Awaiting treatment - Stage 3 Ductal

Good morning! I was diagnosed October 3rd. Had to wait till 19th December for surgery. (This was hospitals plan for me) my nodes were clear at original scan so was just planned for 5 days radio around feb. 

Unfortunately after mastectomy 5/7 nodes they removed were bad so now they want me to have chemo next and have told me the wait for this is 2-3 months! I was floored! I just imagined it would just flow after mastectomy recovery but no you have to go on the wait list she said! 

so chemo first sounds like a good option as at least you will be blasting those cells sooner rather than later and will hopefully stop any spread while waiting for op! 

it’s so stressful all the waiting for this result and waiting for that test date it’s awful how slow things seem to take. At them end of the day it’s our lifes that are at risk but they are so under staffed it’s scary. 

Keep me updated with what route you go down any questions feel free to ask I’ve found this site very useful. 

Sending hugs x

Morning. Sorry you find yourself here. Obviously none of us can really say as we’re not medically trained but it is more common to have chemo first if your BC is her2 positive or triple negative. Also if your lump is very big, by giving you chemo first, they can reduce the size of the lump which may mean you have less invasive surgery afterwards. It’s upsetting that your Breast Consultant isn’t able to talk through your options like a grown up. I had chemo first then surgery but I was always having a mastectomy because of my cancer type, spread and history. In my case the cancer was her2 positive and in my nodes so they tackle that first. Maybe a breast care nurse can help with why they’ve made the decision they have? X

Thank you for your reply - it is so scary and so unknown I feel I have blind faith which is not my normal character!

I'm sorry you have to wait, I also would have assumed they run almost immediately after one another so perhaps this order of treatment is a good one. 

Keep positive, it is literally the only thing we can control. I will keep you updated - likewise would love to hear how you're going x

Thank you. I will give them a call. I was only diagnosed 4 days ago. It feels like months already, it's exhausting isn't it?

Hi,

The waits and uncertainty are definitely the worst. If not sure about treatment plans ask them to explain. Part of their role is to treat you but also to offer support and comfort.

If you feel you're not being listened to the macmillan nurses can ask or give them an idea of the questions you want answers to but might not be able to ask yourself. Give them a call or chat here online they are very good.

Good luck with your treatment and recovery plan xx

It is overwhelming in the beginning and so much if it depends on how helpful your team is. Just don’t be scared to ask them questions, it is your right to understand your treatment x

Hi Fifit

i was diagnosed with stage 1 grade 3 multi focal HER2+
the largest tumour was 5cm.

I had a lymph node biopsy and that came back clear.

I started 6 rounds of chemo and after the 2nd round was given an MRI to see if the tumour was responding to the chemo which it had and the tumour was hardly visible after 2 rounds of chemo. I had lots of delays with chemo due to allergic reactions etc and had my mastectomy 7 months later with 6 of my lymph nodes removed.

Just before Christmas I was told that I’d had a complete pathological response which was the best news ever. I’m still awaiting radiotherapy and on immunotherapy.

Like you my first response was why not cut the breast off first. I think we have to trust our surgeon and be guided by them and the oncology doctor. I received the best care although I questioned everything along the way. Ask as many questions as you need my oncology specialist was amazing and explained everything.

Good luck with your journey and sending positive vibes x

Firstly how amazing to have had the news you received - I'm really happy for you!!

Thank you for your input, those that have been there are the best resource so to know the order is a good one reassures me. Hopefully my treatment will be a little less traumatic than yours!! 

Sending positive vibes back to you x

It’s all very overwhelming but I think what they are proposing is likely best practice for your situation. There are a number of benefits from having chemo first. The first is being able to tell whether the chemo is having an effect or not. The second is shrinking the tumour, making it less likely you will need a mastectomy. The third is tackling the problem systemically in case any cells have escaped (I assume you mean grade 3, not stage 3)?  It’s been shown to be the better approach where a cancer is above a certain size. 

From discussions I had with my doctor as to why chemotherapy is best before surgery in my case (triple negative, stage 2 [size of tumour 2cmx 3.7cm x 1.9 cm wide] grade 3, no lymph node involvement, small bust size, aged under 50 years), apart from reducing the cancer and hopefully make a lumpectomy easier to carry out, it helps with destroying any undetected cancer cells  that are circulating in the body.