Chemo/Lumpectomy

sassycassie

I was DX with IDC stage II in February of this year.  I just completed a round of TCH (six rounds of TC) last week and will have a lumpectomy in July.  I am still getting Herceptin weekly.  Has anyone had this regimen of treatment with the chemo first and then the lumpectomy?  The upcoming surgery has me a little spoked.  It seems most have their surgery and then chemo.

jdeking

I personally didn't but a lot of women on this board did it like that, especially if their tumors were a bit larger. Has your tumor shrunk noticeably?

 Best of luck to you! Be sure to check back in and let us know how it went.

KKing

Yes, I have heard that can be a standard approach if for some reason they want to shrink the tumour first and then do the surgery.  Hopefully someone will let you know their experience.   Best wishes on the upcoming surgery.

Karen

Twinmom77

I was about to post on here and ask the same thing.  They're recommending chemo and then lumpectomy for me but it just seems like everyone else has the opposite.  My mass isn't even that big really - a little over a cm - and I'm triple pos so I don't understand why they don't just take it out and give me the hormone drugs.  For me, I'm more worried about the chemo than the surgery.  Hopefully somebody on here has a similar experience as us. 

sassycassie

My chemo wasn't real bad, except for the hair loss.  My tumor was 2.3 cm and their intent was to shrink it and have less invasive lumpectomy.  I also have lymph node involvement and they will be removing them with the lumpectomy.  Both the breast tumor and lymph node have been reduced dramatically from the cheo.

marshall2000

sassycassie and twin mom: i had chemo first, just finished a week ago today, had my mri on monday, results show absolutely NO evidence of any cancer in my chest, boobs, or lymph nodes. i still have to meet with my bs on tues of next week to have an u/s and mammogram done, then schedule surgery. I am very happy with this choice as it is called a breast conserving approach, the reasoning is to diminish the size of the tumor as much as possible before surgery in hopes of saving as much breast tissue as possible. i stil lhave to have rads also. Hope this helps some.

BlessedOne2

I'm hopeful that the chemo/surgery stragegy is to reduce tumor/kill some cells before the surgery. I had lumpectomy on 6/10 after being diagnosed on 4/6.  Sometimes I wonder if I should have asked about chemo first.  I am also triple positive. Anyway, am recovering well from the lumpectomy.  The discomfort is more in the armpit and not on the chest/breast.  I will see surgeon again on monday as well as radiologist and the med-onco on tuesday.  It seems the chemo then surgery approach is common so try not to be toooo concerned about it.  Enjoy your weekend.  How was your Herceptin experience?  I too will have to take it.

Wanda 

nelia48

Having chemo first and then surgery seems to be becoming a more usual thing.  Shrinking the tumor is the goal.  This is what I had.  6 rounds of chemo, then surgery and then radiation.  The chemo did what it was supposed to and shrunk my tumor to almost nothing and worked on the cancerous lymph nodes, too.  So be confident that they do know what they are doing!

sassycassie

Blessed One-  The Herceptin has been a breeze for me.  Been doing it weekly and have had no side effects worth mentioning.  Following my surgery next month and some rads, I will continue on the Herceptin for another 12 months or so.

Nelia-  Your remarks ease my concerns.  I am confident in my onc and BS, so I just pray that everything is going according to plan.

Marshall-  Great news on your MRI, congrats.  I had mine this past Friday, so I will know more sometime next week.  I too with have to do some rads following my surgery, hopefully only about 30 days.  Hope you mammagram and U/S reports are good.