Chemo is done...now what

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sftfemme65
sftfemme65 Member Posts: 790
edited June 2014 in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Hi everyone, I went to have what I thought was my second to last treatment yesterday but it turned out to be my final one.....I'm not sure how I feel about this honestly.  Kinda scared.  I seriously asked the doctor if he was sure I shouldn't take more chemo....I think he thinks I'm nuts, I mean who asks for more chemo??? I just feel like I'm fighting the fight you know...no what?  My doctor did tell me that he thinks that Avastin is going to be a very effective in triple neg bc treatment and even though we wont know for a couple of years about the trial I did, he thinks I did a great thing for myself.  That made me feel good. I'm going to see a PS in a week about maybe doing reconstructive surgery.  I feel that after all of this 20 year old boobs are the least I could give myself lol.  I wont have the surgery for at least 3 months because of the Avastin.  My doc usually has his patients keep the port in for 2 years but it will come out during surgery so he is going to run scans on me in 3 months to make sure everything looks good before I do the surgery.  I want to loose some weight before then so that will be my focus now.

I keep wondering if I should wait for reconstruction and keep my port in.  My doctor says go for it.  I dont know.  This is weird place to be...I couldn't wait to be finished now I'm not so sure.

Teresa

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  • tibet
    tibet Member Posts: 545
    edited November 2008

    Did you have Avastin? My doctor told me Avastin is not a good drug, so it is not approved in Europe.

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  • everyminute
    everyminute Member Posts: 1,805
    edited November 2008

    Avastin is not a bad drug - it has proven to and it is used to hold off progression in colon cancer and lung cancer (I believe).  It has been being used in Stage 4 bc and now is being tested in Phase 3 trials on earlier bc.  The hope being that if it can hold off progression in inoperable bc , then maybe it can do better in operable bc.  That being said, I didnt go for the trial because it does have side effects that I was concerned about and I had already bilateral mast with immediate reconstruction and needed to finish that surgery and my hysterectomy in a timely manner.  My oncologist believes that it is the first generation of a good idea and that next generations will be even better and more effective as they learn more about how this works.

    I am thankful every day for those who have participated in clinical trials - they got us where we are today which is much better survival stats than in the past. 

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  • VickiG
    VickiG Member Posts: 536
    edited November 2008

    I started on Avastin yesterday.  It's being added to my Navelbine, which is showing great results after just one cycle, so we're very hopeful that the addition of Avastin will really prove beneficial.  I'm having scans after this cycle is finished, and I can honestly say this is the first set of scans I've ever looked forward to.

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  • Roya
    Roya Member Posts: 346
    edited November 2008

    Now that I only have one more chemo treatment, Taxol, on Friday, I too have started to become anxious about going off of chemo.  I know that TN responds to chemo and that is all we have except for rads.  I am afraid to go off chemo since it represents a kind of safe harbor for me.  In fact, I am going to ask my doc if I should take something else just in case.

    6 weeks after ending my Taxol txs I will begin rads. 

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  • FloridaLady
    FloridaLady Member Posts: 2,155
    edited November 2008

    I using Avastin for a 2nd time with a total of 13 months on it with no real side effects.  I do know a few girls who got a excellent response with the addition of Avastin to their chemo for the Stage IV bc.

    Theresa,  I can't help you because recon. was never a option for me. (I have IBC) Have you posted your question in the section about reconstruction also?  If can say if one thing...I would wait until your body is heal from treatment.  Why stress your body out more if a few months could make a lot of difference and healing your body and having peace about taking out your port.

    Vicki - I did not realise on have never done Avastin. I'm surpised.  I have used it off and on for three years. I hope this kick butt for you.

    Flalady

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  • sftfemme65
    sftfemme65 Member Posts: 790
    edited November 2008

    Yes I did have Avastin and I personally think it is a great drug.  My mom had stage IV colon cancer and this drug gave her another 3 years with her family she wouldn't of had. 

    Flalady because of the avastin I have to wait for reconstruction.  I have gotten alot of comments about doing it, not all have been good in fact most say I should wait until my risk of reoccurrance goes down.  So of course now I'm even more worried about reoccurrance. 

    Teresa

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  • ninel
    ninel Member Posts: 168
    edited November 2008

    Roya,

    I noticed that our signatures are almost identical. With no node involvement why are you getting rads? Did your doctors recommend it or was it your decision?

    I just finished chemo and will be going in for a bilateral mastectomy. I'm having a hard time making a decision on radiation. My doctors are telling me NO. I don't know if it;s becuase of my age (34) or that I responded so well to the chemo.

    Thanks,
    Ninel

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  • tibet
    tibet Member Posts: 545
    edited November 2008

    Ninel

    Why do you go for bi mast? Are you gene tested ?

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  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Member Posts: 1,376
    edited November 2008

    Ninel:

    I was 4/16 nodes.  Radiation made me feel the local affect area would be cleared.  But one of the risk might be developing lymphedema, that is what happened to me.  It is a life-time effect.  It is our own choice. 

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  • guitarGrl
    guitarGrl Member Posts: 697
    edited November 2008

    Teresa -

    Part of the issue might just be that it's scary to have things end. While you are going through treatment you get used to the help and care of the nurses. Then all of a sudden, it's taken away from you.

