Chemo - since I have a choice, why would I?

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  • BobbiMarie
    BobbiMarie Member Posts: 60
    edited July 2011

    Every 3 weeks.  He also doesn't do the 'shot' for the bone pain/white blood cells.  He indicated that they have determined that in most people it does not have any benefit.  I read one article where a woman died because her white blood cell count was too low.  I haven't surveyed the people I know that are going through chemo right now to see if they had a similar treatment but I believe all are getting 'the shot'.  I'm not sure what the right answer is for that one but the number of patients they have through there, am guessing they have some statistics to back up that regimen.

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  • kira1234
    kira1234 Member Posts: 3,091
    edited July 2011

    I know in my case the shots were given every treatment. That being said I believe some people are tested to see if they are needed and given then.

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  • judyfams
    judyfams Member Posts: 148
    edited July 2011

    BobbiMarie,

    I had 6 treatments of taxotere/cytoxan 3 weeks apart.  At first the onco said 4 rounds and then after I tolerated the 4 rounds so well he said the usual protocol was 6 rounds and so I had 2 more rounds.

    While on chemo I ate many small lean protein meals all day long accompanied with drinking lots of water and eating lots of organic fruits and vegetables.  When all else failed I made sure to drink the high protein Ensure to keep up the nutrition.

    After the first round I tracked my bad days - for me just really tired - nothing more.  Once I knew which days fo me were my bad days I planned my chemo so those bad days came on the weekend - as I too an divorced and live alone with my dogs, and it was better for me to feel under the weather on the weekends.

    So you can have the first chemo and then plan the rest to take place whenever you want to work around your "bad days".

    Just a suggestion to help you.

    Judy

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  • BobbiMarie
    BobbiMarie Member Posts: 60
    edited July 2011

    Thank you Judy. 

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  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 17,186
    edited July 2011

    I did get the Nuelasta shot. My treatment center does it automatically unless insurance denies it. Then, if your counts go down they will write a letter to insurance stating why you need it. I'm glad I got it. I went through chemo in fall/winter. Lots of indoor activity. My onc also had me get a flu shot. My first ever.

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  • Triciaski
    Triciaski Member Posts: 145
    edited July 2011

    As others have advised, be sure to take into account that PR- might not behave the same as PR+. I think that could be a more important factor in considering whether or not to take chemo than your OncoType score.

    My OncoType was 17, the very highest score in the low risk category, but even at that, it was a difficult decision not to take chemo because my tumor was Grade 3. Given your factors of OncoType 20, PR-, and Grade 3, I would definitely opt for the chemo.

    Just my opinion, of course, but since you asked...

    Best of luck. These are very difficult decisions.
    Tricia 

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  • PLJ
    PLJ Member Posts: 373
    edited March 2012
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  • kira1234
    kira1234 Member Posts: 3,091
    edited July 2011

    PLJ I also had different results on my path report and the Oncotype test report. My old Onc. didn't seem to care about the difference. My new Onc went over the results for me and why the difference. For one thing the Oncotype people get a small sample while the final path report  from the surgery looked at the entire tumor.

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  • bevin
    bevin Member Posts: 1,902
    edited July 2011

    HI BobbieMarie,

    I know I am late in responding but saw this and wanted to share. I too was offered chemo due to the size of my tumor. Two Oncs suggested  it due to my young age, 1 said the real benefit didnt outweigh the side effects and risk of treatment.

    Since I was lymph node negative I elected not to do the chemo. Now,  I wish I had done it. I worry too much every day and I think that if I had done it and started with a clean slate I may not be worrying so much. I agree with what somone said above, you have this first chance.  Hopefully I wont have a reoccurrence or spread and so wont fully regret my decision in the future. But given Its on my mind so much I wish I had taken them up on the offer. This probably doesnt help you decide either way, but I wanted to share that I am one of those who wish I had done everything when offered the chance.

    Its so hard that the doctors leave decisions up to us, but that being said, I am also glad we have such great options in the USA and can decide for ourselves rather than doctors saying -"this is what you get"   Good luck with what ever you decide.

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  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 17,186
    edited July 2011
    Bevin I assume you are doing Tamox. That's a pretty good gun if you are hormone positive. I know a women who started stage IV and that's all she is doing. It's definitely working for her. If it works for her it can work for you… and given no nodes you may not even need to worry. Chemo is only for a few months. Hormone therapy is for 5 years. Even if you have chemo it only attacks those cells that are growing now. Hormone therapy starves any cells that might be hanging out and suddenly wake up.
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  • bevin
    bevin Member Posts: 1,902
    edited July 2011

    Thank you Lago - I appreciate your kind words. Yes, I am taking an antihormonal. I hate that drugs side effects for sure!

    Wow, that is pretty amazing that at stage 4 the Anti hormonal is all she  may need to keep things stable. I am very happy for your friend and that she is doing well.

    Thanks so much for your note.  I truly appreciate it , and I will try to set my head straight about all this and will remember what you said! Thanks so much.

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  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 17,186
    edited July 2011

    Bevin Actually it isn't that unusual for a stage IV to start with the least aggressive treatment. Early stage they treat to cure and therefore big guns.

    Stage IV or mets they know they can't cure and hope for remission. Quality of life is important. They treat it like a disease similar diabetes. Use the treatment with the least amount of SE to control the disease. The problem with cancer is it can mutate so eventually she will be doing something else but some people are on the hormonals for years/decades before they need to try a different treatment.

    So yeah these anti-hormonal drugs are really some of the great guns to go into breast cancer battle with.

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  • BobbiMarie
    BobbiMarie Member Posts: 60
    edited July 2011

    I am so confused as I am looking at my oncotype report.  Happy for you that you have a better decision. I'm wondering if the doctors can order different levels.  My path from my biopsy showed PR-/ER+ and Grade 2 but the surgical path came back ER+/PR-, Grade 3.....My surgical path has it shown 2 different ways (PR+ and PR-) and when I contacted their office, they told me they don't retest the ER/PR.....which is why when it was transcribed it ended up showing 2 different results.   However, the oncotype - assuming they retest - does show PR-at 4.3...the cutoff is 5.5 so I am close to the positive cutoff.  Is the mitotic score on the oncotype or is that something else your doctor tested for?  What does it mean? 

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  • lago
    lago Member Posts: 17,186
    edited July 2011

    Usually they do retest after biopsy because in a biopsy they may miss a portion of the tumor. This is why there can be a change from biopsy to tumor path. My tumor was both IDC and DCIS. They retested everything. I didn't have an oncotype test so I really can't comment on  that.

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  • Lee7
    Lee7 Member Posts: 657
    edited July 2011

    Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think anyones knows what the PR+ or PR- may mean. There was a thread asking about it .  The anti-hormonals are for the ER+, so I think the higher ER+ a tumor is.. the more benefit you get from taking one of the anti hormonals for 5 years. 

    The Onco test does look at ER/PR with a different type of test than what my lab used and I think its more sensitive. Maybe more accurate?  There are other members who know more about this and may be of more help. I am just recalling what I read on other threads here and on the Oncotype website itself.

    http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/108/topic/770063?page=2#idx_52   This was one of the recent threads talking about Oncoscore and miotic rates etc.

    (edited to add the thread I found)

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