No ONCA test results

scouch01

I'm 37 and was dx with stage I,, invasive, ductal carcinoma. My tumor was 4.5mm, grade 3, ER/PR+, HER2-, node negative and I'm BRAC2 positive. I had a bi-lateral mastectomy due to family history. My oncologist has been telling from the very beg that I probably won't need chemo but she was waiting for the Onca test results. Unfortunately, when it came back it said they couldn't run the test because my tumor was so small. Now my doc is telling me to have chemo. I want to have a baby and chemo will pretty much ruin that for me. I'm so confused and don't know what to do. She did suggest that I could do Tamoxifen and zoladex for a year and then have a baby but she said if it were her she would do the chemo. I went on the adjuvantonline and I don't really understand the results. For relapse it said hormonal therapy only would have 8 out 100 women are alive and without cancer because of therapy. For chemo only it said 12 out of 100 women are alive and without cancer because of therapy. And with both it said 15 out of 100 women are alive ane without cancer because of therapy. Please help me understand the percentages from that info and any input you might have concerning my situation.

wallycat

Hi and welcome. I was unaware that there was a certain size necessary for the Genome/Onco test...could they simply send more of the tumor to them and have a re-test?
I do know that younger women are usually given chemo because the thought is their cancers are more aggressive and they have a longer life-span where there can be recurrence.

LisaAlissa

Quote:

---

Now my doc is telling me to have chemo. I want to have a baby and chemo will pretty much ruin that for me. I'm so confused and don't know what to do. She did suggest that I could do Tamoxifen and zoladex for a year and then have a baby but she said if it were her she would do the chemo.

---

Since you want to have a family after treatment, you may want to consider a consultation with a fertility specialist now (before treatment). Apparently certain chemo drugs are more (or less) likely to cause infertility. In addition, there are steps you can take now (freezing embryos, etc.), to make it more likely that you will be able to have a family later.

On the AdjuvantOnLine results, ask your oncologist to go through them with you and answer your questions. (I understand that that website has been modified over time to try to make it more likely that it will be used as a shared utility between doc & patient. In fact, they ask you to click a button that says "continue. I am a medical professional.") If you've accessed it alone, print out your results and take them w/ you to your oncologist to discuss.

HTH,

LisaAlissa

scouch01

I already sent them all my slides and blocks so unfortunately there's nothing else to send.
I have decided to get a 2nd opinion though before I make a final decision.

scouch01

Thank you for the info. I have been to one fertility doc and I have an appt with a 2nd one this Thurs just as a 2nd opinion. I'm trying to get everything done so I can make a decision and start my chemo (if that's what I decide). I want this to get started and over with so I can start to move on. Ugh!
I'm also going to get a 2nd opinion on the treatment. I just want to make sure and have all the info that I can to make this decision.