FEC adjuvant following TH with Perjeta Neoadjuvant

flantille

After my 7 cm tumor disappeared with taxotere, herceptin, and perjeta, I had high hopes for my pathology report post surgery. It came back with a pathologic complete response! However, my oncologist still wants me to do FEC starting next week. I don't understand what the rationale is in doing more chemo when the response was already really good. I'm meeting with another oncologist next week for input but I'd like to know if anyone else has been in a similar situation.

flannelette

Just guessing as I didn't have neoadjuvant chemo, just MX then FEC & rads. Could it be that your neoadjuvant chemo was to first shrink the tumor before surgery but the FEC is generally considered a better combo for reaching distant parts of the body where possible br ca cells might metastasize? ie one chemo good for specific tumor shrinkage but another better for all over body? I had a very large tumour too - metastasis can happen any time, even long before the neoadjuvant chemo. as i say, just a guess. I had FEC even though my path report after mx showed clean margins, no vascular involvement, no nodes.