How much did your tumour shrink with Neo adjuvant chemo?

Hello... I had my chemo after the lumpectomy but I have a good friend who at the same time had chemo first. I forget how big her tumour was originally but it was several centimetres whereas mine were small. She was told she would need a mastectomy but the chemo worked it's magic. Her tumour didn't disappear but shrank sufficiently so that she could have a lumpectomy which was much nicer for her. It all worked well as this was seven years ago and she is still cancer free.

I hope her experience helps you. In my case the treatment has worked well too. I am still cancer free after eight years.

I wish you well with continued successful treatments. Take care. Karen

Hi, I had a 55mm lumpt that shrunk by the magic of chemo so that there were no active cancer cells left by the time I had surgery. This meant I could have a.lumpectomy and I didn’t need any reconstruction.  We're all different, but at least I had good news from chemo. Best wishes 

Thanks for your reply Karen, that’s great news and also what I am hoping for as the tumour is too big for a lumpectomy at the moment but I have fingers and toes crossed the chemo will do it’s stuff . 

Hi and thanks for your reply

that’s really good news, I just wanted a couple of positive stories as I went a bit down a rabbit hole reading statistics, your story is exactly what we are aiming for with the Neo adjuvant chemo with me .

I hope you are doing well

Happy to help sometimes we need all the positivity we can get.  I am 2 years post active treatment, still on letrozole and Zometa, but minimal side effects and all is good. Fingers crossed for your chemo 

Mine shrank from 37mm to 1.2mm, which they were really happy with as they hadn't expected or treated it to get a full response (no cancer cells left). I had EC then docetaxel, and it did seem to get another good kick from the docetaxel.

We couldn't feel the lump by the time I had surgery and I too was able to go from a potential mastectomy to a lumpectomy.

Oh wow, I’m so encouraged by some of the responses that have led to lumpectomy instead of mastectomy.

I’ve had two (of 6) rounds of Docetaxel and Herceptin and my 4cm multi-focal very defined hard lump (felt like a golf ball) is now very soft and oneologise can’t feel the lump. I dream my non-nipple sparing mastectomy could turn into a lumpectomy (but concerned as I’m Her2+ so near my nipple that it may not be the case).

I’m also swapping to Paclitaxel (from Docetaxel) for round 3 onwards (I saw research data that D had a higher risk of permanent hair loss in post-menopausal women than P … and as I lost most of my once thick eyebrows in my late 40s to some genetic issue I inherited from my Gran, I’m not risking my scalp).

thanks for the question and all the responses - very heartening! 

(I’m also raising awareness that over-50s mammograms don’t detect cancer in dense breasts! My mammo was all clear this May, In July I found the 4cm cancer it missed! Read:  https://preventbreastcancer.org.uk/why-breast-density-matters/

I’m sharing awareness on Insta: densebreastdiva 

x

Can I ask what part of your breast your tumour was in and were you Her2+?  Mine’s invasive ductal Her2+ and very near my nipple - dreaming it could turn into a lumpectomy, but it was scheduled to be a non-nipple sparing mastectomy : (

Hello. 

I have my 6th and final round of chemo due on Friday and have had a really positive result with my chemo. Had an ultrasound on the 27th September (2days before round 3) with the vue of having another biopsy but was told I didn't need one and my tumor had shrunk significantly. This was followed up by an MRI on the 18th October (2 days before round 4) and the results from that came back as complete response to treatment. Originally my tumor was 20mm x 43mm x 34mm so quite big.

I have my meeting with my surgeon tomorrow so keeping my fingers crossed for minimal surgery. 

I know everyone is different but try and trust the process and your team. I've done my fair share of Googling and ultimately found it just caused me so much unnecessary stress.

You've got this! Sending all the love, luck and positive vibes your way 

That’s a great result! Good luck tomorrow x