Am I making the right choice?

Paulette, deciding on whether or not to do chemo is such a personal thing, since we each know our own bodies and our risk tolerance better than anyone else. However, with a Grade 3 bc that was slightly over 2 cm, and an OncotypeDX score of 25, I would be more concerned about you if you chose not to do chemo. I think that would be the more risky choice.

As far as the lupus, etc., I've been surprised at how many women on BCO had some type of autoimmune condition prior to their bc dx. I would just be very sure that you have a medical team that's had experience with patients with similar pre-existing conditions, so that they have firsthand information to draw on. I'm guessing you meant a chemo regimen of Taxotere & Cytoxan. The Taxotere can be especially hard on muscles, so you might want to ask your onc how that could impact anything you already deal with due to the lupus. It's my general belief (although I'm not a doctor) that some of the problems with Taxotere are not due to the drug itself, but to some of its additives or carriers. There's a similar drug that's gentler (can't think of its name at the moment) you may want to ask your onc about. It's mostly used if patients can't tolerate Taxotere, and ins. co's won't automatically subsitute it because it's considerably more expensive. But, in your situation, with the existing Lupus, it might be worth asking about. I will come back and give you the name when I think of it, unless someone else does it first.

Good luck, and remember, you can always stop if you can't tolerate it, and anything you get will probably be better than nothing at all. (((Hugs))) Deanna

Paulette, there is research showing no difference in outcome for women who start chemo 4, 8 or 12 weeks from their last surgery. In other words -- and although it's never recommended that anyone wait longer than they have to -- depending on when you had your surgery, it may be okay to take another week or two to either find a different onc, or give yourself time to make your decision without feeling rushed.

I'm personally very keen on NCI-designated cancer centers, as explained on my bio page. Here's a list: http://www.cancer.gov/researchandfunding/extramural/cancercenters/find-a-cancer-center

It might be worth getting a second opinion at the closest one, simply b'cuz they see the most bc patients, and have teams of doctors under one roof, including experts in lupus, etc. If the closest one isn't convenient for actually getting chemo, you can always take their recommendations back to a more local onc. That's what I did. But I'd personally be leery of using an onc who doesn't have experience pertinent to your situation. Deanna

PS ~ The chemo I couldn't think of above is Abraxane. I would definitely ask your onc about it.

Paulette, so sorry to hear that. If you haven't already, maybe start a new thread about looking for onc recommendations in your area. Be sure to put your location in the title. That would be my next best suggestion for you, and hopefully you'll get some great, firsthand recommendations from other BCO members in your area. Deanna