Ready for chemo

dboro
dboro Member Posts: 6
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I've made it this far and have had many of my fears quelched by reading the chat line. I had my visit with the oncologist and have to decide which chemo to take. My surgon says to do CMF but the oncologist is pushing for AC&/taxol. Going in today for the bonescan and Friday for the Muga. I have to make a decision by next Thursday. How do you decide which to follow. Surgon says the CMF is enough in my case. Any one out there been thru this where Dr disagree, The final decision in mine but I'm no Dr.
Bless all of you out there who have been thru this and are willing to share the experiences. believe me they help so much.

Comments

  • mjdp2
    mjdp2 Member Posts: 133
    #2
    Hi,
    You didn't mention your stage and if lymph nodes were involved. I was advised to take the A/C and Taxol regimen. When I asked about CMF (I didn't want to lose my hair) they said that the cells were high grade and that I definitely needed the Adriamycin so I went with the recommended treatment. Unfortunately I didn't know that I would fall into the 5% that suffer long term neuropathy (nerve damage and pain) from the Taxol. I stopped after the first treatment of Taxol. This was almost 3 years ago and now I read that they are giving weekly doses of Taxol. I also have read from past posts that the FDA approval to use Taxol after A/C to early stage cancer patients may have been premature.
    If you have any signs of a weak heart they may steer you away from the Adriamycin. Will you be taking Tamoxifen (were you estrogen receptor positive) after treatment?
    Margaret
  • reni
    reni Member Posts: 24
    #3
    mjdp2 said:

    Hi,
    You didn't mention your stage and if lymph nodes were involved. I was advised to take the A/C and Taxol regimen. When I asked about CMF (I didn't want to lose my hair) they said that the cells were high grade and that I definitely needed the Adriamycin so I went with the recommended treatment. Unfortunately I didn't know that I would fall into the 5% that suffer long term neuropathy (nerve damage and pain) from the Taxol. I stopped after the first treatment of Taxol. This was almost 3 years ago and now I read that they are giving weekly doses of Taxol. I also have read from past posts that the FDA approval to use Taxol after A/C to early stage cancer patients may have been premature.
    If you have any signs of a weak heart they may steer you away from the Adriamycin. Will you be taking Tamoxifen (were you estrogen receptor positive) after treatment?
    Margaret

    I personally would be more likely to go with the Oncologist over the Surgeon. It is afterall their speciality?
    I'm starting AC on Friday.
    Margaret can you tell me where I can read about the Taxol debate? My oncologist is still undecided over whether I should have taxol as opposed to just AC. I am Stage 2. ER/PR negative but her2 positive.
    Thanks Reni
  • jeancmici
    jeancmici Member Posts: 665 Member
    #4
    reni said:

    I personally would be more likely to go with the Oncologist over the Surgeon. It is afterall their speciality?
    I'm starting AC on Friday.
    Margaret can you tell me where I can read about the Taxol debate? My oncologist is still undecided over whether I should have taxol as opposed to just AC. I am Stage 2. ER/PR negative but her2 positive.
    Thanks Reni

    Reni,

    I gave you the URL which you can type in or cut and paste and enter under 'run'. It has the Nov. 2000 report on the subject which you received when you first asked about the taxol debate.Go back to your original posting and the responses.

    Essentially, is a 2-4 % advantage worth anything to you??

    Jean
  • daphne
    daphne Member Posts: 1
    #5
    Hi my name is daphne . I am new to these forums.
    I had a similar experiance where my radiation oncologist wanted me to have CMF and radiation combined, my cemo oncologist wanted me to have AC , beacuse my cancer was agressive and this is world wide acceapted practice.
    I can understand how you feel beacuse i beacame very angry that two oncologist were giving me two different opinions , each beliving that there's was the better choise.
    my intuition told me to go with the AC beacuse even though i had no node involvement if one cell had got through ac cemo would be the better treatment to have.
    I wish you luck and can only tell you to go with your intuition of what is write for you.
  • mjdp2
    mjdp2 Member Posts: 133
    #6
    reni said:

    I personally would be more likely to go with the Oncologist over the Surgeon. It is afterall their speciality?
    I'm starting AC on Friday.
    Margaret can you tell me where I can read about the Taxol debate? My oncologist is still undecided over whether I should have taxol as opposed to just AC. I am Stage 2. ER/PR negative but her2 positive.
    Thanks Reni

    Hi Reni,
    Go back to posting of 7/24/01 by jeancmici "RE: Taxol." It is currently on page 3 of this discussion area. First time I became aware of this debate. I also looked into "long Term Side Effects" discussion area and found there were others who were told to stop their Taxol by their doctors. Margaret

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