Oncotype DX test result borderline

Hi Bear and Tilly

Sorry to hear that you have been diagnosed with breast cancer.  While it's completely up to you whether you have chemo or not I know that if my cancer was to return I would do chemo again.  While I won't say chemo is easy it is doable. Just bear in mind that everyone's experience of chemo is different.  Some people don't get side effects  at all and others get lot's of side effects. You will be given meds to help counteract any side effects that you may have.  If you do get side effects and they get unmanageable you can always stop chemo.

Wishing you the best of luck with everything whatever you decide to do.

Best wishes

Daisy53

It’s a hard decision to make.  I was given my Prosigna test results on Friday, it came in as low intermediate.  The oncologist didn’t offer me the choice and told me it had been decided I should go for 4 months of chemotherapy then rads and hormone therapy.  I asked him to outline the percentage benefit of chemo, this was so low that I decided it wasn’t for me. I wanted to skip chemo and go straight to rads.  I had my radiology oncologist consultation yesterday and scan and mark up appointment is next week.  I’m sure there will be lots of people who would disagree and say that you need to fight cancer with all methods available but at the end of the day it’s all down to personal choice.

Hi it's hard to be given this choice. I was told I wouldn't benefit. My Oncotype DX result was 6 which gives me an 11% chance it may return in 9 yrs. I take Letrozole and had radiotherapy. Someone said to me take whatever they offer. I am in my 60s which affects the figures as well I think. I was relieved not to be having chemo but when I read of others having metastases it does make me wonder. Good luck.  

Hi , My oncotype was 28 last summer I had a 1cm grade 3 tumour and no lymph node  involvement My Oncologist said he wasn't saying I should have chemo but I could if I wanted I decided not to I m taking Letrozole for 10 years which he pointed out was a systemic treatment it was a hard decision and he did say that once I had made my decision I mustn't have treatment regret which I can honestly say I haven't 

I have lost 2 stone since diagnosis and increased my exercise and have to say I've never felt better Good luck with your decision x

Mollymoo, so glad to hear you’ve no regrets.  I did have a bit of a sleepless night Friday wondering if I’d done the right thing.  Since then, I’ve settled down and am feeling so much better than I’ve done since my diagnosis.  

 Bear and Tilly Were they able to tell you what Chemo regime they would give you if you chose that pathway. 
For example I’m on weekly doses of low dose paclitaxel for 12 weeks, I’m on week 8 of the 12 coping really well with limited side effects able to still work and have limited hair loss due to also coping really well with the cold cap. Maybe ask some more probing questions about the type and dose of Chemo they would give you. I’m triple positive also having Trastuzumab injections in my thigh every 3 weeks for a year alongside the other treatments with radio to follow (5 days) in May. 
I’d dig a bit deeper maybe regards chemo dose that they’d suggest might help you feel more informed. All the best xx

Thank you for all your replies. It's really valuable to hear what other people have decided. I've talked to family and friends, but none of them has been in this situation. 

I hadn't realised Letrozole is a systemic treatment. Thank you, mollymoo. I'm told I'll have that for at least 5 years, but probably 10 if I can tolerate it. And I'll have 3 weeks of radiotherapy: 1 week for whole breast, 2 weeks for the lymph nodes because one was infected. 

I went back to listen to my mobile phone recording of the conversation with my oncologist, and found the answer ! She said if I was borderline, chemo would be of little benefit because I'm menopausal. What a relief ! 

I've decided not to have chemo. I'll try to remember what someone told me: we can never know if our decisions were right. We try to trust our medical teams, go with current knowledge and hope for the best. 

Good luck to everyone xx 

Good Luck x  

Hi Bear and Tilly, sorry to hear of your diagnosis. It’s a difficult one when the doctors leave the decision to the patient.
The plus side to having chemo would mean any cancers cells that are too small to be spotted using a scan would hopefully be killed via the chemo as it circulates the whole body. The minus side there are side effects and everyone is affected differently. There are lots of meds to counteract these. 
Radiotherapy will only target a specific area so any cancer cells that have spread outside this may get missed but again hopefully the chemo would get them. 
Having all the possible treatments available would give the best chance to prevent reoccurrence however as we all know there is no guarantee. 
I know I would be so worried about it returning I would opt for chemo knowing I had thrown everything possible at it. 
However it is a decision only you can make and it needs to be one you feel comfortable with. 
Wishing you all the best for whatever you decide.

Hugs from cuffcake x x x x x

I think that's how it was for me. I'm post menopausal. They told me I wouldn't benefit. One just has to trust. The Oncologist despite what he said told me we can't guarantee you won't get a different cancer. I suppose that told me to keep checking. They have to be brutally honest these days. I'm going back next week to check the other boob. Think I'm being paranoid. 

Street art. Had a walk in the rain. Xx