Delay in beginning chemotherapy

Shellshocked

I'm starting to get concerned at how slow everything is moving. I suppose some of it is related to the COVID pandemic, but still ...

I had a mammogram on June 7 and got a letter stating that additional imaging was needed. No big deal because I've had cysts in the past that required ultrasound. But on July 15 I had ultrasound and a biopsy and was notified on July 19 that it showed cancer cells. Now here's where things start to bother me about the slowness. I couldn't get in for a lumpectomy and sentinenel node biopsy until August 16, and then no appointment with a medical oncologist until September 14. That's 2 months after I was told it was cancer. So I go see the medical oncologist, who turned out to be a major disappointment. My husband and I asked questions about treatment, but that seemed to annoy her. She would go off on strange tangents about how I should be writer since I read a lot (???), that my husband and I should move closer to my son because I'm so close to him (???), that going through this experience will make me a better person (???), then when we asked if I needed to do chemo at Kaiser in Ontario, CA or could we do it at Fontana, CA, she abruptly said that she would reassign me to another medical oncologist in Fontana. I didn't ask her to do that, she just popped out with it. So she has her nurse set me up with another medical oncologist, but not one I wanted since I had previously researched them. I called and was able to change to a medical oncologist I preferred, but can't get in to see him until October 6 which will be 7 weeks post-surgery. If I were to begin chemotherapy a week later that would be 8 weeks post-surgery, and 11 weeks post-diagnosis.

I've read articles saying that ideally chemotherapy should begin as soon as possible and that for every 30 days dealy there is a higher risk of recurrence and lower survival rates. I don't have any options of hurrying things up at Kaiser since they're being very hard-nosed about limiting appointments during this pandemic. Essentially their attitude is take it or leave it. I am now officially afraid I'm going to die of this.

Is this slowness in starting chemotherapy really something to be concerned about, or will it really be not that big a deal?

ctmbsikia

Hi shellshocked. Didn't they recommend you for radiation therapy? That is usually after surgery. did you have an oncotype test done? Depending on your age and that score, if it's low enough there isn't much benefit from chemo on a ER/PR+ cancer.

Shellshocked

Yes, ctmbsikia, the surgeon did tell me that if I chose the lumpectomy radiation was a given. It is my Oncotype score of 27 that they now tell me requires chemo. I turned 66 the week after my biopsy (happy birthday to me). Actually their requirement that I do chemo followed by radiation followed by endocrine therapy is something that irritated the original medical oncologist when I asked her why all 3 of them. She just kept reiterating that it was because of the Oncotype score and that chemo wasn't going to be "strong enough" to kill all the cancer in my body and that's why I need radiation too. I'm hoping that the new medical oncologist will be more helpful information-wise.

ctmbsikia

Glad your are going to another MO, and I hope you get the answers you deserve in regards to your treatment. Good luck!