After lumpectomy

Hi Christina 

I am sorry you have tnbc.

I had an 18mm tumour removed with clear margins and nothing in the lymph nodes. It was a grade 3. I had 4 cycles of EC chemo plus 12 weeks of paclitaxel. I also initially was going to have a zoledronic acid infusion 6 monthly for 3 years but that was stopped after the first 2. I think that’s a fairly standard programme of adjuvant chemo for tnbc. I don’t know that anyone would look forward to chemo but it’s carefully managed and doable for most people.

Thanks for your reply. I just don’t know how to feel and what treatment to agree to, it’s all so scary 

Hey Christina 

I understand how you feel completely. 

I had a 10.5mm TNBC tumour removed in December and the results came back clear with no node involvement. Chemotherapy was strongly recommended by my team to destroy any undetectable cancer cells that might potentially be remaining as TNBC currently has a distinct lack of other follow up treatment options.

Like everyone else, I really didn't want to do this and was on the fence with whether or not to go ahead having had the clear results from surgery, but I ultimately chose to as I wanted the peace of mind that I'd done everything that was available to me in the event that it ever came back.

Your oncologist will go through the potential benefits and side effects with you for your own personal situation so hopefully that will give you more clarity. I know it's all really daunting but just to echo that if you go ahead, you will be supported massively throughout the whole process and may not find it to be anywhere near as bad as you thought.

Thanks so much for your positive reply, appreciate it

But did you struggle waiting to start chemo, i had lumpectomy and lympnode removal and now im waiting for chemo. The wait has me a bit spun out..

Have just found out from my nurse that I have definitely to get chemo and radiotherapy but my appointment with oncology isn’t till 16th July and then who knows how long till it actually starts. They say the wound has to be completely healed which I understand, but you just want it started as the sooner it starts the sooner it finishes. I totally understand how you’re feeling.

I think the waiting is awful 

Don't know what to do with myself

I did ring oncology and someone did get back in touch she said that maybe next week i would have new patient call and thsey woul make a plan of treatment

Don't know about you i just wabt it over now:-( feels like life is on hold

That’s bad, at least I have an appointment. I’m like you just want it started and get through it. That’s awful that you’re still waiting on an initial appointment. Don’t know which NHS you’re with but in my experience the more you shout the better your chances of being heard