Opinions and/or statistics wanted...

Hi, Jeremie.  First, I'm so glad your fiancee's surgery is behind her, and you sound like her knight in shining armour to not only be there for her, but to be researching some of this for her as well!

As far as chemo, her oncologist will probably order something called an Oncotype-DX, which is a test done on the invasive lesion that was removed.  The results of that test will quantify the benefit or lack of benefit chemo will have for her.  It's based on more than 20 genetic factors, so is much more scientific than whether or not she had positive nodes, which, along with age, use to be the way the need for chemo was determined.

Chemo is a systemic treatment.  If her specific bc is determined to have aggressive characteristics per the Oncotype test, chemo would be recommended to go after any of those aggressive cells that might have escaped into her blood or lymph system.  

One thing you will learn if you hang around here, is that two women with seemingly identical stats can come out with very different Oncotype scores.  So it's not as simple as comparing your fiancee to others with similar stats who have had a BMX.  

A site you might want to look at is www.cancermath.net.  I haven't been on it in awhile, but you can plug in various scenarios to see how much chemo might benefit her.  

Hope this info' helps, and good luck to you both!    Deanna 

Do keep in mind that it is usually the people with problems that post looking for help. For instance, with tamoxifen, I have filled prescriptions for dozens of women that are fine taking it and it does benefit those with estrogen positive tumors. Her situation, being weak intensity, may call for a different approach given the fertility concern.

With grade 3 lesions and young age, the inclination may be to go more aggressive. I would strongly suggest a second or even 3rd opinion at some point, perhaps at an academic medical center.

Then, once her choice is made, don't second guess (although she may have opportunity to refine therapy as new information becomes available down the road). Best wishes thru this difficult time. 

Jeremie,  lst of all, I want to say I think it is wonderful that you are doing research for your fiance' like this.  I would do the chemo....just because they did the mastectomy, found nothing in the lymph nodes, does not mean that there could not be that one lone little cancer cell out there that could show up later.  The chemo may be considered precautionary, but in my opinion prevention is better than treatment....probably a poor comparison, but since I work in a dental office will put it like this...it is easier to prevent periodontal disease than it is to treat it.  My initial cancer was so small it was not even a stage yet......it was decided that I did not need chemo since they took out 19 nodes when I had my mastectomy and all were negative.  I also was not put on tamoxifen even though I was ER+ because this was 1990 and they were still doing trials on it.  So 8 years later after complaining of pain for about two years, they did a bone scan and all of a sudden I have graduated to Stage lV.  If I knew then, what I know now, I would have begged for chemo as a preventative.  It's not fun, but it would be worth it not to have to deal with it later.  Just my opinon,but you were asking for those.   Again, your fiance' is lucky to have your support.