What happens if I drop out of chemo?

momtoirish.   I am realitively new to all of this and I am by no means an expert but here is my 2cents.  I was REALLY sick after my first treatment and lke you said it felt like I was going to die. I was throwing up had diaherria. Bone pain heartburn. All of itt!  But I have had my second treatment they adjusted some things and this time I had almost no side effects. Certainly nothing like the last time.  It is your decision but it is your best chance to not have this cancer come back or spread anywhere else. It has already happened to you twice!  It is also obvious from your picture that you have a lot to live for. Those beautiful kids need you to be around for a long time!   It may be really hard and I know you will make the right choice for you. But if you talk to your doctors I am sure they will make changes that will help you get through it.  They have recommended this coarse of treatment because they think it's your best chance at living a long cancer free life and your dr from ca concurred.   Right now I have 2friends here at home both have nasty melonoma with metastasis and there is no treatment for that no chemo that works. So they have to try experiemental treatments with no guarantees they would give anything to have the opportunity to to take chemo if it would work!  I hope I don't sound preachy. I want you to see that you can do this it won't be easy but you would probably be very thankful you did in the Long run!  Good luck and I will keep you in my prayers!

chemo does not kill cancer stem cells and these are the cells that cause metastases. There is some evidence that in some cases chemo can stimulate cancer stem cells in to spreading faster. Chemo kills fast growing normal cancer cells and yours is the fastest growing type at grade three.....l

Mom-  I'm so sorry that the first round of Cytoxan/Taxotere has been so hard on you.  I know it is hard to decide whether or not you want to go forward with the chemo.  I know the first dose of chemo is hard on the body and one does begin to question if one can keep going.  As others have said to you, you may want to list down all of your side effects that you have had, rate them 1-10 as to severity and then have a long talk with your onco.  Your medications may need to be adjusted or there may things that you can do.  If you want, please feel free to private message me.  I had 6 rounds of Cytoxan/Taxotere and can say that chemo is doable.  

Sounds like your MO is being very very honest with you: that is, who knows if it will help or not, but personally I prefer a doc who gives me the highlights of what the data as of today shows, and their opinion of what I should do.  I mean, heck, to me that's what a professional is for - their guidance and judgment (especially MO) not simply "skill". That said, kudos to your CA doc for giving you what you seek- informed opinion on the specifics of your case.  I don't know much but from reading the "internets" etc invasive lobular can be tricky as can E+P-....but then, what do I know ?

I don't  have anywhere near the credentials of either of your MOs to weigh in with an informed opinion on your personal, individual case.  I would urge you to seek formal second opinion at top ranked cancer center - make the trip, pay the money, overnight etc, and have them review your particulars. With highly hormonal bc I doubt anyone would say you "need" chemo the way triple n does, but really it seems to me what you want to know is if - in your case - it would be a recommended course.  If you proceed you can with the highly ranked second opinion behind you, or, if they don't recommend it, you can stop and not second guess. 

Deb - no getting around it you have to make a crappy decision for a crappy disease again. You don't need anyone's permission to bail on chemo - it's your life and your decision but as April's post points out do you really want to risk looking back and saying what if. I didn't have chemo - I know easy for me to say and I'm not trying to dispense advice just saying all of us are afraid of a recurrence and you have already been down this road. I think that is very telling. I had 33 RADS treatments - I was blessed because SE's were minimal. Had I not had the Oncotype test I would have had chemo. My score came back@11 so my ONC said RADS not chemo. 

Others who have been through chemo are better able to make suggestions. I know women who have had it I know it's no walk in the park. Surely your Dr can make adjustments so its not so debilitating. 

You do have a beautiful family. It's as much for them as it is for you. 

Diane 

I think one needs to be wary of stats and  query the source of any stats from you doctor. So many studies include populations that are NOT like your bc profile, and therefore the stats are just an  extrapolation based on population groups who may, or may not, resemble you/the patient. THis is where informed opinion/informed  JUDGMENT (excuse all caps)  comes in. I just need to emphasize that it's a judgment call. The stats can only guide so far. You must know what is the population studied, from which the stats being quoted, are culled. You must have the ability to know the limits of the study and how far it may / may not apply in a patient's particular case.

For example, my MO has routinely rattled of stats to me re particular questions I've had re treatment. At the same time, my MO has said that the stats are based on people whose bc is more advanced than mine. So, the question remains, as my MO will always say, whether there would be the same effect/response etc on "MY" bc.  One can PERHAPS reasonably extrapolate "yes".  This is where the informed judgment comes in, with regard to what the stats are, the population they are based on/c ulled from, the nature and limits of the particular study.

To original poster, MomtoIrishQ…, your bc tagline says P negative, and it also says invasive lobular.  80% of bc as you know is IDC vs ILC.  And hormonal bc usually means (I think) P positive as well as E+  So just beware of the 'internets' in my opinion (which includes these boards, and you might think my opinion!) which may cite stats but they may be based on large populations whose bc profile is quite different from yours.  And  this is why I urge you to seek and spend $ for highly credible second opinion. Okay, I'll try and shut up now. Good luck.

I think it cowardly that your MO not give you #1 stats #2 recommend a second opionion.

At the least the physician should say that it IS up to you however his/her personal recommendation is.....

To answer your question, I believe you can drop out of chemo, the bad effect is that you may lose your hair for nothing.

Good luck sugar.

momtoirish. I want to second one of the ladies on here that said "get thee to another doctor"at a well reputed cancer center pay the money make the trip and get an informed opinion from a doctor who will put their opinion out their from experience.  My neighbor died last year from breast cancer diagnosed in June died in January. She was triple negative a different story from you however her husband says his biggest regret is not getting her to Sloan Kettering hospital in NY (I believe) for a second opinion before it was too late.  If my doctor had said to me that chemo was up to me(which it is) I would still choose to err on the side of caution. But that is just me YOU have to do what is right for you but I strongly advice a second opinion before you quit!

Or MD Anderson. Or UNC? Have you used the Johns Hopkins cancer center online service? You ask a question and an oncologist answers. Most questions they answer. Sometimes they say they wold need to meet with you to answer. But often they will give you their opinion based on what info you do provide. I've used it a coup,e of times.

MomtoIrish, I would be irritated at your oncologist's failure to offer an opinion also.  My doctor ultimately did say various tx decisions were up to me, but he laid out all the pros and cons, and even polled other oncologists in the group to let me know their vote.  I feel you should try for a 2nd opinion too.

I know that Johns Hopkins has a 2nd opinion service for out of town patients where you can FedEx your pathology slides, etc. and they give you a very quick turnaround.  I think there is a button for out-of-town patients on their website.  I sympathize with being in a very rural area -- this was my mom's situation and I persuaded her to move temporarily near Baltimore to get tx.   I know that may not be as doable for you with your kids, but at least a 2nd opinion might give you reassurance.

I also agree with those who said your onc should be able to suggest some methods to reduce S/Es, like maybe a dose reduction.

Best of luck!

THe harsh reality is no one ever really knows, even Oncologists are using their best educated guess based on information extrapolated from other women who were treated five years before ( as statistics go back five years).  I know people who did chemo and they got recurrences really fast, but I also know people who did chemo and are fine 10 and 20 years on.......all we can ever do is what is best for ourselves taking in to consideration advice and information from Oncologists and reputable internet sources.....