This is new to me...

karenack
karenack Member Posts: 90
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Well, here I am 4 years after cervical cancer and hysterectomy I have been diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma. Had lumpectomy with sentinel node biopsy last week. My sentinel node was clean, thank God. I know I will have radiation and will meet with the medical oncologist Friday. I am wondering if I should opt for chemo even though my lymph nodes were clean, because I have already had cancer once and I'm only 42.

Comments

  • Susan956
    Susan956 Member Posts: 510
    #2
    I assume since you just had your surgery last week you may not have the full results back from your biosopy. With those results you will be able to make more informed decisions. Like how big was the tumor, what grade was it, was it ER/PR + or HER 2 positive. My advice is to get those results and research on the web. When I talked to my Oncologist, my choice was to treat as aggressively as possible to give me the best chance of not having to take this trip again... however, it was in my lymph nodes... so as it turned out there wasn't much choice except to do Chemo. Get you Onc to layout the numbers for you. While each of us are individuals, they do have statistics. My Onc, layed out each portion of treatment for me to show me the benefit of each and then all of them collectively layed out. {for me Lumpectomy, Radiation, Chemo (A/C for 4 each 2 weeks then Taxol & Herceptin for 12 each week), then Herceptin for a year and 5 years of Arimidex}. I am a very analytical person so that worked for me. Try to take a family member or friend with you when you go to the Onc. It is real hard to get all of the data in your head, especially when you are hearing things that are upsetting. Also, get your biopsy results in writting. That helps for your ability to research for yourself.

    Take Care... God Bless...

    Susan
  • karenack
    karenack Member Posts: 90
    #3
    Susan956 said:

    I assume since you just had your surgery last week you may not have the full results back from your biosopy. With those results you will be able to make more informed decisions. Like how big was the tumor, what grade was it, was it ER/PR + or HER 2 positive. My advice is to get those results and research on the web. When I talked to my Oncologist, my choice was to treat as aggressively as possible to give me the best chance of not having to take this trip again... however, it was in my lymph nodes... so as it turned out there wasn't much choice except to do Chemo. Get you Onc to layout the numbers for you. While each of us are individuals, they do have statistics. My Onc, layed out each portion of treatment for me to show me the benefit of each and then all of them collectively layed out. {for me Lumpectomy, Radiation, Chemo (A/C for 4 each 2 weeks then Taxol & Herceptin for 12 each week), then Herceptin for a year and 5 years of Arimidex}. I am a very analytical person so that worked for me. Try to take a family member or friend with you when you go to the Onc. It is real hard to get all of the data in your head, especially when you are hearing things that are upsetting. Also, get your biopsy results in writting. That helps for your ability to research for yourself.

    Take Care... God Bless...

    Susan

    Actually, I do have my biopsy report back. Fortunately, my cancer is both estrogen and progesterone + and Heur2Neu -. I know that is good news and that I may be a candidate for hormonal therapy. I still have my ovaries and I have the underlying fear that my cancer may recur a third time if I don't also opt for chemo.
  • KathiM
    KathiM Member Posts: 8,028 Member
    #4
    Sorry you become one of us select few that get to battle the beast on more than one front. I didn't have a choice, my sentinel nodes were cancerous....chemo it was. I WILL tell you, I traveled all over the area looking for someone who said I wouldn't have to do chemo again (the treatment for my rectal cancer was over only 3 months earlier...5FU, which used to be used for breast cancer). My last visit with a gal convinced me.....
    "You must fight as hard as you can....if that means chemo, so be it! Why would you invalidate your first fight by not following the course on this one?"
    That said, chemo was VERY hard on me....I have a damaged heart, and a part of my lung that couldn't be moved out of the way during radation that will show up damaged forever in XRays....sigh....
    I don't know if I would do chemo again, should the beast return for round 3....I hope I NEVER have to face the decision!

    Hugs for a very hard choice....
    Kathi
  • karenack
    karenack Member Posts: 90
    #5
    KathiM said:

    Sorry you become one of us select few that get to battle the beast on more than one front. I didn't have a choice, my sentinel nodes were cancerous....chemo it was. I WILL tell you, I traveled all over the area looking for someone who said I wouldn't have to do chemo again (the treatment for my rectal cancer was over only 3 months earlier...5FU, which used to be used for breast cancer). My last visit with a gal convinced me.....
    "You must fight as hard as you can....if that means chemo, so be it! Why would you invalidate your first fight by not following the course on this one?"
    That said, chemo was VERY hard on me....I have a damaged heart, and a part of my lung that couldn't be moved out of the way during radation that will show up damaged forever in XRays....sigh....
    I don't know if I would do chemo again, should the beast return for round 3....I hope I NEVER have to face the decision!

