Chemo therapy after having a NEW Joint replacement?

Jerseygirl927 · February 2015

I was just diagnosed with ILC and had my bi lateral mastectomy January 13, 2015. I have clean margins, no lymph node involved and am Her2 + and ER and Pr +. Stage 2 nuclear grade, grade 1a. tumor stage. So I am concerned about having chemo therapy with this newly implanted left shoulder joint. total left shoulder replacement. My port has to go on the opposite side, and antibiotics given prior to treatments. Ortho has said that if the joint becomes infected it will have to be removed and treated...

Has anyone out there had chemo therapy with a fairly new joint replacement, and how did you react with joint and chemo? I personally dont feel that the cancer is that great, that I should risk having a joint infection? On the other hand, no one can make this decision for me, but I am leaning towards not doing chemo, and just going with hormonal infusions....Any experience with this issue?

Momine · February 2015

Why do you need chemo with no nodes and stage 1a? Have you had an oncotype test?

vlnrph · February 2015

I imagine the HER + is the reason for chemo...

Pre-infusion antibiotics should keep a joint infection from getting established. Perhaps someone else with first hand experience will comment. Certainly lots of people have knee and/or hip replacements then require cancer treatment. Does your ortho also expect you to take something prior to dental work?

Momine · February 2015

Ah, thanks

Jerseygirl927 · February 2015

My joint replacement is only 4 months old, And I do have to be pretreated with antibiotics for dental, and with the port that was just put in... My fear, is with the chemo drugs killing good cells and bad cells, those newly healing joint cells are not quite old enough to be fully healed and they want me to start chemo asap....many of my drugs are going to attack my heart, my liver, my kidneys, and what are the statistics for newly replaced joints? no one really knows,but Orthopedic Dr said, they could remove shoulder joint and replace again.....dah that was more painfull than the double mastectomy, in my opinion....my body...so is my cancer severe enough to do chemo, or only just herceptin drugs and tamoxafin drugs? just being cautious

Jerseygirl927 · February 2015

Mommie, this is where I am so new too this whole chemo thing. I didnt get the impression that my cancer is not that bad, so why the chemo? I am told prevention? this is an aggressive cncerncer? I really dont want to do chemi, I thought my cancer was caught early, so just do the herceptin part ???please someone enlighten me

Momine · February 2015

Jersey, we are not doctors. I would, however, urge you to find a second doctor, preferably at a major cancer hospital and ask for a 2nd opinion. This is always a good idea anyway.

ruthbru · February 2015

Jersey, HER2 is an aggressive cancer and ILC is a sneaky cancer. But since it was caught in a very early stage and you are ER & PR positive (which means you can take an anti-hormonal) PERHAPS you could have Herception (the drug that treats the HER2 part of things and is generally less hard on the body than the other chemo drugs) only, which is what a friend of mine with similar stats to you was allowed to do. Get a second opinion and ask about that option when you do.

*edited to add that my friend was in her mid 60s, and her age played into the decision. She was told that had she been younger they would have recommended doing chemo as well.

Chemo therapy after having a NEW Joint replacement?

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