questions please help

tanya01

I was diagnosed on April 4.  At the young age of 29.  I am almost done with chemo. I have 4 AC treatments and 6 out of 12 taxol treatments

I have some questions, but at the same time I don't know how to ask them, I am hoping someone will understand what I am trying to say.

I am basically triple neg. IDC sage lla grade 3.  I had no nodes involved and clean margins when I had my double mastectomy.  Does having no nodes involved and having clean margins a better chance or survival? I also carry the BRCA1 gene.. Does having this gene reduced my survival rate or higher my chances of a recurrence.  I cant really find much info on recurrence online for the type of cancer I have

Miller1353

I am BRCA1+, too. My medical and surgical oncologist said my chance for recurrence was up to 67%. I was stage 1, IDC, no nodes, grade 3 and my ki-67 was 76%. I was er-/pr+, so I was treated like a triple negative. I went 8 rounds of AC/T, no radiation, BMX, and hysterectomy.

BRCA changes everything, in my opinion. I would not have had BMX and hysterectomy if I was not positive. I was 43 at diagnosis, so I have many years ahead. Both my surgical and medical oncologists said they would have a BMX if they were me.

 I was lucky that my tumor was only 1.4 cm the first time around, found on a mammogram. I only plan to go through this ordeal one time. I asked for the most aggressive treatment plan possible. I have no regrets.

These are tough decisions to make, and everyone has a right to do it her/his way. This is such an unpredictable disease. I wanted to look back and know that I did everything in my power to lessen my chance of recurrence and/or mets.

Try the FORCE website. It has a wealth of information about BRCA mutations. My onco assures me that I can live a long, happy life. It's not a death sentence. It is information about your body, and information is power. You have the ability to make informed decisions now that can positively influence your future.

tanya01

Thanks everyone for the kind words and sharing your story. I had chemo today and had a long talk with my Doc. He told me today that my cancer has an 81% chance of NOT coming back. I was relieved to hear this news. I go next week to see the gene counselor. I am a little worried as to what they are going to tell me. But baby steps are good.  I am working on my low fat diet.. But it's a little hard. I love food, but if it betters my chances for survival I am going to do whatever it takes to make it. Wishing you all the best and thank you sooooo much for reaching out to me.