Hi,
I’m, 5 weeks post op (mastectomy and reconstructions) and was told last week that I should have chemotherapy and herceptin. I have been reluctant to accept the treatment because the prognosis was not that different whether I had it or not. I was referred by my GP for a second opinion but the appointment’s not till next Monday. By then I will be 6 weeks post-op. I’m worried that I’m leaving it too late if I decide to have the treatment. can any one tell me how long after an operation they started their treatment - is there a norm or a time-frame?
Hi Haila. The start time for chemo varies quite a bit, because it can be delayed by the need for extra surgery or to recover from complications. I started mine 7 weeks post-op, partly because of the Christmas holidays, and I think it’s been quite a bit longer than that for some. So don’t worry about taking the time to get a second opinion.
Like Cheryl, I started after the Christmas holidays so it was about 7 weeks from surgery. I remember asking my onc and she said the current timeframe is within 12 weeks of surgery so plenty of time to think about it and decide what’s best for you. Good luck!
My chemo will start 3 months after diagnosis, and 5 weeks or so after last surgery.
I asked for it to be delayed by a couple of weeks because of “stuff” going on in my life, and they were happy for that to happen.
The important thing for you is that you are happy with the decision you make.
If you’re being offered Herceptin and chemo it’s because they feel you will benefit from it, because your tumour has an over-expression of HER2. In previous years this type of cancer was a bit “sticky” and had more of a tendency to recur, but Herceptin treatment has very much evened up the balance with non-HER2+ tumours. Thing is, it works better when used in conjunction with chemo, which is a bit of a bummer really. This is just what I was told today by my oncologist and I still stick with the statement that YOU have to be happy with the decision you make.