Oncotype score? Did you have to do chemo or did you pass on it?

SLL101984
SLL101984 Member Posts: 222
edited July 2019 in Young With Breast Cancer

Hi ladies,

Just had a BMX 2.5 weeks ago and this coming Tuesday I will meet with my MO for the first time. I should know my oncotype score that day. I only had one tumor, no lymph nodes involved, estrogen positive, her2 negative, and early stage. However I am young, 33. I feel like chemo will be recommended regardless of my oncotype score solely because of my age. anyone in a similar situation? What was your oncotype number? Chemo recommended or just tamoxifen?

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  • vampeyes
    vampeyes Member Posts: 1,227
    edited June 2018

    diagnosed at 41

    Oncotype 21

    No chemo

    Radiaton

    Tamoxifen

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  • Cpeachymom
    Cpeachymom Member Posts: 518
    edited June 2018

    sll- yes, they will probably recommend chemo because of your age.

    Age 39

    Oncotype 14

    Chemo was recommended by my MO but not by my second opinion

    Went with no chemo.

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  • carmstr835
    carmstr835 Member Posts: 388
    edited June 2018

    age 61 at diagnosis bilateral IDC

    Bilateral mastectomy and axillary dissection of the right side,

    Radiation 30 fractions and bolus

    onca scores of 17 and 19

    HR +

    HER2 +

    Lymph + and extranodal


    MO recomended no chemo, I went for 2nd opinion and they recommended chemo. I decided to do chemo + 1 year of targeted therapy for the HER2+

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

    Hi there. Please be sure to check out the latest science announced earlier this week - many women in your situation - and maybe you! - no longer require chemo. I believe the cutoff is an oncotype score of 15 for women under age 50.

    As for me, I was 59 with a score of 18. No chemo.

    Here's the link:

    https://www.cancer.gov/news-events/press-releases/...


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  • SLL101984
    SLL101984 Member Posts: 222
    edited June 2018

    Georgia1- thank you for that article. I guess I’ll keep fingers cross and prayers my score comes back really low!!

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  • nonomimi5
    nonomimi5 Member Posts: 434
    edited June 2018

    I am sorry you have to go through this and you are so young.

    Age 54, Oncotype 17, no chemo (accelerated 16 radiation therapy)

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  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited June 2018

    High score of 34, but 53 years old when diagnosed. Decided to say no to chemo and yes to AI drugs.

    7 years and still no recurrence.

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  • SLL101984
    SLL101984 Member Posts: 222
    edited June 2018

    Hi ladies....my score came back at a 14 and chemo was not recommended! I will be starting tamoxifen on Monday, and as of right now it’s a 10 year plan. Hoping I get lucky with minimal side effects...

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

    Great news! Tamoxifen has benefits after only 2 years, so if it helps you mentally just focus on the shorter time period. That's what I do. :)

    Best wishes.

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  • BT39
    BT39 Member Posts: 34
    edited August 2018

    I just turned 39 and am waiting to see if they can do the Oncotype on my tumor, which might be too small for the test (4mm). Usually they need at least 5mm. It's going to be challenging to sort out as even though the tumor is tiny, it's mighty. It had a lot of aggressive characteristics so it's going to be really questionable I think. Several experts have said I might need only endocrine therapy BUT that there would be A LOT of discussion about it because of all the other characteristics and my age, and that chemo is def. not off the table. I'm really lucky I randomly caught it so early, but I feel like all these questions about next steps are going to be a lot to sort through!

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  • Knitpig
    Knitpig Member Posts: 42
    edited September 2018

    My first opinion wouldn't send my tissue for oncotype. Told me to take Tamoxifen (optional) and check in yearly. The tumor was primarily DCIS with 3 small parts of IDC, 2mm, 3mm, 4mm.

    I sought a second opinion with an Oncologist who thought it was completely reasonable to request Oncotyping on a 4mm tumor (what's 1mm difference?)

    Oncotype score came back low. 13! If it had been higher they would have made me do infusion chemo.

    Because of my age they ended up asking me to try ovarian suppression and AI since it showed a greater benefit for women under 35. So, that's what I'm doing.



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  • Meow13
    Meow13 Member Posts: 4,859
    edited September 2018

    No one can make you do chemo. You chose it based on information. You chose not your doctor.

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  • ChiSandy
    ChiSandy Member Posts: 12,133
    edited September 2018

    Dxed at 64. Oncotype DX 16. No chemo, just lumpectomy, radiation (16 targeted sessions) and AI (letrozole). The latest phase of the TAILORx study validates my MO's decision to recommend that I skip chemo.

    Now, carmstr835 above ended up getting chemo despite a score of 17-19....but that was almost surely because her tumor turned out to be triple-positive (not sure why it was even OncotypeDX-tested, since the test is strictly for HER2- cancers). HER2+ is treated with the "targeted therapies" Herceptin &/or Perjeta, which almost all MOs insist on first giving with chemo before administering them alone for a year.

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  • BT39
    BT39 Member Posts: 34
    edited October 2018

    Knitpig:

    They did the Oncotype on my 4mm tumor and said that generally is the smallest they can do one on. Mine was really high so I started chemo this week, the minimal at 4 infusions. After that they are also suggested I try OS and an AI. However I am 39 and will definitely have to discuss this further with some experts. How have you felt on it so far? Although I think they suggested Tamoxifen first to get premenopausal women close to menopause and then start the OS injections and switch to an AI.

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  • Jinx27
    Jinx27 Member Posts: 238
    edited October 2018

    I was told that Oncotype was done on older women and my One said no. Is there any way the can still run the test even though Im 3 years out? Will it help?

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  • Peregrinelady
    Peregrinelady Member Posts: 1,019
    edited October 2018
    The purpose of the Oncotype is to see if you would benefit from chemo. With the size of your tumor and 3 nodes, I would think that most oncologists would have recommended chemo. At this point, I do not believe it would help to have the test done.
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  • edwards750
    edwards750 Member Posts: 3,761
    edited October 2018

    I agree the test is done on the front end and wouldn’t be beneficial years out but that’s just my opinion.

    Diane

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  • OnTarget
    OnTarget Member Posts: 447
    edited July 2019

    I was diagnosed at 42 and my oncotype score was 16.

    Chemo was not recommended by my MO. I'm going to do OS + an AI (I don't know which one yet).


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  • MirandaPriestly
    MirandaPriestly Member Posts: 28
    edited July 2019

    I think it's becoming more common for chemo to not be recommended due to newer forms of testing like mammaprint and oncotype. I was dx at 31yo, ERPR+/HER2- with no lymph node involvement. Oncotype 0 and low risk (now considered ultra low risk) mammaprint. No chemo was recommended. Also on tamoxifen for 10 years but taking a break after 3 to try to have a baby.

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  • thecargirl
    thecargirl Member Posts: 94
    edited July 2019

    There is a 10 year recurrence score your physician can get by logging in to the physicians portal at Genomic Health. This score includes your RS along with the clinical and pathological information about your tumor, that your physician adds. My 10 year distant recurrence score based only on the RS was 22 % recurrence, the RSPC (Recurrence Score Pathological Clinical) score was 6%……... when my tumor information along with my age was calculated along with my RS score.

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