Mastectomy

hi

welcome to the online community sorry you've had to come and find us

Surgery does pose a risk of releasing cancer cells but it's something surgeons take great care to avoid. With triple negative breast cancer they tend to recommend chemo first and if you have a complete pathological response to the chemo there won't be any cancer cells left to disrupt. 

I had Her2+ breast cancer and they have now started offering chemo with two other drugs prior to surgery but my Her2+ wasn't diagnosed until after I'd had the surgery. I was then told I would need chemo to mop up any stray cells. 

Does that help ?

by the way the main breast group is busier if you feel like joining in some of the chats there. 

Carolyn

xx

Hi Carolyn,

Thanks for getting back to me. I appreciate it.

I joined this group as I felt it's the right group for me to join as a triple negative breast cancer patient. I don't mind joining the main group though if you give me the link here. Thanks.

What is complete pathological response? Can you please explain further? 

I was diagnosed and had lumpectomy in 2018 March, but didn't start chemotherapy until October 2019. By the time I started chemotherapy, my breast had already swollen and I feel pains.

But with chemotherapy, the breast came down completely and the pains vanished, except once I take chemo, I feel slight pain.

I feel I'm responding to treatment if you ask me, but I'm just paranoid that the cancer may spread once I have surgery.

Please explain to me further, is triple negative breast cancer bad?

Sorry for the long post. I'm just scared!

Regards

Hi

In case Carolyn28 isn't about this morning I can give you the link to the Main Breast Group.

Most Triple Neg ladies find it great to be members of both groups to cover all the bases.  It's great to read you feel the chemo is having a positive effect (which it will be)

Main reason they insist on giving chemo as a whole body treatment with TN is to reduce the risk of recurrence as there are no follow up treatments apart from radiotherapy that other breast cancer types like the ER/PR+ and or HER2+ are offered.

Like Carolyn my wife was treated for BC quite a while back (it wasn't TN) but they are all a bit rubbish to deal with; just wanted to reply as this was 8 years ago now and you sound like you need some reassurence there is life after treatment.

Hugs, G n' J

Hi G n J

Thank you very much for your response. I appreciate it a lot.

I will follow the link and learn more on the group. Thanks for acknowledging that I'm responding to treatment.

That's a lot to me!

thanks  

I'm 8 hours behind at the moment, catching the night shift. ;)

hi

A complete pathological response is when they find no evidence of cancer after chemo, so chemo has done a proper job of getting rid of the cancer.

I had surgery then chemo but I had a tumour that was undetected and it as quite satisfying to watch it shrink. It didn't vanish completely but the surgeon who did a revision surgery reassured me there was no further evidence of cancer and took timeout to come and tell me personally. 

Am I reading that right, March 2018 surgery and chemo October 2019 ?  that's quite a delay, why was that ?  I had surgery in July 2015 and didn't start chemo until mid August, a six week delay, which is unusual but my team seemed happy with it. 

Everyone is scared, cancer is a scary word. Just sharing your fears here should help. 

Where are you being treated ?

Carolyn

xx

Hi Carolyn28,

Many thanks for getting back. And thanks for explaining further about the complete pathological response. I understand that now.

I hope and pray it turns out that way for me. I have started Doxetaxel on the 10th of this month. Due for the second one next Friday 31st.

I started chemo late for a lot of reasons. One of which was the scary pictures painted about chemotherapy.

I was too afraid to start chemo. I also dreaded the idea of losing my hair and going bald. Lol!

That was why my breast was swollen before I started chemo. And probably why I'm also scared about surgery. But then again, the cancer didn't spread and my breast has gone down completely.

Why do I sometimes feel pain in the other good breast? Any idea?

I am receiving treatment here in Lagos, Nigeria. The healthcare system isn't something to be proud of but I don't have a choice.

Stella xx