Chemo before surgery?

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Alison 33
Alison 33 Member Posts: 8
edited January 2012 in General discussion

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone has had chemo first and then surgery? I would love to kow how it worked for others.

Alison

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  • Joy K
    Joy K Member Posts: 158
    edited March 2015
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    Hi Alison

    I had chemo first. I had a breast ulcer, cancer that has broken through the skin surface and this was the best treatment for me. To give it its correct name it's known as neo-adjuvent treatment. Often given to try to shrink the tumour so it is easier to remove with clear margins.

    Worked very well. I had 3 FEC followed by 3 Taxotere (Taxoterrible!) Then three weeks after finishing chemo I had a mastectomy and lymph node removal. No problems, but because of the chemo doing its job all the lymph nodes had turned to mush/scar tissue so no accurate pathology of them. I then went on to have a course of radiation.

    Thinking back, I believe it worked better having chemo first. The three weeks break before mastectomy meant that I felt great going into surgery and I had already built up a rapport with my treatment team, so it wasn't the trauma that others had reported. I recovered from the mastectomy without the fear of chemo hanging over my head. Just a future course of radiotherapy which I had been told was a walk in the park compared to chemo and mastectomy (and it was!)

    If I had to do it again I would still have chemo first.

    With love

    Joy K

  • Joy K
    Joy K Member Posts: 158
    edited March 2015
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    Hi Alison

    I had chemo first. I had a breast ulcer, cancer that has broken through the skin surface and this was the best treatment for me. To give it its correct name it's known as neo-adjuvent treatment. Often given to try to shrink the tumour so it is easier to remove with clear margins.

    Worked very well. I had 3 FEC followed by 3 Taxotere (Taxoterrible!) Then three weeks after finishing chemo I had a mastectomy and lymph node removal. No problems, but because of the chemo doing its job all the lymph nodes had turned to mush/scar tissue so no accurate pathology of them. I then went on to have a course of radiation.

    Thinking back, I believe it worked better having chemo first. The three weeks break before mastectomy meant that I felt great going into surgery and I had already built up a rapport with my treatment team, so it wasn't the trauma that others had reported. I recovered from the mastectomy without the fear of chemo hanging over my head. Just a future course of radiotherapy which I had been told was a walk in the park compared to chemo and mastectomy (and it was!)

    If I had to do it again I would still have chemo first.

    With love

    Joy K

  • Deeay
    Deeay Member Posts: 278 ✭
    edited March 2015
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    I didn't have chemo first, but from what I've read on the Internet it seems to be the newer protocol, because they can see if the chemo is actually working (the tumor shrinks or even disappears). It helps surgeons get clearer margins and more tissue can sometimes be saved. Some chemos work better than others for some people. In hindsight, it would have been good for me to have chemo first as my cancer came back! I'm glad things went well for you Joy.

    What will you be doing Allison?

    Diane

  • Deeay
    Deeay Member Posts: 278 ✭
    edited March 2015
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    I didn't have chemo first, but from what I've read on the Internet it seems to be the newer protocol, because they can see if the chemo is actually working (the tumor shrinks or even disappears). It helps surgeons get clearer margins and more tissue can sometimes be saved. Some chemos work better than others for some people. In hindsight, it would have been good for me to have chemo first as my cancer came back! I'm glad things went well for you Joy.

    What will you be doing Allison?

    Diane

  • Alison 33
    Alison 33 Member Posts: 8
    edited March 2015
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    Thankyou, I feel so much better, I am two treatments in and already the tumour has shrunk by half, I was feeling confident about that but I havn't heard of anyone having chemo first and I was getting really worried about how it all works. I am having A/C which again I don't know too much about except that it knocks me around, particularly the dex. Thanks again, you have made me feel alot better.

  • Alison 33
    Alison 33 Member Posts: 8
    edited March 2015
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    Hi Diane, I am having treatment first, they didn't give me a choice. I have read alot of womens comments on here and hadn't found any that have had chemo first and I was starting to get worried (like I wasn't stressed already) I know the tumour is shrinking which is great, so know I feel more confident after hearing from you, thanks.

  • Alison 33
    Alison 33 Member Posts: 8
    edited March 2015
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    Hi Dawn, that's great news, makes me feel at ease also, I hope everything continues to go well for you.

     

    Alison

  • Sunshine1
    Sunshine1 Member Posts: 14
    edited March 2015
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    I had lumpectomy in Jan, but surgeon found pre cancer cells in my tissue, so he wants me to have chemo first, then a masectomy of left breast followed by reconstruction later in the year. What a year!! Goodluck to all this year :) xox

  • Sunshine1
    Sunshine1 Member Posts: 14
    edited March 2015
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    I had lumpectomy in Jan, but surgeon found pre cancer cells in my tissue, so he wants me to have chemo first, then a masectomy of left breast followed by reconstruction later in the year. What a year!! Goodluck to all this year :) xox

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