Just diagnosed and too many questions

Definitely see a medical oncologist before starting any treatment. That person, not the surgeon, is the expert on chemo. Yes, with grade 3 TNBC you will want to get the medical oncologist's opinion on whether to do chemo first. In some places they don't routinely send you to the medical oncologist or the radiation oncologist at the beginning, but you can ask for appointments anyway. Ideally, you have a team discuss your case together and come up with a coordinated plan. At some institutions (university hospitals, for example) all these people are under the same roof. The planning meeting is called tumor board and includes the above-mentioned doctors as well as the pathologist, radiologist (imaging), and perhaps social worker or psychologist and nurse-navigator.

Start collecting copies of everything as you go and take your notebook to all your appointments.

I saw a surgeon first who is part of an interdisciplinary team that recommended chemo first. I chose an oncologist that was not part of that team, but I went back to that surgeon for my mastectomy and I am now about to start radiation with a practice that is part of my surgeon's hospital. So it works differently at different centers.

I don't know how large your tumor is or if there was lymph involvement, but depending on the tumor size and staging you may do chemo or surgery first. Don't be afraid to ask questions or get a second opinion from a medicaloncologist.

Glad you feel that way, GrammaSue. I think there are many of us who feel the same way about this place! They wanted me to do chemo first, but for my own probably stupid reasons, I didn't want to, and so did not. now I question that, as maybe it could have saved some of my nodes. I did surgery first. My original tumor was smaller than yours, but as they put it, "it's got legs". It went crazy in my nodes. Part of that , I believe, is because of a kind of weird biopsy of the nodes, and so far ahead of my surgery. I think there was a 'spill' of cancerous cells out of them, because of it. I will never know the truth.

Hi, Gramma,

I was taking my husband to a hematologist/oncologist at the time I found my lump, so that oncologist looked at it and was concerned. He sent me for mammogram and then biopsy, then when it was determined to be malignant, I was sent to surgeon for her opinion. The oncologist said something about chemo first, and then lumpectomy, but not very long after determining it was TNBC, it was determined to do surgery first, and a mastectomy instead of lumpectomy. They also mentioned the aggressive nature of the tumor. I didn't ask many questions at the time, it was all overwhelming, and I was just operating from a state of fear. I have learned a lot since then, and have seen that most of the people here on these boards have chemo first. That is good because it tells the medical team how your body, and the tumor, react to the chemo. If it works well against the tumor, they may be able to do lumpectomy instead of mastectomy. For myself, the only thing that mattered was having clear margins, I far preferred having mastectomy if that was the best way to get it all out.

I wish you the very best with all your doctors, tests and results as you start out. Please remember we have all been through it and are sending good vibes and someone is always around to answer questions and offer support.

Mary