Fever potential expander infection 4/6 cycles

Options
SSPD
SSPD Member Posts: 2

Hi,

My wife was diagnosed with a second breast cancer 4.5 years after the first one. The second one was:

Infiltrating Ductile Carcinoma; 1.5cm. X 0.9 cm; grade 3;
Sentinel node negative; triple negative; Margins uninvlolved(distance to closest margin 20 mm; Angiolymphatic invasion present;  Ki-67: 95%; AJCC/UICC stage: pT1c; pN0(i-); pMX 
 
We did a simple bilateral mastectomy - skin and nipple sparing (nipple tested to ensure benign). Expanders inserted for a future implant and started the following regimen:

DOCETaxel 75 mg/m2 IV over 60 min  + CARBOplatin AUC6 IV over 30 min; every 3 weeks

After the 4th cycle, a week before the fifth, we were in hospital for fever. Stayed there for two weeks and treated with antibiotics. Doctors suspect a potential infection at implant area - not confirmed. Fever continues and is being controlled with paracetomol and anti-inflammatory medication under doctor supervision.

Question for us now is which option to choose among the following:

a. continue chemo with implants if vitals are baseline met

b. stop chemo and try to clear infection

b. remove implants and continue chemo

c. remove implants and stop chemo

Would appreciate if anyone could share similar experiences. Thanks.

Comments

  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited May 2013

    What is your oncologist suggesting, and has an infectious disease specialist been consulted?  Why is there an assumption that the infection is due to the expander and not a neutropenic fever caused by chemo?  Surgery during chemo is exceedingly risky for normal healing, you would have to cease chemo and then wait for a period of time before attempting surgery, IMHO.

  • SSPD
    SSPD Member Posts: 2
    edited May 2013

    Doctors have ruled out neutropenia and other infections based on vitals and other blood array tests. Hence the assumption. Thanks.

Categories