    Hugs for a very hard choice....
    Kathi

    Thanks for your input. At this point, I am willing to do anything to prevent a recurrence. I am actually afraid that my doctor won't offer it to me because this cancer had not spread to the lymph nodes. I am looking at the overall picture that this is my second cancer and also that I am only 42.
  • Crayonlover
    Crayonlover Member Posts: 11
    #6
    Sorry to hear that you are on a return trip through this nastiness. I was diagnosed (through biopsy) this February with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma and DCIS in one breast. The pathology report said I was ER+, PR-, HER2+. My surgery was scheduled for the beginning of April. Because of a family history of BC, I opted to have a double mastectomy. Pathology from the surgery showed the my nodes were clear but the DCIS had progressed to Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, I had multiple other sites of DCIS in the breast with cancer. LCIS was found in the "healthy" breast. Both breasts showed signs of the beginning of Paget's Disease. My oncologist strongly recommended 4 cycles of chemo (Taxotere and Cytoxin), a year of Herceptin and five of Tamoxifin. Your pathology report means everything. This incideous disease can invade so quickly I think, if I were you, I'd go with the chemo and be as aggressive in treating the disease as the disease is in attacking you. I hated chemo but was willing to put up with it in order to have the best chance to kill the beast. Even though my Sentinal Node Biopsy was clean my doctor still recommended a chemo regimen for me. Hope this helps in your discussions with your DR. Hang in there..
    Crayonlover
  • karenack
    karenack Member Posts: 90
    #7
    Crayonlover said:

    Sorry to hear that you are on a return trip through this nastiness. I was diagnosed (through biopsy) this February with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma and DCIS in one breast. The pathology report said I was ER+, PR-, HER2+. My surgery was scheduled for the beginning of April. Because of a family history of BC, I opted to have a double mastectomy. Pathology from the surgery showed the my nodes were clear but the DCIS had progressed to Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, I had multiple other sites of DCIS in the breast with cancer. LCIS was found in the "healthy" breast. Both breasts showed signs of the beginning of Paget's Disease. My oncologist strongly recommended 4 cycles of chemo (Taxotere and Cytoxin), a year of Herceptin and five of Tamoxifin. Your pathology report means everything. This incideous disease can invade so quickly I think, if I were you, I'd go with the chemo and be as aggressive in treating the disease as the disease is in attacking you. I hated chemo but was willing to put up with it in order to have the best chance to kill the beast. Even though my Sentinal Node Biopsy was clean my doctor still recommended a chemo regimen for me. Hope this helps in your discussions with your DR. Hang in there..
    Crayonlover

    Thanks for your information. I'm off to gather my records from when I had the cervical cancer to take with me Friday when I meet with the oncologist. Do oncologists usually give you a choice of doing the chemo or not? I really believe that even if he thinks I don't need it, with my past history and young age, I think that I want to proceed with the chemo anyway.
  • Crayonlover
    Crayonlover Member Posts: 11
    #8
    karenack said:

    Thanks for your information. I'm off to gather my records from when I had the cervical cancer to take with me Friday when I meet with the oncologist. Do oncologists usually give you a choice of doing the chemo or not? I really believe that even if he thinks I don't need it, with my past history and young age, I think that I want to proceed with the chemo anyway.

    Karenack~My onco never said, "I think you should do some chemo...what do you think?" But I made it clear to him up front that I wanted to treat the disease aggressively so I guess we never had the "chemo or not" discussion. It sounds as though you would choose chemo and be aggressive in your treatment choices. If so, tell your doctor how you feel. He/she will probably be willing to discuss options with you. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
    Crayonlover
  • karenack
    karenack Member Posts: 90
    #9
    Crayonlover said:

    Karenack~My onco never said, "I think you should do some chemo...what do you think?" But I made it clear to him up front that I wanted to treat the disease aggressively so I guess we never had the "chemo or not" discussion. It sounds as though you would choose chemo and be aggressive in your treatment choices. If so, tell your doctor how you feel. He/she will probably be willing to discuss options with you. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
    Crayonlover

    Thanks. That made me laugh out loud because that's exactly how I feel. You are right, I want to be very aggressive in my treatment. I met with the radiation oncologist today and she said that I have to go through 35 treatments. Of course we are on hold until we meet with the oncologist on Friday. I strongly feel that my quality of life should be considered. I don't want to live in fear that my cancer will come back. I am prepared to tell him that Friday. Thanks for your input.
  • Crayonlover
    Crayonlover Member Posts: 11
    #10
    karenack said:

    Thanks. That made me laugh out loud because that's exactly how I feel. You are right, I want to be very aggressive in my treatment. I met with the radiation oncologist today and she said that I have to go through 35 treatments. Of course we are on hold until we meet with the oncologist on Friday. I strongly feel that my quality of life should be considered. I don't want to live in fear that my cancer will come back. I am prepared to tell him that Friday. Thanks for your input.

    If you have time to check back in here, let me know how the trip to the onco goes tomorrow. You sound like you're ready to make a stand. Good Luck!
  • karenack
    karenack Member Posts: 90
    #11
    Crayonlover said:

    If you have time to check back in here, let me know how the trip to the onco goes tomorrow. You sound like you're ready to make a stand. Good Luck!

    Thanks. Just what I wanted to do on my birthday, go to an oncologist!!! I will let you know. By the way, how is your fight going?
  • karenack
    karenack Member Posts: 90
    #12
    Well, I am back from the oncologist. My options are tomoxifen or removing my ovaries, chemo or both. There is a significant increase in my overall survival by doing both the chemo and either the tomoxifen or having the ovaries removed. I have a long history of ovarian cysts and a family history of ovarian cancer as well. Anyway, he is going to call me on Wednesday to see what I have decided. Oh, do you know anything about the two different regimens he offered me? One is CMF and the other is AC.

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