What Kind of Chemo for Triple Negative

@Hope-downunder  Hello, was wondering what reason your Onco had give you for 4 x TC?  I did 3 x FEC and 3 x Taxotere last year which I believed to be the best available in Australia so keen to understand more.  You won't hear about it much here as FEC is usually not offered in the US (but is in Canada).

I am part of the Beatrice trial for Avastin but was randomised to be in the control group.  So I get all the tests, but not the drug.  Not sure why this isn't a blind trial but I knew going in.  Avastin can have some serious side effects, and I got all the bad ones from the chemo I did get, so maybe for me it's a blessing?  No recurrence yet (or ever hopefully!).

Hope everyone has luck with their chosen treatments.  R xo 

Way to go, kittycat! Now you can finally get moving on your chemo. That's fantastic news!

Kittycat: so sorry for your delay...I know how you feel.. you just want to start to  finish....hope it is next week

workmother: if any help on the wig, I went to several places and ended up with a place called

girlonthego.com...The owner is a cancer survivor and all her employees either have had cancer or had family member. You send her pictures of yourself and a stylist comes to your  house with lots of options. She cuts and styles the wig and she also gave me my buzz cut.  It was so great not to leave your home as this is an emotional thing.

I had 2 very good friends with me who helped me decide on the wig. Quite honestly the quality was superb and the fit is great. (well as much as wigs go)..Been wearing one now for a few weeks. Not my favorite thing but I really have no choice.. I am not a scarf/hat type of girl..But to each his own..I know plenty of women who love the scarves and hats.

If you want any more info, pm me and I will try to help you out

Hello,

 I don't know if this is the right place to ask my question and I haven't read all the posts yet but I'll give it a try.My mom is in the process of healing from the recent debribment and is hooked up to a Wound VAC which seems to be doing wonders. We just saw the oncologist yesterday and I'm very confused by what he said. He said my mom did not qualify for radiation, hormonal therapy or Chemotherapy. She didn't qualify for radiation because she has already had the cancer removed (mastectomy). She doesn't qualify for Chemotherapy because her cancer was less than 1cm. He also said she wasn't triple negative (before we met with the oncologist the BS & PS told us both she was triple neg.)but he couldn't be sure because the testing for this was done from the DCIS (noninvasive pre-cancer) and not from the IDC (invasive Cancer). He said the invasive cancer (outside the ducts) was too small a sample to run the test for PR,ER,HER. She was PR, ER - but HER2+. Again he said he wouldn't rely on these findings because it wasn't run from the tissue that was invasive cancer. Yet he said there is a 3% chance that the cancer can spread directly to the blood even though it may not have spread to the lymph node. I don't understand why they wouldn't want to do the chemotherapy just in case? He said something about heart problems and the risks out weighing the benefits. Do you have any insight? He said all they could do is watch for the patient to mention any symptoms like "my bones hurt", etc but if that happens then isn't it too late? We are scheduled to see him in 3 months for mor blood draws to see if her levels have changed. Any suggestions or resources would be great.

Thank you,

I'm glad I found this thread!

I was originally diagnosed 5/09 and had neoadjuvant 4x taxotere and 4x A/C, with Avastin for the first 5 treatments.  Then came a bi-lateral mastectomy, radiation and reconstruction in April of this year. 

I found a lump just about my collarbone in June and was diagnosed Stage IV in July.  The cancer is back in my lymph nodes (superclavical and under my left arm, which is the opposite side of my original cancer) and I also have lymphatic dermal invasion, which is a patch of skin rash on my left foob.  I just had my 2nd treatment of Ixempra/Carboplatin yesterday and will continue indefinitely.  I am headed to Duke in a few weeks for a 2nd opinion. 

Thanks for sharing your stories.  It has been a tough few months and it is good to hear success stories from other TNs.

