6 month check up today - all good.

bigmc

Had my six month check up today after lumpectomy September last year for stage 2 grade 2 IDC, ER+ PR+.  No chemo, no radiation, no tamox. Taking metformin, lose dose aspirin, vitamin d. Exercising a lot more, reduced my stress at work and at home. 6 monthly MRI and ultrasound.

All looks good according to the surgeon. When discussing my decision to not undertake any adjuvant treatment, he wasn't concerned at all, admitting that breast cancer patients are generally over treated...

 

 

Momine

Bigmc, I am so glad to hear your news. Keep on trucking! Did you have LVI and/or positive nodes?

chef127

hello bigmc,

Congrates on the positive feedback from the BS. I know how great it feels. I've been seeing my MO every 3 months for over 3 years b/c she was sure I would recur w/o chemo or hormone tx and for the first time she extended my visit to 6 months and even commented on how good my boobs look. Irrelevant but I felt good about that. I still have the fear of the ca coming back and that will never go away.

continued NED for us all.

xoxMaureen

bigmc

Hi Momine, no LVI or positive  nodes, which made my decision to not undertake any adjuvant treatment a little bit easier to make. Hope you are travelling well!

Congrats Maureen! it is a good feeling isn't it - though there is always that little kernel of fear/doubt in the back of your mind. I wonder now if it wouldn't have been better to have had a double mastectomy instead of lumpectomy, and not have to worry about recurrence. Stay positive for those NED!

PS Your avatar is very cute! I have a pied frenchie.

Momine

Bigmc, I am actually surprised that you were offered chemo. Did they do an oncotype test for you? With your stats, your total benefit from chemo would be tiny. In any event, I am glad that you are doing well, and I am too, thanks, knock wood.

bigmc

Hi momine

I was surprised too, as the surgeon had previously told me it wouldn't be necessary, however it was recommended that I see an oncologist and she wanted me to undertake 6 weeks of cyclophosphamide and docetaxel. I saw another oncologist who also recommended the same treatment. From all I'd read and researched I was also of the opinion that I wouldn't get enough benefit from the chemo to justify the side effects so it was an easy decision to knock it back. I didn't have the oncotype test as it is not covered by health funds here and would have cost me $4000 and i'd basically already decided not to do chemo.

I hate to think of the women who have similar diagnoses to mine and undergo chemo for basically no benefit and suffer through it for nothing. I don't know why doctors do this...maybe they think they need to offer everything to everyone in case they're sued later on, i'm not sure.

tgtg

Bigmc--congratulations on your good report, and here's to many more. Although (unlike you) I did accept radiation, like you I declined/rejected hormonal therapy from the start and have no regrets. Two plus years out, my surgeon continues to monitor me twice a year for three years and orders imaging, since there's no MO in my life. He says I'm doing great and to continue staying active; eating right, maintaining a healthy weight, following my exercise regimen, and keeping my vitamin D level up (a challenge to do this 100% naturally in this year's east coast winter).

My surgeon never pushed tamoxifen (although he mentioned it as a third step after lx and rads, as he is obligated to do) and is of the opinion that my tumor stats were not terribly threatening. The only one who tried to "push" anti-hormonal drugs, of course, was the MO whom I had to see to get an Onctotype test ordered (she saw me once--unlike Maureen, above, who was returning every three months for 3 years). But pushing treatment is the MO's bread and butter, and keeping my body as free of often deleterious drugs as I can is my business. I wonder if the docs' change of heart about chemo in your case might have more to do with the oncologists' reputations, or their fear of being sued as you say, or with financial issues (after all think of all the gifts that drug companies give the MOs and other docs for using their products) more than with your tumor stats. It seems that many med oncs use the "fear factor" to convince patients to do "everything it takes" despite any rational information and thinking about the long-term and short-term negative effects of anti-hormonals and chemo. As for me, I'll stick with the architectural principle that "less is more." Looking forward to hearing more good news from you as the months and years go on, TG