ACT/CMF

AvaG

I just finished my call with my oncologist and she recommended what appears to be, in my opinion, an aggressive chemo treatment for 'preventative' maintenance: 4 rounds of AC and 4 rounds of Taxol (dose dense rounds ) and Tamoxifen for 5 years. My Onco score was 44 (!!). I am going to also schedule another appt with another oncologist, because she thought that I should do CMF instead, which seemed less toxic. Both oncologist said that we got the cancer out, and it isn't in the lymph nodes, but this treatment should get any microscopic cancer cells that were left behind and move you toward being "cured".

I would love to hear from anyone who went through this.

moth

Hi AvaG, AC+T is what I did. I don't know if I'd call it preventative maintenance. I'd call it treatment for curative intent. This (plus your Tamoxifen and probably they'll recommnend further years of an AI after) is your one chance to actually cure it. If it comes back metastasized, there is no cure; it is a terminal disease. Your oncologists are right - there's no way to tell if stray cells got out. They can stay quiet and then suddenly come back years later. And chemo increases the chance that you get them, but doesn't guarantee it.

I was initially offered TC but after my Oncotype came back, the recommendation changed to AC+T. Even that wasn't enough to hold mine back. I say hit it hard and good and an Oncotype of 44 certainly merits an aggressive treatment IMO.

Your age would factor into this as well .... the younger you are, the more decades you were hoping to live healthy and happy, the more aggressive I'd go.

best wishes

Ndpoole1

Hi AvaG - my original plan was to take taxol for 12 weeks, but I experienced horrible reactions to the drug. Now it is recommended that I move to CMF, which I plan to start tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.