? about treatment for local recurrence

wallycat

I had a visit with my onco day and was very lucky to get an NED (as best as anyone can tell without any scans or lab work) report.  I asked her what happens if they would find a local recurrence and was a bit shocked with her response.

 She indicated surgical removal of the local recurrence and rads for the area.  No chemo.  HUH.

If any of you have had a local recurrence, can you share what your onco told you?

Thanks ladies.

Sharonmatt

I had a recurrence 8 years after my first diagnosis in 2004.  I originally had a lumpectomy and the cancer returned in the same breast.  I had a double mastectomy this time.  I was concerned about having chemo again (had Cytoxan and Adriamyacin the first time) and worried about putting all those toxins in my body again.  My oncologist and I agreed that taking the pills ( I am on Femara for 5 years) would be sufficient.  I wasn't so concerned about the short-term effects of the chemo but I have read so many articles about the long-term effects of the chemo - heart problems, leukemia, liver, etc.  I feel I made the right decision for me.

wrsmith2x

I had a local recurrence 4 years after my first round with BC.  I had a lumpectomy, chemo and rads with first BC so couldn't do rads again this time.  Had a BMX with DIEP reconstruction and did nothing else.  Talked several times with the oncologist at UNC and with my regular onc.  I told them that chemo failed me the first time and why should I believe that it would help me this time?  Neither had a good response.  In fact the onc at UNC said "you're right.  Modern medicine failed you.  You did everything right and had the tumor removed with clean margins, had chemo to take care of any remaining cells and then did rads to take care of anything that chemo didn't get.  And one of those things failed you."

I do worry about it coming back but continue to say to myself.....we all gotta die sometime.  So I do the best I can with the time I have now.  I pray you never have to deal with the beast again.  Namaste'. 

minxie

No chemo for me either. They said I'd already had the strongest of the bunch (AC/Taxol) and there was no data out there to show if more chemo after a local occurence was effective. So I've just had surgery and rads (had double mastectomy 1st time around). They said the chemo was up to me, and so far I am refusing anymore.