Feeling a bit blind sided - have a few questions

waterdog

So - I go from being diagnosed and told I will only need lumpectomy and radiation (followed by mri, more testing and sterostatic biopsies of both breasts) to being told today that I will be having neoadjuvant chemo, followed by lump, mast or bmx depending on what the recent biopsies show. They biopsied calicifications in both breasts so I will have those results Monday. I am HER +++ (also told that today). BS is setting me up with an oncologist later this week. So my question for the weekend is this - what type of chemo can I expect, how long, etc. and followup after surgery. I know that I will need a workup before chemo begins but how fast can I expect to get things done if I meet with the oncologist later this week. I apparently have multiple nodes plus possible mammary lymph node involved. Also, another dumb question, since I have er+, Her + but pr-, can I still be in the triple girl's club or am I not eligible?

JeninMichigan

Dear Waterdog

I am sorry you have been given so much to digest at one time. Being her2++ and having positive nodes, chemo is the course of action. You will likely be given either adrimyicin/cytoxine followed by taxol (act) and Heceptin. Or Taxotere, Carboplatin and Herceptin. You can except one full year of Herceptin every three weeks. Herceptin is quite tolerable. I have been doing now over 5 1/2 years of it (only because I am stage IV). You will also start a hormonal therapy after chemo is done depending on if you are post menopausal you will get either Tamoxifen or an AI like Arimidex or Ferrara. It seems like so much at one time to take in. All the tests, scans etc. just take it one day at a time. Her2 is more aggressive but we have great effective drugs too. I have been NED now thanks to Herceptin for over 5 years and my mets where fairly extensive in my liver and bones. Just take good notes and stick with us,

Jen

septembersong

Hi waterdog,

Too much information, too many critical decisions to make when you really have no basis on which to evaluate the alternatives. The first few days and weeks of this experience are really awful. Once you have a medical team in place that you trust things get better.

I too am ER+/PR-/HER2+, but with no node involvement. My tumor was 1.2 cm. I had a lumpectomy, then 12 treatments of taxol and herceptin, followed by 33 radiation treatments, and five years of letrozole (if you're premenopausal, that'll be tamoxifen). Treatment was arduous, but I was able to work the whole time. I was working from a home office and only took treatment days off during chemo. I had radiation every morning at 7 a.m. and then just carried on.

In my experience, the most important thing is to find a medical team that you trust and that treats you with kindness and respect. Tune out negative people in your work and personal life and focus on your health and wellbeing. Get plenty of rest, laugh with your friends and loved ones as much and as often as you can, and eat well. You'll have a long and productive life after treatment. As a good friend told me, this is a bump in the road that will soon be in your rear-view mirror.

Good luck!