Delay in starting first Chemo session

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Hi everyone,

I was due to have my first weekly chemo session today (Paclitaxel) but couldn't have the treatment as my temperature was 38C in the clinic. The doctor suspects a low grade viral infection but have taken bloods for discussion with my oncologist next Monday before my next chemo which is due on the 26th December.

I'm so scared that the delay in treatment is going to move my tumour (which is triple negative and 18mm) from Stage 2 to 3. It's almost 6 weeks since the biopsy was taken. Starting to think that I would prefer to have surgery first and then the chemo/radiotherapy but understand that they like to monitor and shrink the tumour prior to surgery.

Has anyone else had a similar set back right at the start of their treatment please?

Wishing you all the best, Flossie. x

Londonmumof2 over 5 years ago

It's stressful waiting to start treatment, isn't it? It's also worrying thinking it's growing during that time, but I imagine the delay in treatment was to confirm all the details to treat it effectively. Did you have extra scans like staging scans because they saw something in the nodes? It takes many months or even years for the first cancer cells to grow to a size normally detected, so it's unlikely to grow much in a few weeks. Stage 3 is 4+ nodes, tumour over 5cm, on the chest wall or in the internal mammary glands. Size-wise it's not going to happen in a few weeks, and you haven't mentioned number of nodes (if any) affected.

Please take a deep breath and enjoy Christmas before it all begins. They can't give chemo with a temperature as it will affect your immune system and potentially lead to sepsis. You'd need to go to A&E with a temperature of 38c, and you'd be given IV antibiotics at the first sign of infection.

Good luck with it when the time comes:)

“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Stephen Hawking,

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Delay in starting first Chemo session