CHEMO OR NO CHEMO?!

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LaDolceVita
LaDolceVita Member Posts: 1
edited June 2014 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

I am a 64 year old, recently had a lumpectomy for a 1.2 cm intralobuler carcinoma with lymph node negative, ER+ PR+, and HER2-. My oncotype score is a 19 with a recurrence rate of 12%. My oncologist is recommending chemo, however, after conducting research and sifting through clinical trials, I am finding that chemo may not be very beneficial for me. I will be having radiation treatment and hormone therapy. I need to make a decision ASAP. I am deeply on the fence so am looking for any and all advice. Please respond. Thank you.

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  • mdg
    mdg Member Posts: 3,571
    edited April 2014

    That's a tough one.  I was faced with the same decision when my score was 17.  I had LVI though and that really scared me.  Take a deep breath and think about what decision will give you the most comfort.  You have to make sure the decision you make does not make you have regret if possible.  For each person, this is different because we all have different personalities.  I can't tell you what to do, but I can tell you how I made the decision for myself.  The things I considered were:

    age (I was 45)

    my son (he was only 4 years old)

    LVI (I had clear nodes, but vascular invasion was not a good thing)

    overall health (other than BC I am active and healthy)

    My personality - I am a worrier.  I figured that if I knew I did everything I could and the BC came back I would not have regret but if I skipped the chemo and it came back I would.  That is just my high strung personality!


    Think about many different aspects of your situation and make the right decision for YOU personally.  Good luck!

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  • ziggypop
    ziggypop Member Posts: 1,071
    edited April 2014

    I would talk to your onc again. Ask him why he is recommending the chemo - what factored into his recommendation , also find out what type of chemo he would be giving you (type vary more widely than most people know). Then you could consider getting a second opinion. Since you have all the tests and results etc. getting an opinion shouldn't involve much - again ask that onc about his or her reasoning. 

    After that, maybe think about your own personality - are you the kind of person who will be filled with anxiety every day if you don't do the chemo? What about if you do - will every lingering side effect make you think you shouldn't have done it? Ultimately, when you make the choice, you need to be able to trust that your choice you made was the best one that you could have given the info available. 

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  • dlb823
    dlb823 Member Posts: 9,430
    edited April 2014

    La DolceVita, you may find getting a second and even a third opinion helpful.  Not all oncs think alike, and you may get very different opinions from different oncs.  But sometimes you just need to keep asking the question and searching for that one bit of information or insight that will click with you and allow you to make your decision with confidence.  Talking to different oncs can be very helpful in this way. 

    Good luck, and let us know what you decide.   (((Hugs))) Deanna

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  • BigmamaT
    BigmamaT Member Posts: 1
    edited May 2014

    I was diagnosed with ILC Grade IIB left breast, 3.7 cm tumor node neg and opted for bilateral mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. Post op tumor size ended up being 5cm. Oncotype score 21. 

    At my first opinion appt. the Onco Dr was all about statistics and pointed out there is no clear evidence that chemo increases survival rates or decreases reoccurrence for early stage lobular breast cancer. By that time I had done tons of research and knew the reason is because the majority of studies have been done on ductal breast cancer because it is the most common type. Not many studies on lobular. The Dr wouldn't make a recommendation whether or not I should have chemo. 

    My second opinion was the same except the Dr added an element of humanity to his recommendation. He said " If it were my sister or mother or daughter, would I recommend chemo? You bet I would". That's all I needed to hear. I am not a worrier. I am more of a lets sweep all the corners clean, get this mess out of here and move on with life as best I can. 

    In the middle of chemo now and thankful I made that decision. For me it is another layer of insurance  against reoccurrence.  My Onco has helped me manage the treatments so that I can continue working part time. All in all it isn't as bad as I thought. Not much nausea thanks to Zofran.  

    You have to follow your instinct but I would definitely get a second opinion. Good luck and God Bless. 

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