Pathologic Complete Response and Survivorship

Tabatha00

I have 2 questions.  First is at what point is our cancerversary?  I was dx with bx on May 22, 2009 but finished my treatments May 24, 2010.  What date do I use?

Also, I had neoadjuvunct (sp) chemo 4 AC and 12 Abraxane.  When my bilateral mastectomies were done no cancer was found in the breast tissue or the lymph nodes.  I hear this means pcR.  Is that right and what exactly does pcR mean?   Better survival rates?

 Just curious.

Tabatha

momcat54

HI Tabatha- my dx and treatment plan are very close to yours (timeline too!).  My treatment was also neo adjuvant, herceptin and abraxane weekly, carboplatin every 3 weeks.  I also achieved pcR at surgery with a modified radical mastectomy.  Post surgery I did 35 radiation treatments. I just finished (last month) my 1 year of herceptin and am finished with treatment.

Mentally, I think it fair and accurate to count your survivorship from day of diagnosis. Traditionally, I believe that scientifically they count from date of surgery.  This does not apply to us neo- adjuvant girls however. I have heard doctors use the final chemo date.  To my mind this is equivelent to the surgery date in more traditional treatment plans- as it represents the day the beast has left our bodies!

PcR means pathological complete response- they could find no viable cancer in the tissue. My oncologist, when pressed- very firmly against the wall, says my chance of no future reoccurance is 86%. I am happy with that number. It is my understanding that HER2 tends to reoccur very quickly when it does not respond well to herceptin (not you or I, as evidenced by our surgery results). Reoccurence % peaks at 24 months, declines slightly to 36 months and then dramatically drops after that. So we are half way there!  I don't think they have a good handle on neo adjuvant therapy with herceptin yet- I am in a study and they have not released any findings as of yet so much remains to be seen. I have a great feeling about my treatments and really feel that I can put this god awlful year and a half behind me.  If I am wrong I will deal with it then but for now, it's a whole new day!  Best wishes to you

Kathy

GramE

Hi:  I had neo adj - dose dense AC.  taxol and herceptin  for 12 weeks, then lumpectomy, and total of a year of herceptin.  My onco says my "date" is the first time I had chemo, which was a month after dx.    And she told me she has very few with Complete Pathological Response - only used when neo adj is done before surgery, and the survival rate is higher than the average (but no % given)...   I wonder if clean nodes applies, since I had no node involvement.     

Since my first chemo was June 2008, I consider myself as a 2 year plus survivor - using my onco's time reference.    I had not heard or been told that the % drops after 36 months.   I am grateful for good test results and hope my mammo next month continues to be "clear".    

There are just too many factors involved in diagnosis, treatment and  my latest is low Vitamin D level.   Today was endocrinologist appointment and blood work to see if I go on 50,000 units of D once a week.    

Hugs and Blessings, Nancy ( edited for typos - think I got them all...!!! )

Tabatha00

I'm triple negative so I wasn't HER2 positive.  I did DD AC and then 12 Abraxane.  So since I had neo-adjuvnt (sp) chemo I should count my "survivorship" from the date I had surgery?   I was dx with bc May 22, 20-09,.  I finished chemo on January 22, 2010.  I had bilateral mastectomies on March 1, 2010 and finished radiation May 24, 2010.   So, pick a date....any date.  lol    Should I count from surgery date?