Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: Is it really working?

Angtee15

Hi ladies,

I am about to complete 8 of 12 weekly Taxol treatments (also get Carboplatin) and then will have AC for four rounds. My MO says I'm responding to chemo but I just can't relax because all she does are manual exams. I don't think its enough. I got her to agree to an ultrasound between Taxol and AC. Did anyone else panic a bit (or a lot) midstream during neoadjuvant chemo? I had a 2cm Triple negative tumor with no lymph node involvement. I worry that I should have just insisted on a lumpectomy before chemo.

Ugh. Any thoughts?

jbdayton

Hopefully your ultrasound between drugs will show the tumor shrinking.

I did neoadjuvant chemo of Adriamycin, Cytoxan and Taxotere for 6 rounds 3 week intervals. I only had manual checkups but could definetly feel the tumor shrinking by 3rd round. Original tumor was 2.5 cm. I could not feel it at all by the 5th round. At surgery only 5mm of dead cells were found. A few cells were found in one node but had a complete response to chemo. I did have 1 cm of DCIS remaining in the original tumor bed so I had to do a mastectomy and radiation but the chemo did at least kill the invasive cancer.

I am praying for good results for you. It is hard to leave the cancer in your body while going through chemo but I put all my trust in my Oncologist and all the trials before us.

Tomorrow will be 3 years since I got my diagnosis. Keep us updated. (((HUGS)))

MEG2

I had neoadjuvent chemo as well ~ 8 rounds; 4 of AC and 4 of Taxol dose dense. My initial diagnosis based on MRI and biopsy was at 2B; tumor between 2-3 cm and 2 nodes involved. My oncologist did an exam after my 2nd treatment of AC and said she could tell the tumor was shrinking in the breast and in the lymph nodes...my radiation oncologist said the same when I visited with him after 4 treatments. Once I completed chemo and had a few weeks of recovery I had a mastectomy (my tumor was right behind my areola and a lumpectomy wouldn't work for me). My pathology after was "rain drops" of cells left in the breast (when I asked for clarification my Oncologist said there wasn't enough to measure...) and the 2 lymph nodes were "treatment evident", no cancer cells left and the nodes were still encapsulated meaning no cells had escaped the lymph nodes.

I had only a brief moment of hesitation in doing the chemo prior to surgery but after my first visit with the breast surgeon and the oncologist I had complete confidence in the treatment plan they suggested. It is a bit scary to think about leaving the cancer in but as my BS explained to me doing the chemo first can give you a better outcome at surgery and doing the systemic treatment first can knock out any cancer cells that may be "floaters". This made sense to me.

If you do chemo after surgery then there is a possibility if there are cancer cells moving around your blood stream you are waiting longer to go after those buggers. I guess we have to trust our instincts and our doctors and everyone is different and most treatments are different. Do what you feel is right for you, it sounds like the ultrasound is a compromise with you and your Doc. I hope you get the best results and wish you peace and can finish your chemo with peace in the decision. Best of luck to you along this journey.

Mamiya

I asked for an MRI after carbo and taxol and my MO agreed, it showed good response.

Angtee15

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate your feedback and encouragement. Intellectually I agreed that neoadjuvant chemo was the way to go but of course it gets scary to still have this thing in me. Be gone tumor!! I am feeling great and will keep you all posted:)