I was diagnosed in September with what they originally thought was DCIS. I had a WLE which was successfull with 7mm clear margins. However in the middle of the DCIS they found I had 4mm of invasive cancer, which had tested triple negative. I then had a sentinel lymph node biopsy which came back negative in all 3 nodes they sampled.
I’ve just been to my oncologist today to talk through the next step treatment options. She has told me the potential benefit of chemo is 4% and that radiotherapy is about 3% (although that would need to be confirmed by the radiologist).
I asked her if it was her recommendation that I do chemo, and she replied that it was really too close to call and was completely my decision.
I’m now so confused I don’t know what to do and have already changed my mind about 5 times today. Fortunately I have time to think and decide what I want to do but at the moment I haven’t a clue.
Are there any other ladies out there with similar small TNBC who either have or haven’t had chemo? I’m just trying to work through the pros and cons in my head and it would be really helpful to hear if others have had the same thoughts as me.
Hello, I don’t have Triple Negative but I have had chemo and while it is not pleasant it is not nearly as bad as you think it will be. My own was a really tiny cancer just 3mm or the size of a peppercorn and I had a similar chat with with the oncologist because mine was HER2 positive which is very aggressive. I kept most of my hair with my regime which was TCH (docetaxel, carboplatin and herceptin) because I used the copld cap. I decided to go ahead with the chemo because I wanted to give myself the best chance of recovery. I have finished the chemo now and am having radiotherapy. Good luck with whatever you decide.
Do you know how aggressive your cancer is? TN is normally more aggressive than other types, but if you have your biopsy report, you will be able to work it out. Look for where it tells you what Grade tumour it is and then look for the figures beside tubules, pleomorphism & mitoses. Each should have a max figure of three. Tot them up. The higher the figure, the more aggressive it is. I have a 3 for each, so the maximum of 9. My consultant didn’t tell me I had the most aggressive type there is - I worked it out for myself. It was a sobering moment, I can tell you.
Obviously, my own history is guiding what I say here. Last year, when I had ER/PR positive cancer in the right side, I wasn’t offered chemo as it wasn’t thought necessary. And that cancer hasn’t come back, so perhaps it was the right decision. However, I can’t help but wonder whether the TN cancer I now have in my left side was already there last year and whether chemo at that time would have saved me from what I’m having to deal with now. Perhaps I wouldn’t have had node involvement which necessitated a clearance and perhaps my survival odds would be a bit better. Perhaps all this is nonsense. This cancer is an aggressive one, so it probably would have been even bigger if it had been there last year.
Anyway, I would go for the chemo, if I was in your shoes. It isn’t pleasant, your life will be put on hold, and I really really wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think it was a life saver.
But you aren’t me, and you don’t have my previous dealings with this illness. Go back to your oncologist and ask them what they would do or advise if they or someone they loved were in your shoes. That’s what I have said when a decision has been left to me.
Thanks for your thoughts all. After a lot of soul searching and an awful lot of research, I’m 99% certain that I’m going to go ahead with the chemo.
It’s been a really tough decision - my logical side (and my BCN) are telling me not to go ahead, but my emotional side is telling me that I need to do everything I can to try and ensure this doesn’t come back.
I’ve got my first appointment at the chemo clinic on Monday for the introduction and I think I’ll finally commit and sign my consent papers then.
It’s strange really, I’d told myself I wasn’t going to have it, that it was really small and completely contained by the DCIS, but the more time went on the more I was second guessing myself and the less I was sleeping while the what ifs were going round and round in my head.
Since making the decision on Saturday I’ve felt calmer and have been sleeping much better.
I just need to brace myself for whats to come now, and hope I can retain some of my normal life while going through it all.