Who has had success after 9 weeks of PC and 3 cycles of EC?

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I was wondering if anyone has had success with this in terms of shrinking their tumor?  Mine is Grade 3, Stage 2 and was last measured at 43mm x 38mm.  I start my 9 weeks of PC on Tuesday.  I'm wondering how long they will persevere before just doing a mastectomy.  What bothers me is the prospect of months of chemo with no improvement or it growing even bigger and leaving the door open for it to spread.  I think I'm confused about the notion of trying to shrink it when it could just be removed along with the lymph node(s) before it spreads elsewhere.

  • Hi I was on EC then like you 9 weeks of PC though misses session no9 due to neuropathy in my hands. I got my ultrasound and mammogram and I’m pleased to say had a really good response so the chemo worked. I’m getting a mastectomy on the 28th Feb as I has two tumours x

  • That's good to know.  I hope it goes well on 28th! x

  • Thank you I hope all goes well for you xxx

  • I was on this regime and my tnbc didn’t respond but they scan you regularly and when mine didn’t respond they swapped onto the second part then scanned and again it didn’t work so they went to dmx early. My pathology report from surgery showed in actual fact breast tumour had shrunk. I am now ned 

  • Thank you!  I'm glad you are now ned x

  • So, I asked the nurse yesterday at my first treatment about my query above and she said chemo first actually helps prevent it from spreading because most people respond to it.   Can't complain about yesterday.  Pre-meds then 2.5 hours of infusion. I got a lift there and back from my sister-in-law because they advised that for the first round.  Piriton never makes me drowsy so I think I'll take myself next week. They even got sandwiches from the hospital canteen for everyone who was in over lunchtime.  Had a canula in my right hand though she had to use a heat pack to get the veins up.  I've had a hand canula before but many years ago with far less chub on my hands.  My veins are hard to see and only really good phlebotomists can get blood out of me or a canula in without making a mess of it.  If they start panicking and routing around for alternatives, I know I'm in for a treat lol

  • Glad you got the answer to your question. The piriton never made me sleepy either. Did you get the double dose yesterday? 
    hope your feeling okay xxx

  • An hour of Paclitaxol and 30 mins of Carboplatin so i imagine the pre-meds of steroids and Piriton were in proportion to the chemo dosing?   (With the pre-meds it was 2.5 hours)

  • Yes that was exactly the same as me…got the premeds first and the chemo same as you did. Are you feeling okay ? X

  • For the remainder of Tuesday I was fine and slept well.  Wednesday I got quite tired at around 2pm and didn't sleep that well Wednesday night. Yesterday I got tired a bit later but slept a bit better last night.  Little bit windy but lemon, ginger and manuka honey Pukka teas, and M&S sticky ginger cake compliments the anti-sickness medication. I've also figured out not to eat after 7pm.  Was very flushed in the face Wednesday morning but I know that just indicates the drugs are reaching all of my small capillaries.  Feel better today but still a bit tired.  I'm filling in my cancer treatment record book as I go.  Managed the white blood cell injections okay myself and didn't feel anything. Just the odd twinge in bones joints early this morning but that's what I was told I might get due to the bone marrow stimulation.  Is your operation still going ahead on 28th? x