Positive outcomes from chemo before surgery?!

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LillieRose
LillieRose Member Posts: 112
edited July 2015 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

I'm having a really hard time doing chemo first... I feel the tumor nonstop to the point where it actually is sore from me touching it.. I'm doing 12 weekly Taxols first and it hasn't shrunk yet at #8. I am freaking out. Do I move on to AC or just have surgery and do chemo later.... ?

When I bounce around to read other peoples stories I feel like a lot if people who did chemo first had Mets years later... I feel like I should get this thing out... Like I should have done when first diagnosed! :(

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  • BAT
    BAT Member Posts: 24
    edited June 2015

    Bump

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  • jcfree
    jcfree Member Posts: 105
    edited June 2015

    I was diagnosed November 2014. Started neo-adjuvant chemo December 2014 of Taxotere/Herceptin/Perjeta. After three treatments, I had a PET scan and it showed my lymph nodes on my right side underarm that were positive were now clear, my tumor on my right side which was 5.3 cm had shrunk by 50%. My Onc said that I had exceptional response to the treatment. Had another PET and full body bone scan after my 6 rounds and am now NED. I have surgery scheduled for masectomy of right side for July 7. You may yet see a reduction of your tumor as you have four more to go. Everyone's chemo treatment is unique to their cancer situation and some will respond earlier and others will need the full number of treatments to see a reduction of tumor. Yet I see some who have the neo-adjuvant chemo, then have surgery then radiation or even more chemo treatments. I initially was disappointed too that I couldn't have surgery right away, just wanted it gone! But now I see how having chemo first helps reduce the tumor or tumors and also any lymph nodes that are positive can be cancer free from the chemo treatments.

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited June 2015

    I did 4 DD A/C neoadjuvant and 12 weekly Taxol adjuvant. I'm still here and still NED almost 6 yrs after DX.

    Remember that the prognosis for the different types is different. Most that have done neoadjuvant are IBC which has the worst survival rate. For IBC, neoadjuvant chemo is imparative to get it to form a lump with margins as it forms as a 'nest' or 'bands' and shrink. Most will do 2 different chemos both neoadjuvant but I didn't - I did 1 neoadjuvant and 1 adjuvant.

    It is becoming more common to do neoadjuvant with the other types now too.

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  • ThePrincess
    ThePrincess Member Posts: 424
    edited June 2015

    I am doing chemo first - my surgeon and onc agree on this for 2 reasons - 1. to see how your particular cancer responds to the therapy -if they took the lump out first they'd have no idea if the chemo was a good match for any stray cells in your body that the scans can't see. 2. the surgery, in theory should be a much smaller less invasive ordeal if your tumor has shrunk significantly. After 4 rounds of AC, I cannot feel mine at all (was 2 cm and I am the one that found it).

    GOOD LUCK!

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  • LillieRose
    LillieRose Member Posts: 112
    edited June 2015

    thank you for th replies! They just switched me to AC had my first Thursday... Not feeling much difference yet!

    Theprincess, how far in to AC did the shrinking start?! Mine is also 2cm I just want come shrinkage! After 8 weeks of taxol with no change I need some encouragement :(

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  • rozem
    rozem Member Posts: 1,375
    edited June 2015

    I had IDC her2 positive. Did fec-d with herceptin prior to surgery ( similar to act-t)

    I had a complete response. 2cm tumor completely gone after surgery

    I am 4 yrs out this August.


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  • ilovepugs
    ilovepugs Member Posts: 78
    edited June 2015

    LillieRose, I think I know how you're feeling.

    I've often wondered why I was a candidate for neoadjuvant chemo/rads, considering I would require a mastectomy regardless. I was told that because my tumour is large (4.5cm), is grade 3, and has three large satellite lesions (largest is 1.5 x 1.3cm), that this was the reason for wanting to shrink the tumour first.

    They want to gauge the tumour's response in pathology, I get that, but what about the tumours that don't recede much throughout treatment? I'm scared that leaving my tumour in place for the last year has been a further risk.

    Through my chemo and radiation, my tumour has not felt like it's shrunk much. It moves around a little more freely than before and the skin is less taut over the tumour now, but it's still large, palpable, and tethered to the skin.

    I guess we'll see after surgery, but I know the uncertainty you're feeling. This whole ordeal seems like an exercise in how to live with uncertainty. Or how to make decisions when you don't feel like you have all the answers. Essentially, how we're feeling is a normal response to the situation we're in, right

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  • art15
    art15 Member Posts: 66
    edited July 2015

    My wife is undergoing neoadjuvant chemo for an IDC/TNBC/metaplastic with squamous 3.5cm tumor, she's on Carboplatin-Gemzar, after 2 cycles of 6, her ultrasound yeasterday the tech said "it's a fluid-filled center now... looks like a cyst... the lymph nodes are smaller..."

    is this solid mass turning to liquid promising? The Onco gets the report tomorrow (Scripps/ San Diego California) Onco said only seen this subtype of TN 3 times before.


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