I could really do with some advice. I'm 39, 2 young children. Diagnosed with lobular cancer ER+ PR- HER2-
I had a lumpectomy in December. Tumour was quite big at 3.5cm. Nodes were negative and margins clear.
Onoctype score 21. Which is medium risk for under 50's.
I finally met with my oncologist on Wednesday to decide my treatment plan. He went through the stats and said whether to have Chemo or not was my choice. The likely benefit for me is small, around 4%. He has given me a week to decide.
When I asked what he would do, he said that with Covid he would probably not have chemo due to the risk of infection. If there was no covid then he probably would have chemo. I didn't find this helpful.
I do not know what to do. I don't want chemo...who does!?! I also don't want to die of Covid because I made myself clincally vulnerable. I'm a primary school teacher so chemo will mean I won't be able to work for some time with the infection risk.
I have read how many women with primary lobular cancer aren't offered chemo at all because it often doesn't respond to it. There are so many negatives to chemo...and potentially no benefit at all...but I will never know as we are talking about preventing recurrance rather than trying to shrink/ control a known tumour.
But I don't want to look back in 5 years with a secondary cancer diagnosis thinking what if I had had the chemo.
It frustrates me that covid should have to be a consideration. Part of me thinks that Covid isn't going anywhere and is a risk for all chemo patients from no on that we all have tio live with. I would have the first vaccine before starting treatment but as with any infection on chemo, it won't necessarily stop me getting it.
So My questions are, has anyone had to make a similar decision? Is the risk of covid really that big when on chemo? Has anyone any advice about lobular cancer and how it responds to chemo?
Thanks for reading.
Bea
