neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (before surgery)

[Chemocat]

Yes. Every long
No reconstruction till the New Gear seems ages away
Dint have any timescale yet

[SJB]

I was diagnosed in December and went straight into chemo. I've now had my 3 doses of FEC and am moving on to 3 doses of T.

I go for an ultrasoiund scan tomorrow to see if my 5cm tumour is shrinking yet or not. Fingers crossed.

Still don't have a full diagnosis due to hold ups over Christmas. Hormone positive, but no result yet for herceptin. Also, although it has spread to the lymph nodes in my armpit, not sure if it has spread through my lymphatic system or not, so that will be checked again with a second CT scan after my chemo.

Currently facing mastectomy in the summer, plus the lymph node removal, and physio to recover, then 15 x radiotherapy sessions, then after the new year, at some point, reconstruction. It's a long haul, isn't it!

[Chemocat]

Hid Ashley lim in the group now and glad to be there too x

[Jules4422]

Hi all,
Just thought I'd give sit of an update.
I started on Docetacol in late November. Had 1 lot of that, then switched to 9 weekly Paclitaxel, and I've got 2 left. I went for an update with my Oncologist and surgeon to decide what to do next. Either FEC or mastectomy. They scanned me and my multi-focal tumour has shrunk from 8cm to 1cm. I'm very pleased with that, although I hadn't been told how big it was to start with.
Anyway, I've got my mastectomy booked in for 24th March and the FEC will happen once I've recovered from that.
I'm pleased that I've got a plan of attack now, and am looking forward to a break in Chemo.

Pie, I hope that helps to reassure you that although you may not gave had surgery yet, the chemo will be blasting the cancer. X

[Pie314]

Thanks Pascal. Glad everything went so well for you. Glad you've joined us on the fb group for new year newbies, chemocat. I'm Ashley on there.

[Pascal_48]

Hi

I had chemo before surgery, after initially being booked in for an mx. So glad I did as it shrunk by 70% so only needed lumpectomy. It was followed by radiotherapy. I have also had 17 lots of Hereceptin, last one on Monday.

I was given the option to go ahead with the mx but so glad I didn't. Hope it is going ok for you x

[Chemocat]

Hi Pie
I'm having y second FEC tomorrow and nit looking forward to it. I have a large lobular tumour but no secondaries , thank goodness. The surgeon gave me the option if either chemo ir surgery first but recommended starting with chemo. She can monitor tumour regression and if there are secondaries then they should die too during chemo so that's reassuring.it makes surgery safer too as they're more likely to get all the tumour. I thought I was having 6 FECs but not sure one re T that everyone seems to get . Does anyone know why they swap to T after 3 FECs...?thanks. Oh and how can I join the January thread??

[Pie314]

Hi all. Thanks for sharing your stories. I worry that with the tumour still in place and with several nodes affected, that the chance of spread is increased by not having had the surgery. I know it's nonsense and I know that there is no significant statistical increased chance of metastasis but it does pray on the mind. I think it's the psychological effect of having the blasted thing still there, hard and huge and mocking me. I swear my lymph nodes ache just to inflict mental torture upon me!!!

[Gellybean999]

I had my first chemo on Dec 12th, and as my lymph glands are not affected but the affected area is classed  as grade 3 Ductal cancer i am hoping for a lumpectomy rather than mastectomy and then a reduction in the non affected breast. Last FEC on Monday and then 3 x T

[wyn]

Hi Pie,

i saw oncologist yesterday re MRI results after second fec, he said there has been a good response and tumour is shrinking but not as much as he expected so he wanted to optimise this by changing me on to Tax sooner. I was due to have 3rd fec yesterday but that was cancelled and will be having Tax tomorrow. so instead of 3fec+3 tax its now 2fec+4 Tax. starting on steroids today prior to tax tomorrow. So hopefully the little blighter gets destroyed asap.

sending hugs

Wyn x

[Pie314]

Hi Jules, thanks for sharing your story. I don't think there's been much change in my tumour after the first session but it's early days and anecdotally I gather the EC will soften it and the TAX, which I have at my 4th cycle, should begin the shrinking. My surgeon thinks I will also have a mastectomy and I too am resigned to that. Frankly, they can cut off whatever they like if it gets rid of the cancer. I am drinking loads of water and green tea and getting loads of rest.

Hope your chemo is going ok and that you're feeling relatively well. X

[Jules4422]

Hi Pie,

I started my neo-adjuvant chemo at the end of Novemeber.  I've got multiple tumours which are Stage 2 grade 3 er/her2+.  I've also got lymph node involvement.  The location of the tumour meant that I couldn't have surgery straight away as there wouldn't have been enough skin to close up (nice!) so, it was Chemo first.  I also started Herceptin and Tamoxifen straight away also.

