Breast cancer story- need advise

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Piterpan3
Piterpan3 Member Posts: 8
edited October 2016 in Stage III Breast Cancer

hello ladies,

My name is Alexandra and my mom got diagnosed with breast cancer in June 2016. I have joined the forum because you guys give a lot of hope and a lot of topics are very informative! I wish my mom knew English so that she could participate in the community but unfortunately she doesn't.

So here I am, seeking advise from you ladies and the story is the following.

My mom got diagnosed in June durin mastography for cancer. Her ultra shall at this point has shown that the cancer is around 2.5 cm. The previous mastography was 1.5 years ago.

When we learned about this we searched and found one of the top breast surgeon's in my country. She examined her and she told us that the cancer should be around 4 to 5 cm and she suspects that this is there since a long time. She gave us two options: mastectomy or neoadjuvant chemo + if manageable lumpectomy. After 2 min discussion (unfortunately this doctor is so busy that is impossible to have time to talk with) we said we will go for the neoadjuvant method. The next day my mom did all the scans,which came out clear and next day directly to chemo. AC 4 cycles and then 4 cycles of taxol. Around 2 weeks ago my mom had the surgery. The previous day my mom did mastography and ultra shall and they told us the tumor seem to have been reduced to 1.2 cm and the nodes seem clear.

After the surgery the surgeon said that she did the lumpectomy but she will wait for the biopsy to check for clear margins and that she has removed all the nodes. I was surpriced about the nodes but she told me they looked suspicious. Yesterday the surgeon called us to tell us that the tumor was eventually 6 cm, the margins are not clear so my mom will need mastectomy and that 6 nodes are positive - one of them at level 3. My mom was devastated. The only positive acc. To surgeon is that the tumor seem to respond to chemo and that the k67 has dropped to 1-5%.

On Monday we ll meet the surgeon and the oncologist to discuss next steps.

My mom is psychologically really bad and I am trying to support her but also to understand her treatment as much as possible. Many questions arise to my mind like why the surgeon told us about good response when the nodes are still positive and how the initial ultra shall showed 2 cm and now we ended up to 6 cm. I have read that level 3 lymph nodes are really bad prognostic and I want to stay positive but it seems that luck doesn't smile to us.

I am wondering if there is anything else we could do except radiation and the drug for hormone receptors. When women have ovaries removal? Any trial that you would suggest? As far as I understand the treatments are very standard, does it make sense to get extra opinions when I have the biopsy on hand?

My mom has er/pr + her2-.

Thank you and sorry for the long message.

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Comments

  • muska
    muska Member Posts: 1,195
    edited October 2016

    Hi Piterpan3, I am very sorry your Mom has breast cancer. Your mom had clear scans before starting chemo - that's a good sign. Mastectomy and radiation will take care of whatever cancer still remains in her breasts and lymph nodes. I am sure she will be put on a hormonal treatment that is very effective at keeping it under control for a very long time and hopefully, forever.

    Please write down all the questions you have and ask them when you meet the specialists. If you are not satisfied with the answers you can seek a second opinion, however from what you described it appears your mom is getting good treatment.

    Best of luck to your mom, she is lucky to have you by her side! Keep us posted on how her treatment goes.

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  • inks
    inks Member Posts: 746
    edited October 2016

    Sometimes they can do more chemo after the surgery if the response to neoadjuvant chemo was not great. Removal of ovaries only benefits high risk young women. Definitely get more opinions. But by having the neoadjuvant chemo you were able to see how the tumor responded to chemo. What is the grade of her tumor? If it's low grade then hormone treatment will work well. Try to stay calm for your mother.

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  • SSInUK
    SSInUK Member Posts: 245
    edited October 2016

    hi - there's a thread on here about response to new adjuvant chemo - many women are in the same boat as your mum and it's not always disaster, sometimes it indicates a less aggressive disease. But I understand the level 3 node is scary. Have a look at clinical trials - many oncs are excited by Ibrance for ER+ disease and there's a big trial called PENELOPEB specifically for women with residual disease after chemo. Good luck x

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  • Piterpan3
    Piterpan3 Member Posts: 8
    edited October 2016

    thank you all for your replies.

    we got the biopsy results and apparently the tumor is Tnbc triple negative. Currently we are searching our options. No idea how from er+ we are now negative.

    There was not a good response to the chemo. The only positive is that it is grade 2 and ki67 is 1-5%.

    I will post now to the Tnbc group so I get more information.

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