Chemotherapy & surgery

[Shailesh_kulal]

Hello,

My mother (62) has diagnosed with lymphatic carcinoma type 3,stage2B,was having 7 to 11 metastatic nodes,varied from 1mm to 21mm sizes.Biopsy said ER+ & PR,Her2 negative.

Oncologists treated it with 4 neo adjuvant chemos(epirubicin 160mg+cyclophosphamide 1gram dose) cycled by every after 21days.the memograph shown 70-80 % reduction.

And now they said for operation to remove the whole right breast,and later they might ask for some more chemos..

I'm not sure why they did preoperative chemos,if the part was being totally gonna secondly if it's her2negative then recurrence is negligible,so why chemos required if almost all carcinogens will be removed from the body?

[sumeet_shah Administrator]

The chemo must have been given most probably because your mother must have had a ‘locally advanced breast cancer’. Your Oncologist will have examined your mother before chemo and he will be the right person to discuss. Pre operative chemo is to reduce the cancer burden in those patients where tumours look advanced clinically.

The chances of recurrence in LABC is very high (it is not negligible). Hence the chemo.

I personally feel there is lots for you to discuss with your Oncologist. Please write down questions, get some good time with him and clarify all your doubts. Answering those questions here is beyond the scope of the forum as decisions are made after examining the patient and understanding all details meticulously.

Also, it will help you to read up on stages of cancer online. You can either go to cancer.net or Cancer.org and search it out.

[Shailesh_kulal in reply to sumeet_shah]

Thanks for the reply sumeet sir,the cancer was in2B stage,which was somewhat locally advanced as it was Grade 3 stroma,all around 11,12 nodes got found in PETscan,two of them were in right upper breast auxiliary(which r 70 to 80% shrunk after 4 cycles of chemo),and other were in armpit lymphs and right breast center,which are totally removed now.Unfortunately in Pune city people think that here docs are very talented,which might be right but certainly they do not entertain the patient relative's questions.They just say keep quite,we r doing our duty.Your mother will be ok.But I think I have all rights to ask any stupid question to doctor.

[sumeet_shah Administrator in reply to Shailesh_kulal]

Yes indeed, you definitely have the rights to ask questions and get them solved.

You must insist to your doc for some time so he can nicely explain what was he stage, why and how the treatment was planned and what is the future expectation and possibility.

Just request for some time from your doc. I am sure he or she should give it and make you comfortable.