    It was even worse for me when I ended rads - not that I wanted to continue it, but I'd been seeing those techs every day for over a month. It's weird, but treatments become part of our routine, and especially when we are ill, changing routines is scary.

    susan 

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  • Roya
    Roya Member Posts: 346
    edited November 2008

    Ninel, my docs believe that triple neg is so aggressive that every means of precaution should be taken so they highly recommened rads after chemo.  I am hoping to get in to get it started even sooner than January.  I want to be sure that every bit of this demon is eradicated.

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  • Raye99
    Raye99 Member Posts: 1,350
    edited November 2008

    Teresa -

    Congrats on being done with your chemo txs. Like you, I too, could not wait to be done, but once I had completed chemo and rads, I got depressed and had the same feeling - "now what??" When you are fighting the good fight, you've got a goal in mind -  you go to chemo every two or three weeks, then rads every day and then suddenly there is nothing to do but go to follow up appts and try to get back to some realm of normalcy.  Let me tell you this: this feeling will go away. Now what? I try to live my life as healthfully as I can, go to my appts (not too many, I am not into scans at all) and live my life. It sounds as though you have some things to concentrate on; the recon, getting in shape. Hang in there.

    Raye

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  • tibet
    tibet Member Posts: 545
    edited November 2008

    Did you Roya have a mast?

    I am wondering if I should get Rad as I had a mastecnomy and nodes disection and am getting DD AC T and carboplantin (my doc said I can get that). What do you think I need rad?

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  • Raye99
    Raye99 Member Posts: 1,350
    edited November 2008

    New Alex,

    Did you have any positive nodes? How big was your tumor?

    My rads onc recommended that I have rads even with mast due to tumor being 5+cm (and another tumor in the breast as well - about 1cm) and me having three positive nodes (one of which was 1cm in size).

    Roya's onc sounds like she/he may be taking a different approach or maybe she had a lumpectomy?  

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  • tibet
    tibet Member Posts: 545
    edited November 2008

    My tumor was 1 cm and I had 1mm in one node. Raye99, do you have a family history?

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  • Roya
    Roya Member Posts: 346
    edited November 2008

    Newalex, I had a lumpectomy on June 20.  Yesterday I had my rads consult and was told that the breast should be radiated from an angle that does not send the radiation into the chest cavity.  The radiation should not be directed in such a way as to affect   ribs, lungs, heart etc.  It should go only through the breast tissues.  I have heard that some mastectomy patients get radiation though since the cancer can still reoccur  along the chest wall etc.  I don't know how they do it though.  They said that they must wait a minimum of 3 weeks after I received my last Taxol.  Something about receiving radiation with Tacol still in one's system can actually cause burns.

    Teresa, I had my last chemo last Friday and my port will be removed on December 4th.  I am glad to get it out.  To keep it any longer might undermine my positive thinking by reminding me that BC could return.  Keeping the port, in my mind, would be a constant reminder of    'I might need it again.....better keep it in.....just in case'    thoughts. 

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  • sftfemme65
    sftfemme65 Member Posts: 790
    edited November 2008

    Hi everyone.  I still am having anxiety about being done.  Today was exactly one year ago that I was diagnosed.  It has been a long, long year.  I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! 

    Teresa

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  • ninel
    ninel Member Posts: 168
    edited November 2008

    Newalex,

    I have a strong family history and my cousin is BRCA1 +. I did get the genetic testing and am awaiting the results.

    I decided on a bilateral mastectomy because I don't want to take any chances of it coming back in the breast tissue. 

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  • Raye99
    Raye99 Member Posts: 1,350
    edited December 2008

    Newalex -  

    You should consult with a rads onc if you are concerned that you may need rads. I am not a doctor, but my rads onc told me if my tumor had been smaller and I had had less than three positive nodes, I would not have needed rads.

    My family history is somewhat strong, not all BC (my aunt, grandmother, greatgrandmother all had bc; other aunt had osteocarcoma and my dad had NH lymphoma); I had the BRCA test and it was negative for the mutation; however, the genetic counselor said that there are other genetic factors out there that they do not have tests for yet.

    Roya -

    I felt the same as you about getting port removed. I had it removed about three weeks after I stopped chemo. Purely psychological reasons as well for wanting it out.

    Ninel - Best wishes on your BRCA results. My results came back surprisingly fast - in about 10 days, if I recall correctly.

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  • tibet
    tibet Member Posts: 545
    edited December 2008

    hi Raye99

    I have no family history of any cancer at all. I am wondering why I get it? My mom has 5 sisters, my dad has 2 sisters, my grandma is still alive at age of 89 and no problem at all with health. I really feel so upset about it.....I wonder if it makes sense for me to do the gene test???

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  • Raye99
    Raye99 Member Posts: 1,350
    edited December 2008

    Newalex,

    No. Since you don't have any family history, I wouldn't get the test if I were you (just my opinion). Not to mention, the insurance usually only pays for the test if you have two or more family members with bc (at least with my insurance, I should add) and the test is very expensive - $2000-3000 or so. EEKS. I know it is worrisome and upsetting not knowing why we got bc. I used to rack my brain wondering what I did wrong. I finally gave up trying to figure it out. It really could be anything - food, drink, environment, birth control, family, a fluke. ?

    Good luck to you in your decisions.

    Raye

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  • Raye99
    Raye99 Member Posts: 1,350
    edited December 2008

    Newalex,

    I was thinking about you last night and maybe you should see about getting the BRCA test if the cause of the bc is weighing on your  mind. Another thing, if you have a daughter, you would want to know. You can talk to you bs and your onc and they may be able to write letters to the insurance company requesting that they pay for your test.

    Just something to think about.

    Raye

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