what kind of chemo?

I had no nodes involved and clean margins...had 4 adriamycin/cytoxin and 4 taxol dose dense.....kinda aggressive treatment but for an aggressive cancer...

I had no nodes involved and clear margins...had 4 dose dense adriamycin/cytoxin everyother week.  Currently doing Taxol weekly #10 of 12 tomorrow.  Then will have rads for 61/2 weeks.  

I did ACX4 dose dense. (Dose dense means every other week rather than every 3rd week.) Then, 12 weekly taxols.  I also got Avastin for 9 months.

I had a port.  

Hi Sandik,

I had lumpectomy...nodes were clear; margins were not.  Chemo was 4 AC every three weeks and 4 Taxotere every three weeks (just finished a week ago..YAY!!) Will be starting radiation for 5 or 6 weeks soon.  I say, Get the port.....it is SO much easier than searching for a vein every time....the nurses will LOVE you for it!!  God Luck to you...you can do this  OXOXOXOXOXO

Kathy :O)

I had 4 x TC, every 3 weeks.  Then radiation because I had a lumpectomy.

Good luck!

Lorrie 

Hi

I was diagnoised Dec 10 with Triple Negative....2cm lump no nodes positive. I had the agressive chemo also to make sure it got anything possibly left. I remember the Dr. saying we have no way of knowing if we did it all for nothing. Which was a positive because the chemo was only a precautionary step. Also, I went 6 times every three weeks. I never felt nauseous...I had the chemo Thursday and that weekend I was usual spent. I felt more anxious or that I wanted to "crawl out of my skin". I would suggest Xanax, a heating pad (for muscle aches), and a hot bath!! I had radiation for 7 weeks after that. Best of Luck to you!!

I've been diagnosed twice with Triple Negative.  The first was in 2002 and I had a 1.7 cm. tumor with no nodes.  I had 8 treatments with CMF (one every 3 weeks).  In 2011 I was diagnosed with a second TNBC but this one was much larger at 4 cm. with no nodes.  This time I had 4xAC and 4 Taxol, dose dense (every 2 weeks).  I had a hard time of it but that was just me.  Most people I know got through chemo without too many problems.  Best of luck to you...hope you do great!

SandiK-I'm new here and I'm still learning more about this TN diagnosis.  My Onc team didn't really explain too much to me.  I began chemo on Feb. 7th taking Cytoxan, Neosar and Docetaxol.  I was given steroids to take the day before, day of and day after infusion, then I went and took that injection 24 hours after the infusion...but since they didn't tell me what it was, I'm assuming it was the Neulasta.  I was very ill by the third day, and was in ER twice during the weekend when  the nausea and diarrhea was overwhelming.  On the 8th day I was so dehydrated I had IV fluids for seven hours. 

But here's the kicker!  I didn't find out until two weeks ago that everyone else who has these aggressive treatments got medications.  My oncologist gave me NOTHING.  I'm assuming he meant to but just failed to do it.  After talking to other patients at two different hospitals I was given the hint that I should have asked.  Why would I question my doctor's treatment plan?  I've never had cancer before.  I just assumed you have to be as sick as a dog! 

I started losing my hair on the 13th day and started feeling better about the same time.  I began a new treatment on March 6th, this one is a 28-day cycle, for five cycles.  I take Cytoxan pills on Days 1-14, and take infusions of 5FU and Methrotexate on the 1st and 8th days.  This treatment has been much easier.  I was very nauseated at first, lost my appetite completely, but I found some Zofran the surgeon had given me after the mastectomy in January, and found that really helped.  When I went back to have my infusion on the 8th day, I asked my Onc for something for the nausea.  That's when he said "You should have plenty of refills."  My answer was "You have never given me any medications."  He looked shocked and went to the computer and although he discovered that he hadn't given me anything post-chemo, he never said a word to me. Just handed me a RX for Zofran with 6 refills.  Now with this treatment cycle, I have taken it faithfully and it has helped so much.  I still was queasy, no appetite, fatigued,  diarrhea, but after the 18th day I started feeling better.  I'm day 22 now, and the last four days have been almost normal.  My appetite is back.  I lost 18 pounds after the first chemo, but I could afford to lose those!  If I had been able to continue the first treatment plan, I would be finished April 10th.  Now I have to go to July 3rd.  Then I rest for a month and begin Rads 5X a week, for 4-6 weeks.   

I'm not telling anyone this to make you more afraid of treatments.  Chemo stinks...no matter how you look at it.  But I have spoken to many survivors who tell me they had the treatments with very little problem.  Just be your own advocate.  Maybe if I had been less naive, I wouldn't be where I am right now.

 I am 72 years old, but I think I'm a pretty savvy lady.....not a senile Senior Citizen!  I still have a home-based business as I was a paralegal for over 30 years.  I live in a small town and during this down-sized economy, I still have attorneys who call on me to do small jobs for them.  I volunteer in a county-wide elementary school reading program (not right now...avoiding children and crowds), and I continue to be as active as I am able to.

I just can't believe I didn't ask more questions.

so interesting the different mixes!  I am Triple Negative, no nodes, clear margins, stage 1 getting 6 rounds of T/C every 3 weeks followed by radiation.

 Merri - that is C-R-A-Z-Y how you were treated. So sorry you had to go through that.

I am just finishing my chemo (April 5th is my LAST!!!!).  I had no node and clear margins, double mastectomy.  I was given Dose Dense ACT.  Every other week for 8 rounds.  4 AC and 4 Taxol.  I also have the neulasta needle on Day 3 after chemo for my white cells.  My husband gives it to me (and he's no nurse!).  Not sure what my follow up will be - I'll find out on Wednesday next week when I see my MO pre chemo.  My counts got really low after my last AC so I had a blood transfusion.  Other then that I've been okay with my counts. 

Good luck and keep us posted on how you're doing 

Sandik: Good margins are a good thing! Makes sense to consult again with the BS and go for a re-excision if possible. For what it's worth, I had a close 1 mm margin on the inside, but because the surgeon had cut right to the chest wall, there wasn't much more she could do unfortunately... I got extra rads though and so far so good. 

Hi-- I am new to the site.  I had 4 A/c and 4 taxol, 2 weeks apart, which is still the gold standard treatment for TNC without nodes. With nodes sometimes more taxol or something else.    The neulasta is absolutely terrific and is what enables us to withstand treatment every two weeks without getting sick.  It is an easy shot in the leg; anyone can do it.  I did not have a port but it is an intramuscular shot, wouldn't go in port.  There is a lot of research on significantly improved survival rates with dose dense treatment, which was invented at sloan-kettering, where I was treated.  7 years now!