Hello,

I really am just looking for any recommendations about information you think that I should read that will help me make my decision.

I had a breast cancer lump removed last week and all of my lymph nodes.  I haven't seen my oncologist yet but the surgeon and cancer nurse have made it clear that chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy will almost certainly be his recommendation. 

I have grade 3, medullary, invasive cancer, that has spread to 1/25 lymph nodes,  The cancer lump was 23mm.

I just want to know really whether I really do have a decision to make in all this about whether to accept the chemotherapy.  It seems that the conventional wisdom would strongly say to me that I should follow the recommendations.  I know that there is an awful lot out there that says that chemo is bad, doesn't work ect - but I haven't really found anything yet that convinces me - but it is so hard on the internet to filter what you find.  I just wanted to know if there is anything logical that offers another view about reason I might refuse, things I should consider.

Before they removed all my lymph nodes I did try to get them to explain - why all and not just a sample - they said it was because a biopsy had shown cancer in a lymph node.  I now know that it was only in 1 and all 25 were removed.  I am sure that they did what they thought was necessary but I can't help feeling that perhaps just taking a sample of lymph nodes would have been better for my body but that their approach is based on being aggressive towards the cancer first.

At the moment all I am sure of is that I am afraid of the damage of chemotherapy might do to me and I don't know if there is anything I can do to sensibly try and weigh up this risk of the damage chemo is likely to do to my body versus the risk of the cancer being somewhere else/coming back. 

Let me know if anyone has any suggestions for me.

Thanks

Laura

Hi Laura

I think the most important issue to consider is your wider health - do you have any other health issues that could be made worse by chemo? How do you react to drugs? 

Maybe get a second opinion on your treatment plan when you have it in detail - this is common and oncologists don´t seem to mind

Consult with a medically trained doctor who uses an integrative approach to consider and assess possible alternatives to chemo for you? Good oesn will still recommend chemo if they think it is best for you

Good luck

I just wanted to thank you for your reply.  I had thought that a second opinion might be useful for me just so I have another view.

Also I have no other health problems and althought I have only ever taken your standard drugs I have never reacted badly to them.

Laura