Deciding Treatment

margodae

I was diagnosed on Sept. 11.  I had a lumpectomy Oct. 5.  Pathology report:  Tumor 1.1cm, ER+, PR+, HER2+, no nodes involved.   Stage 1, Grade 2. 

The treatment options I have been given are:  Tamoxifen/Radiation with close monitoring to follow OR Chemo/Herceptin/Tamoxifen/Radiation.  My oncologist told me that either treatment is acceptable, it just depends how aggressive I want to be. 

 Has anyone had a close diagnosis??  What would you recommend??

bre

Hi.  My diagnosis was 1.7cm tumor, er+,pr-,her2+++, grade 3, nuclear grade 8, 0/12 nodes, stage 1.  My onc told me I had to have chemo due to the tumor being very aggressive.  Told me the best time to start chemo was within 3 weeks of the mother tumor being removed and any remaining cells would be very hungry and gobble up the chemo.  I had 4 rounds of adriamycin and cytoxan.  Not a picnic but doable.  I was diagnosed before herceptin was approved.  Took 10 months of tamoxifen and didn't like it and switched to arimidex.  Still on arimidex.  It's been 5 1/2 years since the end of chemo.  Didn't do rads since no positive nodes and had a mastectomy.  You would need rads due to lumpectomy.  I am doing very well and do not regret the chemo, hair loss, etc.  I will be on arimidex indefinitely onc says since I have not had a recurrence.  I chose to be aggressive with my treatment since my cancer was aggressive.  The question is, if you chose the tamoxifen and rads and had a recurrence would you always wonder what if and regret not being more aggressive?  I feel that if I have a recurrence, I at least know that I was as aggressive and did everything that I could do at the time.  It's a personal decision.  Collect the facts, weigh the pros and cons.  Make the best decision you can on the available facts and don't look back and wonder what if.  Hope this helps.

sheila888

HI ...As you can see my DX below we have the same diagnosis.

I was DX at age 53 had lumpectomy, re excision because I didn't have clear margins.

Had 4 rounds of A/C  follow by 4 rounds Taxol with Herceptin (52) weeks .While i was on Herceptin I had radiation and I was put on Femara for 5 years. My tumor was 1.2cm.

We are not doctors here but with HER+ status why only radiation is recommended?

Sheila