Time Between Chemo and Surgery

Fritzmylove

I finished neoadjuvant chemo 1/14/19, and met with my breast surgeon today to discuss surgery. I am hoping to have TEs placed at the time of my BMX, but the BS and PS may not be able to coordinate a date for surgery until the week of Feb 25th. Is this too long to wait between chemo and surgery? I'm so frustrated because I tried to get the ball rolling with scheduling over a month ago, but they wouldn't even talk about scheduling me for a consultation with the BS until after my final chemo.

Fritzmylove

bump.

kber

I'm curious about this too.  I'm also doing neoadjuvant chemo with the expectation of surgery (if I have my way, Bilateral Mastectomy) and it would be nice to get an idea of timing.

Anonymous

I had my final chemo treatment on Aug 4, 2017. My BMX with expander placement was on Sept 5, 2017. So right at a month. The hard part was getting the two surgeons schedules coordinated to do the surgery at the same time. They told me it could be 6 weeks out to get it accomplished. But my PS was so sweet. He told me that even though he knew that his "vanity clients" were his bread and butter, his cancer patients came first. He said if he had an elective surgery that could be rescheduled and a cancer patient could be worked in to his schedule he would ask that elective surgery to reschedule. If they wouldn't he would tell them to find a different PS, he didn't need them as a patient if they didn't understand that. Both surgeons asked me for my "tentative" chemo schedule way in advance so that they could work out their schedules. If all went well with my chemo treatments, and they did, my surgery would be on the books well in advance and could proceed as scheduled. If not it could simply be rescheduled. That's what they told me. They were both super easy to work with. I am so thankful I had the team of doctors I did. They were both awesome and I thank God for guiding me to them!!

I wish you both luck with your surgeries and treatments!! Sending hugs to you!!

TrishaFL

I finished neoadjuvant chemo on 2/5/19 and met with my surgeon on 2/8/19.  I'm not having reconstruction and my BMX is scheduled for 3/20/19.  My oncologist and surgeon like to wait at least four weeks but prefer six between chemo and surgery to make sure all counts have returned to normal.

Fritzmylove

Thanks Trisha fellow October chemo friend! My chemo will be 5.5 weeks post final chemo, so I feel good about that amount of time.

RosieRed

I was told tohave surgery 4 to 6 weeks after I finished chemo, so I think you’ll be just fine.