Side effects after chemo? Recurrence ?

Geo

Hi everyone,

My mother had breast cancer stage I, grade III and triple negative. She is also palb2 positive.

Her oncologist told her to get 6 rounds, but my mother told her 4 because she was doing the bilateral masectomy as soon as possible. She began to get infection, falls after each round, even got sepsis and after the last visit to ER. She was crying to stop all the chemo and finally did 3. Ironically the chemo wasn't that bad, but Nulasta was the worst pain in the ass... Literally.

She is cancer free after the lumpectomy and her breasts were clear after the masectomy.

Huge question.

Side effects? After finishing all your rounds of chemo, do you still have side effects?

Can she get a recurrence with the same grade on her reconstructed breasts or outside the breasts?

Thanks.

SelenaWolf

Side effects after chemo? Some women do experience lasting side effects, some severe, some mild, everybody is different. I have not had any at all.

Recurrence? Always a possibility, even after a mastectomy and chemotherapy, although - statistically - the risk is lower.

Kicks

There are no absolutes with cancer or with any of the TXs.

Some possible SEs after Chemo are developing osteoporosis (or developing it sooner than would have any way). Bone Density Tests(not Bone Scans - very different) are used to monitor any progression. There are meds that can be used to control it. I had been Osteopenia for years and with a huge family HX of Osteoporosis and did progress to Osteoporosisnot too long after Chemo but it is controlled by Fosamax. I did developed cataracts after Chemo and different of my Drs have different opinions as to rather or not Chemo contributed to developing them. I did detach both retinas (a year apart) since then. Again, different Drs have different opinions. My upper back arthritis has gotten worse but then it's been 5 yrs so probably would have progressed anyway. Other than those 'issues' for me - I am still as active as I ever was and loving/living every minute of it. We are each so unique, there is no way to know what any of us will experience because of what 'someone else' experienced.

Recurrences or metastasis are always a possibility. There are no guarantees no matter what 'you' do or don't do. A mastectomy even with good margins, does not mean that potentially cancer cell was removed as not every cell can be removed. The type of BC (DCIS/IDC/ILC/IBC) all come into play for prognosis. As does being triple negative comes into play.

Talk to your Mom's Drs for answers.