TNBC ICD Treatment

umater

Hi, I am new to this forum and wanted share my story and ask for opinions of my scheduled treatment.  I have been researching and would like to compare my treatment to that of others.  I was just dx with TNBC ICD, tumor 2.7 cm with spread to at least one node.  According to all the other workups, it has not spread any where else in my body.  My onc wants me to start with chemo first and that would be 12 wks of paclitaxel and then 4 wks of AC, surgery and then radiation....does this sound reasonable? 

Sugar77

Umater - welcome to BCO...sorry you had to find us. I had Taxotere/Cytoxan x4.  My tumour was small but my oncologist wanted to treat aggressively. I also had rads afterward.  There's a really good, active thread on here called "Calling all TNS"...you might want to check it out as you'll meet a lot of other women all with TNBC.

Babs37

umater- Welcome umater. If it can help, I had a 4.5cm+ TN tumor with 2 nodes positive. I received 4DD AC + 12 weekly Taxol. Then had surgery and now doing 25 rads. If you want to join us on the Calling all TNS thread the women there are just wonderfull and will help you with all the questions you may have about triple negative cancer and treatments. Good luck.

Luah

Yes it sounds reasonable. Many of us did surgery first, then chemo... but several have done chemo first - useful for shrinking particularly large tumours (2.7 cm is not uncommon for TN) to allow for a better surgical result and/or to be able to follow the effects of the chemo in shrinking the tumour and adjust accordingly (as chemo is the only systemic weapon we TNs have so you want to get it right). This may be what your onc has in mind.

A/C followed by T has been a common regimen among TNs, but very recent research has shown that giving paclitaxal (taxol) first followed by AC is more effective. So it sounds like your onc is right on top of things, a good thing.

Sorry you have to be here, but you will find loads of support.   

mccrimmon324

Hey everyone,

I know I've posted this question before on another thread but since your on the subject.  I am a TN too, one oncologist wanted 4 x taxol, 4 x A/C - this is after I had my lumpectomy.  Went for 2nd opinion and am sticking with new dr, he's seems awesome but has recommended that I do 6 x/ TAC.  I see alot of people are getting the Taxol & A/C.  Just wondering if TAC was offered/recommended to anyone?

Thanks.

ebann

Hi I followed this regimen. It sounds like your onc is making the best decision for you. I had chemo first to shrink my tumor. Which my tumor was 12.4 cm when they removied it. Then I had my mx and then after my mx I did rads.

I did TAC in the beginning when I first started out. Sounds correct mccrimmon324

yellowdoglady

I did 6 x Taxotare and Cytoxin as the A thing wasn't good for my heart.  Seven hours a day, every three weeks.  Then seven weeks of daily radiation.  No fun but it seems to have worked so far.

We shall see.  I was told that giving up the A part was not going to make any appreciable difference (about 1%) and the risk wasn't worthwhile if I could take all the rest of it.  I did.

ebann- how did that thing get so big without any notice of it?  Most of us find our own problem, and often because it hurts.  I only ask because that is not always the case.  My stepsis didn't find hers until it was late stage, but she was not triple negative.  I know the old wives tale that if it hurts it can't be cancer, but when I found my little beast I probably knew it was, and didn't want to believe it as I had passed my mammogram test just months before.  But it did hurt, so I got an order and scheduled some tests and in the months it took to complete them, I was in trouble.

Ah, that should be a new thread.

Just so you know, I was 1.5 cm, IDC TNBC, 4/14 nodes, dx 11/2008, lumpectomy, chemo, radiation.  All done 7/09.  Clear as creek water so far (as of 4/11), and I'll take that for now.