ONE DOCTOR SAYS CHEMO, THE OTHER SAYS NO CHEMO

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wendymac1
wendymac1 Member Posts: 8
edited March 2018 in Chemotherapy - Before, During, and After

Mammaprint came back "high risk" at -0.196 and "clinical high risk" and immediately my doctor said she wanted me to do 4 rounds of chemo.

I don't have a spleen and had sepsis in November and am at risk for infections.

I got a second opinion, and that doctor told me that the risks of chemo far outweigh the benefits of chemo for me. He used the PREDICT Tool Version 2.0 and the benefits of doing chemo only increased my reoccurance by 2%.

My pathology report was tested 4 times and the her2 came back "equivocal" 3 times then finally negative.

My Ki-67 came back "Moderately High"

Not sure how risky my mammaprint results are because I don't understand the results...will follow up with my doctor on Mobday.

I don't know who to put my trust in at this point. Not sure what test is more accurate.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

Thank you all!!!

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  • gb2115
    gb2115 Member Posts: 1,894
    edited March 2018

    I thought a high risk Mammaprint pretty much seals the deal for needing chemo. Is there anything they can do for you during chemo to try to improve your immune function and lower your infection risk?

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  • wendymac1
    wendymac1 Member Posts: 8
    edited March 2018

    Hi gb2115! Thank you so much for your reply!

    I would be given a shot of neulasta during chemo to boost my immune system.

    I am on the lower end of the "high risk" results and the doctor who does not recommend chemo did a graph profile and it measured only a 2% benefit from having chemo with my kind of cancer.

    He is opting out of prescribing chemo which I am going with and I will start radiation next week along with anti-estrogen medication. He said there is a new study out that adding an osteoporosis IV injection twice a year along with my anti estrogen medication will bump my benefit up 7% which is above the 2% from chemo.

    Chemo would be a very modest benefit (2%) and a very high risk of life threatening sepsis/infection due to my history. My doctor recommends anastrozole x 7 years and zometa Q6 months as adjuvant therapy to start after completion of radiation.

    It's been an agonizing week!!!!


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  • star2017
    star2017 Member Posts: 827
    edited March 2018

    how old are you

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  • wendymac1
    wendymac1 Member Posts: 8
    edited March 2018

    I am 48 years old.

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  • bevin
    bevin Member Posts: 1,902
    edited March 2018

    i had mixed results as well with one onco recommending chemo and one saying Id do well without it. I chose not to have it as the real benefit was ccukatrd at anout 4%. Too low for me to lut my whole body ay risk.

    Ask your Onco the real benefit and then perhaps that will help guide you

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  • Georgia1
    Georgia1 Member Posts: 1,321
    edited March 2018

    Wendy, that sounds like a solid plan. You may want to say hi over on the "starting radiation in March" board so you have a posse for the next few weeks. It was very helpful for me. Best wishes!

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  • gb2115
    gb2115 Member Posts: 1,894
    edited March 2018

    Glad you were able to come up with a plan. I have always thought bc was a little too much "choose your own adventure." During the process I was just like please someone just tell me what to do!!

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  • wendymac1
    wendymac1 Member Posts: 8
    edited March 2018

    Thank you bevin for your reply! My "second opinion" doctor calculated my benefit of chemo at 2%....totally not worth it for me...

    My first oncologist never calculated any percentage of benefit for me.

    I am so glad I made the effort to go to someone new.

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  • wendymac1
    wendymac1 Member Posts: 8
    edited March 2018

    I will definitely do that Georgia1....thank you so much!!!

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  • wendymac1
    wendymac1 Member Posts: 8
    edited March 2018

    gb2115,

    I totally agree with you!!!!!!

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  • carmstr835
    carmstr835 Member Posts: 388
    edited March 2018

    2% sounds pretty slim chance, but that is assuming they are comparing apples to apples. My Oncologist said 2-3% as well. I went to a 2nd opinion who believed my lymph involvement with extranodal extension and very fast growing tumors (grew 2.6 cm in 9 days), as well as being bilateral cancer gave me a higher incidence than the mama print or Onco score suggests, he re-did the pathology and I was found to be HER2+. Tough decisions. I decided to go with my original oncologist but the decisions of the 2nd opinion. I am otherwise very healthy and felt I could handle the chemo. I wanted to do everything I could to keep this nasty disease from returning.

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