Chemotherapy

What stage are you and is lymph nodes involved you might be ok with surgery and radiotherapy if tumor small and just in breast 

Not been told what stage yet. Pre-op assessment on Monday to see if they can do a general anaesthetic to remove lump & sample lymph nodes. Been told if they cant use a general because of other health issues may remove lump under local but cant sample lymph nodes then. 

Hi Bumbly4.5  I have just replied to your other similar post. I am sure they will find a way of removing the actual tumour. That’s the most important thing to do. Chemotherapy is usually recommended for TNBC but like any risk reducing treatment, not having it doesn’t spell automatic doom. It’s always a question of balancing risks and benefits and it may be possible to get a good outcome just from surgery and radiotherapy. Let them guide you on what’s in your overall best interest. 

Thank you. I really do appreciate your comments.

Hi my wife was pretty much in the same position as you (she has fibromyalgia and CFS). She had a lumpectomy and node biopsy at the start of February.  When she saw the oncologist she was of the opinion that if she had chemo that she would not finish the cycle so there would be no benefit and the chemo only decreases the  return rate by a few percentage points.   Her cancer was approximately 12 mm stage 1 no node involvement.  She had a week of radiotherapy in April and was doing well until she caught a cold from me and ended up with a chest infection( don't think both.things are connected).  Best wishes for your treatment.   

I don't know what stage it is only that it grade3. I don't think they can tell me the stage until they have removed the lump can they?The ultra sound scan showed that it wasn't in the lymph nodes but the Macmillan nurse said that the scan cannot detect any small traces of cancer. 

Thank you so much for your message. My cancer is 25mm but at the moment I don't know what stage it is because they are deciding if I can have a general anaesthetic or if they will have to find an alternative approach to remove the lump. The only way they can sample the lymph nodes is if they do a general anaesthetic. I am sorry your wife got a chest infection and I hope that she is feeling better. Can she return to the radiotherapy once she has recovered from the chest infection? Thank you again for your message and your best wishes. I really do appreciate it 

Scans don't pick up cells but show size of tumour and lymph node involvement and biopsy will tell what type of they are just removing lump then they will remove more tissue around the lump as well and if tissue around lump is not cancerous then they will assume they have got it all you are probably stage 1 or 2 and won't need chemo but they will give you radiotherapy to kill any remaining cancer cells if there is any