I have to say, after my first session it was clear it  was reducing dramatically, and now it is very difficult to feel.  I'll still have a mastectomy, due to the number of lumps, but I'm reconciled to that.

i know what you mean about feeling like a lumpy wierdo, but I've got to trust the doctors know what they are doing.

I hope you are ok after your first treatment.  Make sure you drink plenty of water and rest up.

Jules

[Pie314]

Hi all. Thanks for your stories, Diana, our situation seems very similar. Great to hear that the EC Is most likely to soften rather than shrink so I know what to expect and great to find a few people in the same boat as me.

Emma, if you are starting chemo this month have you joined our January thread? We have a great private Facebook group you can join too. It really is a lifesaver to have everyone's understanding and support there.

I agree that if there are any changes in the tumour we get to feel them so psychologically there is also an advantage to for it this way round. I jokingly squeezed my boob when we finished the chemo yesterday and said to the nurse " it's still there!" Took her a second to realise I was joking.

Chemo went well. I initially had an allergic reaction to epirubicin but some hydrocortisone and Piriton sorted it out. Feeling pretty good and eating well. So far so good. X

[Butterfly318]

Evening Pie

Will be thinking of you tomorrow as you start your Chemo.  I too had similar but FecT Neo Adjuvant to shrink a large Tumour.  Have since had Mx and rads, currently part way through reconstruction.  Tissue expander in place to be replaced with permanent silicone and left side matched later this year.  Fec softened the tumour and it shrank with the Taxol which is exactly what the Onc told me would happen.

I have picked up from other threads Pie that you are eating well and planning to keep yourself busy.

I agree that it did feel uncomfortable sitting there with the tumour but the Chemo really is powerful stuff and once you've started hopefully you'll feel like you are doing something positive to knock this whole thing on the head. 

Hope you manage to have a good nights sleep Pie.  Take Care.  Gilly x 

[Emma76]

Hi Pie,
Im the same as you! Starting chemo a week tomorrow, Im having herceptin carboplatin and taxotore.
I feel a bit strange too still having this horrid lump, but I am glad that Im going into chemo feeling healthy maybe if I been through a big op first I probably wouldn't feel too great.
I hope tomorrow goes ok will be thinking of you.
Emma xx

[Kat77]

Hi Pie314

My mum had neo adjuvant chemo finishing just before Christmas. When she was told that she was having chemo before surgery she wasnt overally happy as she just wanted the lump out asap (which was understandable) but the doctor wanted to shrink the tumour first so she could have a lumpectomy instead of mastectomy. She had 8 lot of chemo - the first 4 dose didnt shrink the tumour much but the 4 dose of tax she had with herceptin has shrink it so much that you can see it anymore. I think this provided a lot of reassurance to my mum that the chemo was very effective.

I hope it all goes well for you tomorrow.

Take care.

Kat

[Dianab29]

Hi. I did exactly what you are doing and I'm so pleased I did. Knowing that my cancer could be reviewed through treatment and my chemo cocktail altered if the response wasn't as good as they expected gave me a great peace of mind. I had a 5 cm tumour which was grade 2 and strongly ER+ (8/8). 3 x ec90 and 3 x tax shrunk it to 2.4 cm and all that was left was mainly dcis and a bit of grade 1. If it can do that to a large solid mass, imagine what it will do to any micro organisms potentially floating around. Because of the response I then didn't need RAD's. The ec90 didn't make a massive difference to the tumour to be fair although I could feel it breaking down but the tax is powerful stuff and blasted it :-).

I dealt with having the tumour during the treatment by having it in my head during chemo that I knew where my tumour was and I could see and feel a difference. This reassured me a lot.

Good Luck with your treatment.

Diana x

[Pie314]

Hi All

I was wondering if anyone else is having neo-adjuvant chemo. I start tomorrow, 8th Jan: 3xEC then 3xTaxotere. Then surgery after that and possibly rads, then hormone therapy x10 years.

There don't seem to be many of us neo-adjuvant folk around. Psychologically it's tough knowing all the women in my monthly chemo thread have had their tumours removed and I am sitting here all tumoured to the hilt like some kind of weirdo!

[Pie314]

Hi All

I was wondering if anyone else is having neo-adjuvant chemo. I start tomorrow, 8th Jan: 3xEC then 3xTaxotere. Then surgery after that and possibly rads, then hormone therapy x10 years.

There don't seem to be many of us neo-adjuvant folk around. Psychologically it's tough knowing all the women in my monthly chemo thread have had their tumours removed and I am sitting here all tumoured to the hilt like some kind of weirdo!