the forums
I am sure you will receive lots of information and support from the forum members. You may be interested in our publication on the subject of fertility issues. I have given the link here:
breastcancercare.org.uk/docs/fertility_issues_feb_06_0.pdf
Our helpliners include specialist breast care nurses, they will be happy to talk things through with you if you feel this would help, please call 0808 800 6000 weekdays 9am-5pm and Sat 9am-2pm.
Best wishes
Lucy
Hi Meg
Wow…What a dilemma??
I really can’t offer you any advice but want you to know i’m thinking of you.
Is it possible to freeze some eggs and have chemo first? I wouldn’t know what to do if i was you and i’m so sorry you’re having to make such a tough decision and i really hope someone here can offer you the advice you need…
Big Hugs
Lauren.x.x.x.x.
I’m also 33 and chemo gave me a 12% increase in prognosis so was recommended (I also felt it was worth it as it’s systemic and I did have 2 tumors no lymph involvement). I have chosen not to have children biologically and have felt that way for some time but they did ask me if I wanted to consider freezing some eggs before starting so I would be asking about how your chances of conceiving would be affected by the chemo.
Good luck with a tough decision.
Angie
PS: My parter and I are really dedicated to our work at the moment and had discussed maybe adopting later in life so I think I’ll be happy with my decision long term but you never can be sure can you.
Hi Megpix
I’m 39 and was diagnosed with DCIS in Jan. This was a real blow especially as I had planned to have further IVF treatment this year.
I first had IVF in 2000 when I had 3 treatments all of which were unsuccessful. Unfortunately my partner and I split up a few years after this. I am now in a new relationship for 3 years and we decided to try again. When I had this diagnosis I contacted my fertility doctor who gave me some very honest advice, even though I didn’t really want to hear it.
This was his advice to me, I realise it was only his opinion and it may not be relevant to you but I hope it’s some help. The last this I would say is seek some advice from a specialist and good luck and good health.
"It is generally advised that women should avoid pregnancy for the first two years after definitive treatment of breast cancer, as pregnancy may aggravate or rekindle breast cancer cells.
You should avoid trying for a pregnancy whilst on Tamoxifen treatment. Five years of Tamoxifen will certainly reduce the chances of pregnancy due to the time effect.
In theory, IVF treatment may have an adverse effect on breast cancer due to the high levels of oestrogen hormone associated with ovarian stimulation. As some breast cancer is stimulated by the oestrogen hormone. IVF would therefore theoretically make breast cancer worse. This theory however has not been proven.
There are some experimental treatment regimes for IVF that are supposed to induce less production of oestrogen but they are not of absolutely proven value.
A breast cancer patient may also consider having IVF treatment (taking the risk of it aggravating the breast cancer) and freeze all the fertilised eggs (embryos). These embryos may then be used after 2 or 3 years when the women has been given the all-clear."
Hi megpix
I was in a similar boat about wanting and trying for a baby when my bc all kicked off also aged 29, I have to say I totally sympathise and understand how you are feeling, but so glad glitterbug put the above as it reiterates what i was lead to believe.
I have since had further recurrences and when i look back yes i do absolutely regret not having my eggs frozen (altho they wouldn consider it with me back in '03 I think it was fairly new) but also i wouldn have wanted to risk the stimulisation to get the eggs or indeed have the pregnancy as both carry risks - although as glitterbug says not proven but to me its obvious how the body performs these tasks and how it affects the hormones it speaks for itself.
Who knows it all may be fine, and you conceive etc etc but having recurrences are hard to deal with and if your doctors suggest a form of treatment it generally is in your best interests to take advice.
we only get on chance at life, do all you can to stop this flipping disease and why not consider adoption??? i deeply regret not having kids but i always wanted to adopt so i was fortunate in some respects as there are a lot of kids who need loving parents, why make more? but i can also see the other flip of the coin nothing quite like havin your own!
i was about to go to an adoption meeting to start adoption process and that morning got the worse news ever that out of the blue a routine scan showed a spread to the lungs and spine 
but its being treated and im happy, but know that now adoption is not an option.
so yes i totally appreciate from both angles its such a hard choice to make…having not been successful either way myself.
good luck in making the decision, you will know in your heart the best one to choose and whats right for you. 