Is preventative chemo worth doing for breast cancer?

Hi Katiecat13, lovely to meet you, just sorry about the circumstances.

My cancer was different but I can tell you about my experience with chemotherapy. I found it ok, I had EC x4 every 2 weeks and then Paclitaxal x12 every week. I had to stop the paclitaxal after no9 as my liver was unhappy. The side effects vary by person but looking back I found it not too bad. Biggest issue for me was fatigue, I was able to work through chemo though took a few days off each cycle to recover. I was lucky as didn’t suffer from nausea, the meds kept this away. I would say that you should do what feels right for you. Talk with your oncologist and decide what way you want to go, it’s a difficult decision but your way is the right way for you and friends and family will come round to your decision if it differs from there’s. It’s your cancer and you will do what is right for you, don’t doubt that and be comfortable with your decision.

it was likely easier for me as chemo was always happening, cheno then surgery and radiotherapy and I am now on preventative meds for 1 year. I decided at the very start to trust my oncologist and care team. I let them take the lead and my job was to look after me why they killed the disease. Do what is right for you, unfortunately everyone can become an expert and as they care about you they want to make sure you are informed and doing what’s best. Take your time, talk to your Drs and decide, don’t feel pressured by others

Good luck with your decision, for sure you will do what feels right for you 

Leigh 

Hi Katiecat

Sorry you’ve been diagnosed.  I too have TNBC.  Mine is Stage 1 but was still strongly advised to have chemo and radiotherapy afterwards.  I’ve had lumpectomy and I’m currently having chemo, had 3 EC which was, for me, doable and easier than expected and currently having Paclitaxel which has been no problem so far after two.  I’m then having radiotherapy. You’ll be well looked after and monitored all the way.  If I can help with any queries please get in touch.

Best wishes x

What type of chemo are they offerring? I too have triple negative breast cancer. Because of something that happened at the point of diagnosis I was put on two different chemo regimes at different times, one that ran for about 10 months, 28 treatment all in all, and another that ran for about a months, 3 treatments out of the 4 they had originally prescribed. My experience of each chemo regime was different, hence my questions to you now about what type of chemo.

The decision on whether or not to go for chemo depends a lot on the equation of potential benefit versus potential damage. Since there is no way to know in advance how a certain patient will respond to a particular drug, doctors tend to go with statistical probabilities. 

Then there is the question of each patient's priorities. For some of us, longevity is a higher priority than quality of life. For some of us that order is reversed. Some are more willing to take calculated risks and a lowered quality of life for the sake of a better chance of longevity, some are not happy to take such chances.

As for family, while I appreciate their concern, ultimately it is you who will be having the consequences of either decision, so you should come under no pressure from anyone to go one way or another. 

As others have said, this decision is yours and therefore you can’t make a wrong decision for you. Chemo is different for all of us so some come through with limited side effects. Some suffer more, you don’t know which you’ll be.

For me, with a 12 year old, 5% extra chance would be worth it. I think you need to imagine, how you feel if you have a reoccurrence in 6 years time, would you wish you’d taken the chemo? Would you think, well I was always in the lap if the gods so I’m still happy I didn’t have it? Only you can know.

I can’t lie and say chemo has been easy, it hasn’t, but it also hasn’t been as hard for me as I imagined, and it is like child birth, you do start to forget quite quickly some parts of your experience. Every dose of chemo is useful too, you don’t have to complete the course IF you’re one of the unlucky ones. 

I often put my specialists in the spot by saying ok, you’re me, with all you know, what would you do in my shoes with your knowledge? And don’t tell me it’s my decision!! I’ll make a decision for myself but I want to know yours. They’ve never not answered. All the best with whatever you decide xx