Neoadjuvant chemo based on very high oncotype DX

jenr1968

Anybody else??

Hi. I'm new to this forum. Found lump end of march 2020 by accident just itching area, 6 months after clear mammo and four months after clear annual female exam with physical breast exam.

I was officially dx'd in May with stage 1a, weak er+, pr+, her2- ki67 80% lymphovascular present in right breast. Had MRI which picked up 2 other suspicious areas same breast a d benign left breast, and biopsied one of then, also malignant. My surgeon recommended mastectomy due to location of tumors and the fact that the nipple would not be spared. 3 days before surgery OncoType came back 56! Scared me spitless, also oncotype said triple negative while biopsy pathology was HR+/her2-. So confused in what that meant!

Oncologist recommended 21 day cycles for total of 4 cycles neoadjuvant chemo taxotere and cytoxan, plus biosimilar Neulasta shot 24-36 hrs after chemo infusion (udenyca (pegfilgrastim), my ins wouldn't cover Neulasta because I wasn't a candidate for non self administered) because of the OncoType score. Then surgery sometime after.

I have finished my 3rd infusion and last one schedule for 8/27. Ended up in ER after 2nd infusion due to, after every blood test, covid, flu and ctscan, fever spike caused by the udenyca. Not fun. I hate that stuff and have nicknamed it pegfilgruesome.

I think doing chemo presurgery was good decision because it will target microscopic cells undetectable by scans, but I've read the information on prechemo opening pathways for cells to migrate, as well as the fact it may not shrink tumors or stop responding. And mine feels same if not a bit larger, but I've lost breast weight so really hard to tell. It gets measured with a tape measure at my appointments because it is so close to surface, but no comments made on if bigger smaller no change and i just dont want to ask. My DH had gone with me to these appts and he's been against the chemo from beginning and I'm not opening that can of worms.

I'm trying to stay positive, and overall the chemo SE's haven't been unmanageable. Once I get to day 8 I feel almost normal.

moth

just waving hi as i was in the same situation with having biopsy pathology show weak hormone + but oncotype came back as triple negative. Also had palpable lump just a few months after a clear mammo - so a fast growing tumor. We ended treating it as triple neg but I had surgery first and chemo after.

Hit it hard and fast as you're doing sounds like a good plan

Best wishes to you

jenr1968

Thank you ❤