second opinion

JuniperCat

Hi. I went to a second MO for another opinion. She said I should do chemo based on my tumor grade, not stage. That sounded odd to me, so I requested a MammaPrint. I'm wondering if she isn't being overly aggressive considering that I'm stage 1. Has anyone out there heard of chemo being suggested based on tumorgrade?

KBeee

if you are ER positive you need the Oncotype or MammaPrint even if you are stage 1. Grade 3 means it is more aggressive, but the Oncotype or MammaPrint will let you know if chemo will be of benefit for you. Even if you are node negative, things like lymphovascular invasion need to be considered. Oncotype will give you the percentage benefit from chemo and you need to weigh that against risks considering overall health, how aggressive you want to be, etc

Brutersmom

I had a grade 3 tumor and Chemo was recommended. Protocol is that chemo is recommended for a grade 3 cancer. I did notice that you are PR-. That is also a factor. My ER/PR status was very high. I had an oncoDX test. Mine came back with a 4-6% benifit from and chemo 2% over 10 years. My local Drs. wanted me to do chemo but said it was my choice. I got a second opinion at a highly respected cancer/teaching hospital. I ended up deciding not to do chemo. Benefits vs long term side effects. I did do radiation. I felt like is was able to make an educated decision.

JuniperCat

Dear Brutersmom, thank you for sharing your story with me. I'm inclined to forgo chemo as well. I'm waiting for the MammaPrint test results. It doesn't seem like stage 1 should require chemo, but who really knows. I'm still in the middle of figuring out what to do. It's difficult. Many thanks!! Be well

JuniperCat

Thank you, KBeee, for responding to my post. It's frustrating... the intermediate Oncotype score doesn't really help with decision making. I'm curious as to what the MammaPrint shows. You mention "lymphovascular invasion" ... can this occur even if the nodes were negative? Many thanks for your input!!

KBeee

You can have lymphovascular invasion even if nodes are negative. It is hard when there are so many factors to consider. When the oncotype or mammaprint come back, they will help guide your decision. It is hard when there are no definites and no crystal ball. You have to pick the option that YOU are most comfortable with in both the short and long term. Chemo has risks too, so whichever you choose, the key is do not ever look back and say "what if"...just be satisfied that you made the best decision for YOU with the information you had at the time. Best wishes. I know this is a very hard decision. There's nothing wrong with a third opinion too.

JuniperCat

KBeee, wise words...thank you