treatment decisions early stage

dualgate, I would be very curious why your original onco recommended chemo? With an oncotype score of 13, I believe you would get very little benefit from chemo.



I opted out of chemo after looking at the benefits (for me, about a 3% reduction in recurrence versus 2-4% chance of having permanent side effects).

just a thought.....it was not so long ago that chemo was advised for everyone over 1cm...infact that's what my surgeon's pa said at my first consult.

Unless there is a high proliferation rate or something else, It looks like chemo is no longer the standard for what you describe.

If I had a RS of 13, I would not be inclined to do it.

Dear Dualgate:

 I notice you are 45 years old, and probably premenopausal.  My stats are almost same as you, I was 55 years old and 1.2cm tumor. Two opinions said no chemo. I wonder if your first doc advised chemo because of your age(?) and menopausal status.

 As the other ladies here said, it would be helpful if you would scrutinize carefully all the other factors in your pathology report in order to help you make a decision.  Perhaps you may need a third opinion. You may be truly in the gray area.

Dulgate,

I'm younger than you, have a very strong family history, oncotype was 14 and my oncologist (department head at a major NYC hospital) ruled out chemo based on the size of my tumor, the grade and oncotype.  He also asked me to enroll in the TailorX, but I declined b/c I wasn't going to leave the decision to take chemo to chance.  If I were you, I would get another opinion b/c based on your stats (unless, as cookiegal pointed out, there is something else going on), you probably wouldn't derive any benefit at all from chemo.

My stats are similar to Marie 317.  Marie317, did you go on CMF chemo?  That's just what I'm supposed to start on Monday.  Still can't decide on which treatment to choose.  The "little wrinkle" in all of this is that I also Multiple Sclerosis ( very mild form) but I take a weekly injection that (lucky for me) I would be allowed to stop taking during the CMF chemo.  This alone could push me in the chemo direction.  I am not hearing many people with my oncotype range and similar stats doing chemo.  Marie317:  why did you choose chemo? All of this advice is so helpful.

AL1841 - The chemo I had was Cytoxan and Taxotere.  My Oncotype score was 14.

I chose to do chemo for a few reasons.  One was my age.  I thought it was best to fight this as hard as I could while I was still "young" and able to tolerate the chemo.... basically a "what if" I don't do chemo, it comes back 5 - 10 years later and I'm not in as good of health then to take on chemo.  I also wanted to make sure I did all that I could to fight a recurrence, even though I know there are no guarantees.  If I didn't do chemo, my luck is that I would have a recurrence later down the road and beat myself in the head for not having done chemo.

It was a tough choice because I had no idea what to expect from the treatments and it's not like I wanted to experience side effects.  But it turned out to be no where near as bad as I expected.

I have similar stats  too. I was diagnosed in 09 at age 45. I have IDC,mucinous subtype Stage 1,grade 1. Tumor size was 1.2 cm.I did not have lymph node involvement. I had a BLM--no radiation. My oncotype score was 16. My oncologist said I could do chemo if I wanted to. The change in % chance of recurrence in 10 years would only drop 10% chance to 7-8% chance. I opted not to do the chemo for only 2-3% change. The oncologist said that they don't usually really try to get someone to do chemo if there is not at least a 5% change but that I could.

I am ER + 90%, PR + 70% and Her 2-. My BS and Oncologist both recommended tamoxifen and oopherectomy since I was premenopausal--had Bilateral ooph and hysterectomy last month. I started the tamoxifen in Oct.

I am being seen by a breast cancer specialist at a major university cancer center. I really respect and trust my surgeon and oncologist.

TCK

By ovarian suppression I mean monthly injections in addition to Tamoxifen to suppress the ovaries and thus, the hormones that "feed" the cancer.  I'm soooo confused it's killing me.  The oncologist that recommended the ovarian suppressions said that CMF wouldn't even be good for me but that the TC/CT combo (I believe the one Marie317 is taking) would be too toxic for the stage cancer I have.

Dont' know what to choose still.  I'm supposed to start CMF on Monday.

Dear Duelgate:  You know, you do have a slow, lazy tumor, with Grade 1. So that's a very good thing! All the best to you,