Treating IDC Hormone therapy vs. chemotherapy

DevotedDaughter

Hello Everyone,

My mother was diagnosed with IDC in August of 2012. She began chemo in October 2012 and has 5 more weeks left. Her doctors decided to do chemo before her mastectomy in an attemot to shrink the tumor. However we saw the surgeon today and it appears that her tumor is not shrinking. Therefore I'm wondering if she should be getting hormone therapy instead of chemo. What do you think?

lostinmo

Hopefully someone will come along that can answer better than I can, but from what I understand it depends on what hormone receptors the tumor has for the hormone therapy to do good. Usually it is started after the other treatment is completed.

dlb823

Since the chemo hasn't shrunk her tumor, what does her medical team plan to do next?  

Without knowing a lot more about her diagnosis, it's really impossible to venture even an opinion -- and that would be all it would be, as we're not doctors.  But I would certainly want to understand the game plan going forward, and I think I might also get a second opinion in view of the apparent lack of response to the chemo.

Good luck, and please let us know what you find out.   (((Hugs))) to you both ~  Deanna

maltomlin

The first question is 'what was her dx?' Was she er+, pe+, her+ or whatever? It makes a difference.