Hi, I had a mx a few weeks ago and results came back that it had not spread to lymph nodes which is great. They have said it was Grade 2 (2cm with some DCIS). Its HER2 negative by EC positive.They mentioned last week that I was being referred to oncology for chemo but when I popped to the hospital to have a drain a different doctor mentioned that they might suggest hormone therapy due to it not going to nodes and having the mx. It gets complicated as I had another grade 2 BC in same breast back in 2012 where I had a lumpectomy, chemo and rads. I have been on a variety of tablets, tamoxifen, another one beginning with ex that I can never remember and last few weeks letzerole. Also had zoledax injection. So despite all that it can back. Same breast but different part. Was told today that they would consider it as a new primary due to the 8 years since last one.
Guess my question is, does anyone have experience of having a similar diagnosis and had hormone treatment rather than chemo? I will go with what they think is best but the thought of doing chemo again fills me with dread.
Thanks Del x
Hi
I don't know about having had BC previously in the same breast/either breast personally. However, when I was diagnosed in 2017, I had ER+(oestrogen positive) - 15mm IDC Grade 2 and 54mm of 2 separate areas of DCIS (ER negative, grade 3) and I had a lumpectomy of 80mm (wide local exision), sentinel lymph nodes removed with no spread. I then had radiotherapy. It's my understanding that they don't do radiotherapy for a mastectomy as the radiotherapy is just belts and braces for the breast just in case there's any cells left in it, but as yours was removed there can't be any left 'floating'.
It makes sense that they consider it a primary as after 5 years they tend to look at it as not returning. Or was it even a different type as you had chemo? Or had it been ER+ with a spread to the lymph nodes, hence the need for chemo.
Letrozole or Anastrozole is the usual for post menopausal women with ER+ BC. (I'm on Anastrozole)
Since I was diagnosed there is now the Oncotype DX test which measures more effectively the amount of ER+ you are (rather than the normal biospy results I got). I had a result of 8/8 ER+ from my results, but the Oncotype DX test was just in its infancy when I was diagnosed where tissue was sent to USA for a more effective set of results with a range of much larger numbers and if women were on the border, then they were recommended chemotherapy. You could ask if they've had this done for you? If not, you could ask for it to be done to put your mind at rest. If they have they should be able to explain the results to you. I don't know much about it, but I would imagine that by now they have test results from here rather than USA - I could be wrong, of course, because as I say, I know very little about it, not having had this myself.
I must admit, when I was told I didn't need chemo. because of the type of BC I had, I really felt that I was a winner when it came to my cancer - it was such a relief! My friend who had HER2 BC at a similar time had a year off work, whereas I was back at work within 2 days - what a difference it makes NOT having chemo to the quality of life!
Hope this helps a bit,
Best wishes, Lesley
