"Neoadjuvant" chemotherapy anyone?

Tg5471530

"Neoadjuvant" chemotherapy anyone?

Tg5471530

My Dr.s are all recomending "neoadjuvant" chemotherapy for me to salvage as much skin for reconstruction.  My mass is 4cm and I have small breast and too little fat on my body to use for reconstruction.  I will probably have a double mass after the chemo, may be getting implants.  They havent discussed radiation yet.  Is this something that they wait to discuss, or they have to wait to see if I need it?  Just wondering if anyone else had it and what your experience was like.  Thanks!

kumanakaya

My doctor gave me a choice and I took the neoadjuvant.  She told me she'd do a mammogram after treatment 3 and if it didn't shrink we'd just go to surgery.  It's been 3 treatments and the size has not changed (3.0 x 2.2 cm) but the node is smaller (one axillary node involved).  Chemo is no picnic but I thought if it was smaller than I'd have less surgery and I'd know what chemo would work and what wouldn't.  I was surprised at the relief I feel with the possibility of no more chemo right now.  It's not horrible but is definitely not a picnic either. I'm on  Here are some questions I asked.

Ask them what the treatment will be following surgery if the tumor shrinks due to the neoadjuvant chemo.  Ask them if they will discontinue treatment if the tumor doesn't shrink.  Ask them when they will test you to see if it's shrunk.  Ask them about radiation if you have a double mass after chemo.  Some of the decisions will come after the surgery and after they dissect the tumor, but they have a protocol for different options and ask them what that protocol is.  Ask them if they'll change the chemo drugs if they are not working and how long before the check to see if they are working.

 Good luck!  I am praying for you.  Let me know how it goes!

Tg5471530

Thank for all the advice.  I never even thought about asking if they were going to check during the chemo to see if its working.  I do know that they did talk about 2 different options for meds, but that really depends on if my heart can take the first option.  I go for my ECHO today.  So you didnt have to finish your chemo right?  Were you supposed to start then have surgery and finish it after he surgery?

LJ13-2

It seems in many major cities that neoadjuvant therapy is more the norm.

I had it: dose dense AC followed by 12x1 Taxol/Herceptin.

Everyone's response is unique. For me, after 1 AC, I felt the tumor shrink. After 2, it was much smaller. After 3, the secondary tumor was no longer palpable (in the nodes) and the primary was undetectable. 

PET scan at completion of chemo was negative. All path slides at surgery were negative.

The primary tumor had been 3.1 cm, and the secondary had been 2.4 cm. This is not a common response, but it did happen to me.

Neoadjuvant for small-breasted women with big tumors is the way I would choose to go, every time.

AngieC

I am undergoing neoadjuvant chemo right now.  I have one more treatment left.  The larger cancer centers are doing neoadjuvant chemo.  Your tumor should shrink with neoadjuvant chemo.  If it doesn't then the meds probably need to be changed.  This way you know whether the cancer is responding to chemo and whether you're on the right chemo regimen.  I think this gives a better long term prognosis.

Anonymous

I had neo-adjuvant chemo.  I go to Duke, thus a very large cancer center.  I did AC/T dose dense.  We didn't do any scans while I was on chemo.  My onc just felt the tumor each time I went (every two weeks) and we could feel it shrinking.  I did not have a complete response.  It shrunk to about 1/2 the original size.  We did the MRI after chemo to see how much it shrank and to see if the second tumor was still there.  The second tumor didn't show up.  They were hoping to save my breast.  However, when I talked to the rad onc I decided...take it off!  LOL  And, the second tumor which was in a different quadrant of the breast was still there...1 cm.  I had rads, but I also still had postive nodes after chemo.

Tg5471530

I had the Echo and everything was ok.  My Bone scan was all good and my MRI found another 2cm x 3cm mass.  I have the Port placement and sentinal node taken out on Thurs.  On June 1st. I'll start Dose dense AC ever 14 days given 4 times, then Taxol every 14 days given 4 times also.  I got my hair cut short 2 days ago, and already purchased 2 cheap hats.  Wish me luck!