Chemotherapy + Response

hopefull9986

Starting chemotherapy for the first time for invasive ductal carcinoma . Wondering if anyone could speak to how their cancer responded to chemotherapy and whether chemotherapy effectively shrunk the tumour.

Also wondering if anyone could speak to their experience with FEC-D chemo? Is there anything I can do to better prepare for side effects?

Blinx

I'm wondering too! I've only had 2 treatments so far. My oncologist expects the chemo to get rid of the 3 turmors! I am curious about scans after chemo and before surgery/rads. Do they usually check? Or just move on to the next type of treatment and check at the end?

MinusTwo

Below is a good chemo thread. I really found being in a contemporaneous thread was wonderful. I'll try to find the latest & share.

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topics...

Here is the December chemo thread

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/69/topics...

Melbo

My tumor shrank noticeably after the first few treatments and the ultrasound after chemo but before surgery showed no evidence of tumors. Surgery confirmed that I had PCR to the chemo.

Even if you don’t notice obvious shrinkage though, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the tumor isn’t reacting to the chemo. From what I’ve read on the boards, sometimes the lump stays mostly the same, even though the cancer is dead/dying.

Moderators

And as MinusTwo suggests, maybe you even want to start a new topic for

Starting chemo Jan 2022 ! Reach out if you need help!