When did tumor shrinkage become evident chemotherapy?

I noticed tumor shrinkage after the first round, but that was with 2 chemo agents and 2 targeted therapies. They won't repeat the MRI until chemo is one. Even so - that doesn't always show what's going on.

It's good that they are trying different things, but surgery and post-pathology will show what has really happened.

Try not to get discouraged. There are still more treatment modalities available to your wife. It's marathon.

Mr Husband, I'm touched by your compassion and dedication to your wife's breast cancer & chemo.

I'm currently mobile, but you can click on menu/search/mucinous carcinoma for more info on your wife's BC. Focus on pathology and chemosensitivity.

Bless your wife's heart.

Hello, Husband. I had neoadjuvant chemo, dose dense, AC-T. After the first round, my MO said that the the chemo was working. I didn't want to believe him (too good to be true), but after the 2nd round I had to agree. While the tumor didn't necessarily seem smaller in dimension, it was definitely softer. The tumor was originally rock hard. Now, after 4 rounds of AC and 2 rounds of Taxol, the tumor site feels almost like normal breast tissue unless you really squeeze hard and know where the tumor is. I know that the tumor is still there, but the difference in feel is dramatic. Sorry to be blunt, but does your wife's boob feelany different?

Hello Husband, It's great you're learning as much as you can to help your wife. I had 4 rounds of AC and when an ultrasound was done it showed minimal shrinkage--less than a millimeter. I was pretty discouraged. But at least it didn't grow. My MO said in my case it may be because my tumor has "mystery" tissue around it and that may make it hard to see on the ultrasound what is going on. I will have an MRI next week after the 12th round of Taxol. I'll be posting the results. I read somewhere that complete eradication of the tumor happens in 20% of cases, so while it's a goal, most people achieve only partial shrinkage. One person on this board had insignificant shrinkage but when they did surgery the tumor was "dead". One benefit of doing neoadjuvant chemo is that the MOs can get a sense of what works best in each individual case. I'm in a clinical trial at Mt Sinai, NYC, where a mouse model has been injected with my tumor cells and is getting the same chemo I am. IF* I were to have the bad luck to get a recurrence there would be data that would help guide the chemo second time around. *Knocking on wood and other substances that I never need this.

caregIverhusband,

I know your post is a year old but wanted to tell you my experience. I started TCHP in January 2018and just finished my 4th chemo. My tumor has not shrunk at all either, which is so discouraging. MO has not suggested stopping chemo. She did say, like others here, that the time of surgery will tell whether the chemo worked. It is very depressing especially when we hear of other's tumors shrinking to nothing. I pray things have turned out well for your wife.

Thank you guys for your information!

I thought that the shrinkage is the only sign of progress. However, what do you mean by the swiss cheese feel?