Was chemo offered in 1990?

Sunflower64

Was chemo offered in 1990?

Sunflower64

Hello,

My mom was dx in 1990 with IDC, stage III. I recently received all of her medical records and she was not offered chemo!!! I am very surprised!!! She had 12/12 nodes and 2 cm tumor. She had a mast and radiation and was put on Tamoxifen for 10 years. Since then she has had 2 recurrances. I can't help but to think if she would of had chemo she might have not had the recurrances. Does anyone know anyone that had chemo in 1990 for breast cancer? I plan to call her oncologist with this question.

Thanks,

Diane

Anonymous

My late grandmother received chemo for her BC back in 70's. That was in USSR, but I'm 1000% sure the chemo was available in this part of the World as well.

suzwes

This is a hard question to answer.  Evidenced Based Clinical guidelines at the time were just coming into play in medicine and studies at the time may not have been conclusive based on her type, stage and treatment options.  As an example, here is an abstract from a study that was done in 1988 questioning if/type of chemo should be done in conjunction with other treatments for Stage III breast cancer:  http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/abstract/6/2/261

I think you are very smart to ask the oncologist about it but don't be too surprised if it wasn't standard practice for her type of breast cancer back then.

Good luck to you and your mom.  You're in my thoughts and prayers.

KittyDog

I know chemo was available as far back as the early 70's.  My best friends mom had BC and had chemo after her surgery.  Could your mom have refused it?  It was so different back then and made people very sick.  My friends mom quit because half way though because  it made her so sick.

 Hope your mom is okay.

MarieKelly

I was a hospital oncology nurse in 1990. Yes, they were giving chemo for breast cancer at that point in time.

LRM216

My mother in law had her breast removed and had extensive chemo back in 1963 at MSK in NYC,and it probably dates back even farther than that.  Why would anyone think that chemo was only available after 1990????

dreaming

Yes, and many of the "old"treatments are back many in a pill form, like CFM, National Breast Cancer Coalition was formed in 91 and they were the fighters to get new drugs,

Till then B.C. was not given money for research.