Decision on chemotherapy

Wenwen
Wenwen Member Posts: 1 ✭
in Newly diagnosed
I am diagnosed breast cancer before Christmas in 2022. I have completed surgeries and need to decide whether I will do chemotherapy. The doctor told me yesterday I had triple negative but low risk given the small size and Ki67 10%. The benefit of chemotherapy is 3-5%. I am hesitant because of concern on side effects of chemotherapy. Did anyone have similar situation and how you have gone through?

Thank you 

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Comments

  • arpie
    arpie Member Posts: 8,198 ✭
    So sorry to see you here, @Wenwen, joining the club that no-one wants to join ..... 

    I am sure that other Triple Negative members will jump on & give their suggestions ..... and you can also check out other posts re Triple Negative here too:
    https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/search?query=Triple negative&sort=-dateInserted&scope=site&source=community

    and here:

    https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/search?query=tnbc&sort=-dateInserted&scope=site&source=community

    All Cancers are a strange beast ... but there are no guarantees that it will behave itself without further treatment ... and not all chemo makes your hair fall out or even nauseous tho yes, there often are side effects .... 

    Further down the track, if the cancer goes 'ugly' - you would probably ask yourself 'what if' ..... what if I'd HAD the chemo - would I still be in this situation?  

    Do you have kids?  What age are they?  There are so many factors that go into the decision making of further treatment, beyond getting side effects.  I always ask the Onc - if it was YOUR wife or mother - what would you recommend that THEY do, if they had the identical results that you have?

    take care & all the best with your decision making xx


  • Cath62
    Cath62 Member Posts: 1,483 ✭
    Hi @Wenwen, these decisions are yours to make. I thought triple negative didn't respond to chemo but I guess your dr thinks definitely. I am sorry you are going through all this. It's such a shock. I didn't have triple negative. I was her2 negative and hormone positive and 69 %ki67 so chemo had to be done. The question i would ask myself is if I didn't do everything I could with treatment and tge cancer returned would I be ok about it.  best wishes with your decisions.
  • Saddie
    Saddie Member Posts: 2 ✭
    Hi Wenwen. I myself have been diagnosed with stage1 triple negative grade1 breast cancer myself. How have you been? I noticed that you get advise and info from people that do not have the same pathology as us.. how is your treatment going?. I am heading into surgery, in 2 weeks. And as the same as you, I have been told that chemo ( no pill ) will be the best treatment for triple negative people.  
  • arpie
    arpie Member Posts: 8,198 ✭
    So sorry to see you here, too @Saddie …. Please check out this thread, for lots of info on the Forum (even ‘fun things’) - including suggestions on what to take to hospital with you - and ‘tick sheets’ to self assess how you are going after your surgery xx
    https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/23477/a-big-welcome-to-all-our-new-members#latest

    You can read up on other TNBC posts on the links I put above … but always discuss any issues you may have with your Medical team xx.  Have you been assigned a Breast Care Nurse yet/. I hope you have.

    Take care & all the best xx

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