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cshamber
cshamber Member Posts: 76
edited June 2014 in Managing Side Effects of Breast Cancer and Its Treatment

My mom had a lumpectomy,they pretty much told her it was so small that after surgery and 6 weeks of rads she would be fine. They ALL kept telling us this. Not so. Today pathology came in clean margins, positive-positive hormone thingys (sorry I am not up on all the terminology yet) and 1 out of 2 lymph nodes. They said they want to discuss the possiblity of more surgery (on the nodes??) and "if" she will have chemo. She is 73 almost 74 and the nurse said chemo would be very hard for someone that age. We don't understand any of this, what does all this mean? Are they looking for more cancer in the nodes or are they trying to get rid of the nodes? Is this surgery going to be horrible for her? I thought that if there was node involvement you HAD to have chemo? Is that not true? Will she really not be able to handle all of this?  We are so scared right now.

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  • pip57
    pip57 Member Posts: 12,401
    edited August 2008

    A lot of us started out the same way.  We were told it was probably nothing but it ended up being more. They really don't know until the pathology is done.  As a rule, chemo is suggested for node +.  I am sure that chemo would be hard on a person your mom's age but not impossible.  I had tx with an 85 year old.  They tailored her chemo regime to her health and age.  However, they may just suggest hormone blockers like tamoxifen or armidex.  You need to get as much info as possible together to help her make a educated decision.   

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  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited August 2008

    Sorry to hear about your Mom.  I had a similar situation re. the final pathology from my lumpectomy coming back VERY different from what the surgeon had told us on the day of surgery.  But you can't let it throw you.  You just have to deal with one step at a time.  The clean margins are great, as is being hormone receptor positive.  Since the margins were clean, more surgery probably does mean taking additional nodes to be sure no others are involved.  My best advice to you is not to panic.  I know that it all seems like a blur in the beginning, but as you start getting familiar with the terminology, it will all make sense. Be sure your Mom likes and trusts her doctors.  Don't be afraid to seek a second opinion to help you and her feel comfortable with what you're being told.  And don't be afraid to speak up, ask questions, and help her have input into her treatment decisions.  Chemo may or may not be the best choice for her depending on her overall health, etc.  She is fortunate to have you to help her through this.  

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  • FLtricia
    FLtricia Member Posts: 140
    edited August 2008

    Sorry about your Mom.  My mother was 71 at diagnosis, she had a modified radical mastectomy and 12 nodes removed.  The nodes were negative, but the IDC was aggressive, so she was given chemo (CMF), then arimidex for five years.  She just had her 83rd birthday!

    I also had CMF chemo (I'm in my 50's), and honestly my mother had an easier time than I did.

    Do ask questions until you and your mother feel confident in your decision.  Once the plan is in place just take one day at a time, it feels less scary in "small bites."

    God bless.

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  • cshamber
    cshamber Member Posts: 76
    edited August 2008

    Does anyone know if they will do a pet scan on her? How do they know if the cancer is anywhere else?

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  • wishiwere
    wishiwere Member Posts: 3,793
    edited August 2008

    Yes, like others said, get a second opinion and at a breast cancer clinic if you can at all.  You have to feel confident with the treatments ordered to deal with all this and in your doctors too.

    Has she seen a breast specialst, or a general surgeon?  More lymph nodes are needed to stage her cancer. Chances are good with only 1 of 2, that the others will be clean too, but it's important to know how many and what state they are in. 

    Please let us know how things are going.  If it were my mother...she's 80, I'd have her see a breast specialist at a breast care clinic and follow their recommendations.  BTW...my aunt is 82, and had BC 4 years ago.  She had a lumpectomy and rads.  Unfortunately, I don't know all the specifics, b/c the family is quite hushed about it around her (she's funny in ways) and the girls (her dd's) basically said she was too old for hormone tx and etc...HOGWASH!  I know my mother would take it and deal better than me most likely!

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  • cshamber
    cshamber Member Posts: 76
    edited August 2008

    Yes my mom is seeing breast "specialist" it is through the Magee hospital breast clinic and they are suppose to be the very best. The only thing is her Dr has a very large God complex and he talked to her initially like this was nothing, now he acts all concerned. He is a breast surgeon and it says oncology after his name. On Thursday she sees him again then her actual oncologist (we have not met her yet). My mother(before this) was in perfect health. Has never been on meds except occasional protonix for heartburn, walks an hour everyday. I mean really good health, but she still is 73 and I know that could change quickly. I am hoping that they will want to do rads then the hormone tx. She on the other hand doesn't want to take the tamoxifen because of the papers they gave her to read. She keeps saying that the drug would kill her. I hope they can explain this better to her at her Dr appointment. She takes everything she reads to heart. I tried to tell her that there are pros and cons to all treatment, we just have to find the one with the most pros for her. When this all started they told us it was around a 1/2 cm. Now it is 2.4 centimeters. Everything just went from a bump in the road to a giant hill to climb! I can't help but be so afraid for her. In November she will be 74 the exact age her mother died of bc. :(

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  • pip57
    pip57 Member Posts: 12,401
    edited August 2008

    My mom is 81 and is just finishing 5 years on femera after taking tamoxifen for 5 years.  She has done well on both.

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  • cshamber
    cshamber Member Posts: 76
    edited August 2008

    What is Femera? And why would you need both drugs?

    You can see how much I know, huh?

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  • pip57
    pip57 Member Posts: 12,401
    edited August 2008
    Tamoxifen is generally used in premenopausal and aromatase inhibitors, such as femera and arimidex are used in post menopausal women. When my mom started tamoxifen that is all there was.  After 5 years, the amount of time most dr will use tamox, she was put into a study for the AI's.  That study was stopped because the results were so amazing that the AI's were then accepted as standard treatment, in post meno women. 
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  • cshamber
    cshamber Member Posts: 76
    edited August 2008

    Thanks, I thought that was true for the tamoxifen, but my mom had mentioned that name to me so I thought I was wrong. I'll have to look that (Femera) up.

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