Neoadjuvant Chemo Results Question

CSMommy

I have a question for those of you that went through neoadjuvant chemotherapy. I just finished my chemo - 4 A/C, then 11 Taxol (skipped the 12th one due to neuropathy). I'll be having a masctectomy in a couple of weeks.



When I first started my chemo, I had 5 tumors and quite a few cancerous nodes. The biggest tumor (the one I initially found) had gotten to 4 cm, and was attached to the chest wall. Per a PET scan done a few weeks ago, all but the main tumor had disappeared and the nodes were clean. The big tumor went from 4 cm to 2.2 cm. All good, right?



Today, as of 1 1/2 weeks PFC, I have a gigantic (to me) tumor in my breast. It's hard, it doesn't move, and it is scaring me. I met with my oncologist last week, who tried to reassure me not to worry about it, as we would be getting rid of it soon with surgery. But I swear to you, it's growing. My underwire bras were aggravating it, so I stopped wearing those. It wakes me at night because it hurts. I'm trying to tell myself that it's just scar tissue.



Has anyone else experienced a tumor growing after chemo and before surgery? I was - and still am - dreading my mastectomy, but now I just want this damn thing out of me. I've been feeling it since February. I want it gone.

gillyone

bump

Bexter3

CS Mommy, I KNOW how scary this can be, your story sounds almost identical to mine. But look at your evidence.... NO cancer was in your nodes anymore, no cancer can get into your bloodstream. The head of my local cancer center, the lead oncologist and radiation doc as well, read my results and had another lab review the results to clarify. I asked why and she said chemo never, or very rarely, kills the cancer in the nodes, since they are a filtering system. She said it always kills the breast tumors first. I too, had a breast tumor left after chemo killed about 11 centimeters in the other 3 tumors. Two of my largest tumors were matted lymph nodes of cancer... SO... WHAT DOES IT MEAN? It means your onc is probably right, the chemo kicked ass in your nodes and this tumor will be removed surgically. It's the cancerous nodes that kill us, so from my own experience, after surgery, I was cancer free! and have been for 27 months.



I think you should rely on the proof of your of no more cancerous nodes. Also, in my experience, the breast tumor that was still there was "inflamed" and appeared to be growing, but after removal they said it had not reproduced cancerous cells, but instead my body was building a scar tissue and a barricade... Apparently my body got an upper hand once the chemo got the most dangerous stuff (nodes).



Hang in there and I will say huge prayers for you. Hugs sister!!

kathleen1966

Wow, that sounds very hopeful Gettinpasthis and I hope it helps you CS mommy!  You are almost to your mastectomy so hang in there! 

CSMommy

Thank you so much for sharing your experience, Gettinpastthis. That really did help me calm my nerves a bit. Just getting anxious, i suppose. I meet with my surgeon tomorrow to get the ball rolling on the mastectomy.

MandalaB

^ whats CSMommy said.

Thank you.

I have a little fear of those 4 weeks. Like I'm laundry in the wind before surgery.
My main breast tumor has shrunk incredibly fast - from 5cm to .5 so far. ( I have 4 total)  I have a clumpy pile of node mess in my armpit still. hasn't really budged much in size.
My surgery is Nov 9th. eek. My last chemo is Oct 8th.
EEK.

 eeeeek!

Kay_G

I had a similar experience. Catscans before chemo showed three tumors, the largest was 4.5 cms, also "multiple" nodes. Cat scan after chemo didn't light up, but you could still feel something, bs thought it was scar tissue. After mx, all the nodes in my armpit were cancer free. There were two nudes with 2 mm of cancer in the tail and a 1 cm tumor in the breast. Both bs and onc said this was excellent result. It's 13 months since sx and all is well. Best wishes for all of us to continue! Hang in there, it gets easier.

Hope999

CSMommy, I'm going through this now.  Had 4 tumours disappear during my first 4 rounds of chemo, but one was left.  Started AC 2 weeks ago and the one tumour grew, almost tripled to 6cm.  Now I'll have a mastectomy.

Pre chemo I had a CAT scan which came back fine.  That was in July, 4 months ago.  Now they want me to do another CAT scan before surgery.  Did they scan you again?  I'm thinking that I may not do this scan but wait a few months after surgery.  I'm locally advanced as it is and would rather go into surgery knowing I'm still in this stage.

CSMommy

I'm sorry I missed the last post - it was actually the morning of my mastectomy.

So, the good news is that I wasn't losing my mind.  My surgeon said she took out what turned out to be a baseball-sized lump out of my cancerous breast.  In this lump was my tumor - my 2 cm, tiny-compared-to-a-baseball-tumor.  It was surrounded by dead cancer cells, scar tissue, etc.  I haven't seen my pathology report yet, but I am extremely curious as to what it says.  

Another thing I found amazing was that my initial PET scan showed cancerous nodes. The PET scan I had towards the end of chemo showed that the chemo got rid of the cancer in those nodes.  I had a sentinel node biopsy done the morning of my mastectomy, and it came back negative!  I showed no cancer in my nodes, so they only removed the main sentinel node during my mastectomy.  

I'm set to start radiation treatment in a few weeks.  35 rounds.  I'm curious as to whether or not all I have a scan when rads are done.  I think I'd like one for my peace of mind.  

What's so irritating to me is that I am having such a hard time accepting that my tumor is gone.  My lymph nodes are clear. My cancer is gone.  It's awesome, it's amazing...and it's unbelievable.

Hope999 - when will you be having your surgery?  I'll be thinking only but the best for you.  I noticed that you are also TN.  

MandalaB - hope your last chemo went ok.  I'll be thinking of you, too, and your upcoming surgery.

Keep us informed, ladies.  

Momine

CS, that is wonderful news on the nodes. I am so glad to hear that. Be gentle with yourself. MX recovery is a bit of a slog.