Post Neoadjuvant Chemo Residual Cancer - How are you doing?

hello ladies!  I jumped in here because my cancer was Luminal B (although I never had neoadjuvant chemo).

Traveltext, Luminal B won't show up on a path report.  It is typically determined by ER+, low or negative PR, higher grade (2 or 3) and high proliferation (ki-67).  This can sometimes be determined through Oncotype score (higher score mah indicated Luminal . My onc determined I was Luminal B after my Oncotype score, and was confirmed by my ki-67 (50%).  Luminal B typically had a poor response to hormone therapy.  Great article here:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC34300900/

Nancy. Thanks, will check the article. 

Kay. Good on you. I can take heart from that. 

Nancy - The link doesn't work. Luminal B responds poorly to hormone therapy? That's a bummer. I thought my high hormone positivity would mean that I would respond well to hormonals. But what's this about Luminal B being low or negative PR? I definitely don't fit into that category. My oncologist called me a "mixed bag" in that I have high everything - high grade, scary high ki67, high Her2, high ER, high PR.

As for the original question, I also had residual cancer following neoadjuvant therapy. My oncologist said that while a cPR would've been ideal (obviously) that the fact that things shrank at least 75% and I'm hormone positive means that I still have a good prognosis. So that is of comfort to me but I'm also opting to continue being very aggressive (radiation, Kadcyla or Halaven trial, ovarian suppression).

If you want reassurance, check out the Stage III board. Lots of ladies with boatloads of positive nodes (like 5 or more) after neoadjuvant who are still doing fine.

My DIC started at 2.7cm under the nipple and included two affected nodes. After the FNA biopsy the breast flared up into an ugly inflammatory situation. This reduced as soon as the chemo started and continued to shrink the breast (and I thought the tumor) for the six treatments. The following mastectomy (which included an axillary clearance) found the ductal cancer and two nodes still tumurous. Obviously they were removed and the node score turned out to be 2/23. Now I'm off for radiation. BTW I'm a 64-year old male.

Hi all,

I was skimming through the forum today and came across this thread. Just thought I'd jump in.

I am a long time member here. DX'd with stage IIb IDC on 7th July of 2005. 

My tumor was almost 4cm's at DX and one of my lymph nodes out of 9 was affected. Did 12 x weekly Taxol followed by 4 x EC (almost the same as AC) every 4 weeks prior to lumpectomy. By the time I was done with chemo, my tumor was less than 1cm but was still there. As soon as I had a lumpectomy, I started Tamoxifen & Lupron along with yet another 12 x weekly Taxol followed by rads. And now, after 9 years, I am still alive and kicking. Working full time and my life has been even more active and busier than those who have never been through any serious diseases. Been on overseas holidays several times. You all will be where I am now before you know!

Hugs,

Well, I had my 25 doses of radiation without too much drama. Now I'm on Tamoxifen without any SEs.

Life gets back to normal thank goodness.

Great that all is well with you mojo. As I understand it, this means that if we get a recurrence, they know that the chemo they used on us didn't destroy all the cancer cells. Likely they have others they can try though.

Anyway, the surgery sure got the cancer, and the radiation was an extra insurance, plus we have our anti-cancer drugs to ward things off. Let's get on with life, keep fit, eat healthily and assume that we'll be fine.

If nowheregirl can go for nine years, we'll be right.