I had a breast reduction to remove the lump, followed by fortnightly AC x 6, then Taxol x 6. Finishing on New Years Eve. Then stepped into daily radiation. Two weeks into treatment a new lump was found near original. Although having a breast reduction can distort original locations. Surgeon felt the new lump was seeded from original core needle biopsy, so removed it and I finished radiation. A routine MRI at end of treatment found more suspicious lumps. Twelve months after first diagnosis I had a mastectomy, followed by later lumps on chest wall. Surgeon believes the new lumps likes the scar tissue from surgery. I've started 3 week cycles(x8) of Gemcitabene and carboplatin. My Onc has said she can judge the chemo's effect at 6 week stage, and that I should expect more lumps to appear at first. I now have lumps in the other breast (in breast reduction scar) and arm pit, so I'm anxious about how long to perservere with this chemo. Right now I'm about to receive 2nd cycle (almost week four of treatment)

I am new to the TNBC site.  I was diagnosed with breast cancer 15 years ago, treated at Sloan and had a lumpectomy, 12 lymph nodes removed, radiation and then 5 years of Tamoxifen

.Did well for those 15 years.  I had a routine MRI and they found a site that was questionable.  I returned to Sloan and decided on a bilateral mastectomy since I was tired of the roller coaster of occasional biopsies throughout those years.  I was diagnosed with TNBC (August 2010) and am now starting chemo.

I read thru the Boards and notice that everyone is pretty much on the same chemo regime but I am on CMF, dose dense. meaning I get it every 2 weeks in an IV form. Is anyone else using this protocol.  If so, how far into your treatment are you and what are your side effects.  My doctor did give me an Rx for a wig but wonder if I am really going to loose my hair on dose dense. I am also on Neulasta.

thanks for you help

I'm a little late to the party, but I wanted to say I had the same chemo as you, kittykat (ACx4, Tx4, dose dense.)

A nurse at the ACS told me that there isn't really a concensus on what chemo to use for triple negative. One oncologist just wanted to give me ACx4 every 3 weeks. Although I was told more chemo is not necessarily better, I went for the most aggressive course. I decided I'd rather pay now than pay later.

Lovelyface, the nurse at the ACS told me that dose dense appears to be more effective. It is harder on you, though -- toward the end, you feel like you've just barely recovered from the last round when they hit you with the next one. I wasn't feeling too bad after 2 treatments, though (it kind of accumulates as treatment goes on). Are they giving you the good (really expensive) anit-nausea drug? (I believe it was Emend.)

On June 19, 09 I had a stereotactic biopsy which revealed a "benign papilloma".  This happened while I was nursing my mother through MX for DCIS with nodal involvement.  One year later I found an insidious lump 2.5 cm 95% IDC 5% DCIS.  I will never forget how the breast navigator described my papilloma laughingly as a freckle.  My butt.  My question is, did the biopsy of my freckle seed the TN IDC.  I'm brand new at this sisterhood thing so bear with me.  I think I would take a shot at the smug breast navigator today, if I could.  I just finished my my second round of A/C and had to shave my head.  My mom always wants me to be a lady, but I can't help but believe they flat out misdiagnosed my freckle.

Promise to be sweeter next time 

8/2?/10 dx tn idc grade III stage II

Hi Dawn,  My Onc recommended 6 rounds of TAC.  That is Taxotere, Adriamycin, Cytoxan all given on the same day  every three weeks.  She pretty much left it up to me to choose 4AC and the 4 taxol  or the TAC.    I asked her to pick whatever she would want her own sister to have and she chose TAC. 

I really just wanted to say good luck and hang in there.  Chemo sucks big time but it is doable.There are several threads on this site that will help you get through it.  If you haven't already, find or start a thread that is for women starting chemo in November.  Being with others that are going through the same things you are can be a great help.  Sending good thoughts for you.

Navy

Dawn, you'll be getting the same regimen I had.  I wavered between the DD and the 12 weekly, and was anxious, like you, to get it over with.  While no comparative studies have been done, I have read research that a more frequent cycle of some drugs have benefited  patients with fast growing cancers like trip neg ... so it seemed intuitive to me that 12 weekly might be a good option.  That said, my onc's view is that it probably makes no difference one way or the other... except with side effects which tend to be more tolerable on the weekly cycle because each dose is smaller.  I almost felt normal on weekly taxol, no down days.

Shafree:  Very understandable to be scared. We have all been there!  The regimen your onc has prescribed is a pretty common one and you will find lots of ladies on this board who did it.  There are excellent anti-nausea meds now and you will learn to manage other SEs, which may be minimal or not. Try posting on the Chemo board too; it's helpful to check in with ladies going through the same treatment at the same time. You'll be fine.