Mum diagnosed with TNBC

Thank you so much ladies for all the feedback! All the best to you!

Hi Kavitha,

I am so glad to hear your Mum is doing well with her chemo.

As Diane says it is normal to have rads every day.  I had 5 days one week, and four days the next week as they serviced the machine.  28 in all.  The procedure only takes a few minutes.  Beforehand she will have her target area pinpointed and tiny dots tattooed in the area.  These are used to accurately line her up every day.  Quite painless and very quick.

I had 12 weeks of paclitaxol too, with very few side effects - so glad to hear your Mum is the same.  All the best to you both

Michelle  x

Hi Kavitha,

I am so glad to hear your Mum is doing well with her chemo.

As Diane says it is normal to have rads every day.  I had 5 days one week, and four days the next week as they serviced the machine.  28 in all.  The procedure only takes a few minutes.  Beforehand she will have her target area pinpointed and tiny dots tattooed in the area.  These are used to accurately line her up every day.  Quite painless and very quick.

I had 12 weeks of paclitaxol too, with very few side effects - so glad to hear your Mum is the same.  All the best to you both

Michelle  x

Hi ladies,

Hope you are all doing well. I am very happy to write that my mum is doing really well with her chemo with very little side effects. The only major thing from her chemo seems to be the hair loss. She finished her first 4 cycles of AC and has now completed 7 cycles of paclitaxel with 5 more cycles to go.

Her radiologist informed her that after her chemo she would go for a CT scan. And if it all looks good, she will be having her radiation everyday for 3-4 weeks. I am jus wondering if it is commmon to have it everyday for this period. If you could share your experiences, that would be really helpful.

Mum had TNBC on her left breast, Stage IIB (~5cm tumour), grade 3, with one node involvement. She did a lumpectomy and removed all lymph nodes in her left breast.

Looking forward to hear your thoughts!

Lots of love,

Kavitha

Hi ladies,

Hope you are all doing well. I am very happy to write that my mum is doing really well with her chemo with very little side effects. The only major thing from her chemo seems to be the hair loss. She finished her first 4 cycles of AC and has now completed 7 cycles of paclitaxel with 5 more cycles to go.

Her radiologist informed her that after her chemo she would go for a CT scan. And if it all looks good, she will be having her radiation everyday for 3-4 weeks. I am jus wondering if it is commmon to have it everyday for this period. If you could share your experiences, that would be really helpful.

Mum had TNBC on her left breast, Stage IIB (~5cm tumour), grade 3, with one node involvement. She did a lumpectomy and removed all lymph nodes in her left breast.

Looking forward to hear your thoughts!

Lots of love,

Kavitha

Hi,

I had a PET scan after my TNBC diagnosis. Its a good thing as it can detect very small tumours. Luckily none were detected but it helped my Oncologist plan my treatment knowing that the cancer hadn't spread. The only bad thing is that they are not covered by Medicare!!! I astually negotiated a cheaper price so it doesn't hurt to try and haggle!

The TNBC.org site in America is a great resource. So is Cancer Council. They can match your mum up with another lady who has had a similar diagnosis and she will offer phone support. This is through their Cancer Connect program. Dial the 131 number and ask for Cancer Connect.

I opted for a bi lateral mastectomy as I had a recurrence. My surgeon had no problem with this. I intended to have reconstruction but not for at least a year afterwards so I could heal and explore my options. I'm glad I did. It gave me time to find the best Plastic Surgeon and the best option for me.

I joined support groups and talked with many women in the same boat as me. It really helps to meet other women who have had BC. Look on this web site and also Cancer Council's for the name of support groups in your area. 

You're a good daughter! All the best to your mum.

Diane

Hi,

I had a PET scan after my TNBC diagnosis. Its a good thing as it can detect very small tumours. Luckily none were detected but it helped my Oncologist plan my treatment knowing that the cancer hadn't spread. The only bad thing is that they are not covered by Medicare!!! I astually negotiated a cheaper price so it doesn't hurt to try and haggle!

The TNBC.org site in America is a great resource. So is Cancer Council. They can match your mum up with another lady who has had a similar diagnosis and she will offer phone support. This is through their Cancer Connect program. Dial the 131 number and ask for Cancer Connect.

I opted for a bi lateral mastectomy as I had a recurrence. My surgeon had no problem with this. I intended to have reconstruction but not for at least a year afterwards so I could heal and explore my options. I'm glad I did. It gave me time to find the best Plastic Surgeon and the best option for me.

I joined support groups and talked with many women in the same boat as me. It really helps to meet other women who have had BC. Look on this web site and also Cancer Council's for the name of support groups in your area. 

You're a good daughter! All the best to your mum.

Diane

Hi ladies,

I am in a bit of a rush for time now. My mum had her 2nd opinion today and the doctore said that he would recommend a PET scan just to see if there is any metastasis. He could do the test tomorrow and have the results by tomorrow afternoon.

I also need to tell my earlier doctor by today if we want to go ahead with the surgery this thursday which is the earliest he could give us.

Have anyone of u been recommended for a PET scan? I understand that it is uncommon but if you have could you please advise me on why it was recommended? And what are the implications for it?

Thank you so much!

Your mum's surgeon or oncologist can only give you generalized stats for now.Once surgery is done then they will get indepth pathology results and can plan individual treatment. You won't get detailed stats from booklets but rather statements such as: survival from a lumpectomy is the same as for a mastectomy.Back in 2003 with my first bc,I had to decide whether to have sentinal nodes taken or a full node clearance.My surgeon did a calculation based on the size of my cancer from the ultrasound(2cm) and came up with 60% chance it had gone to lymph nodes.She advised she should take them all and you know what - NO cancer cells in any of the 18 nodes! Statistics are a tool to help make decisions sometimes but they shouldn't be taken as gospel.I had to wait 2 weeks before surgery the first time and 3 weeks the second time.That's about usual. If you and your mum are still unsure which surgery to have then just keep asking your doctor questions,keep researching and soon you will get a feel for what is right for your mum.We are all different and what feels right for one women may not for another.It's probably easier when you don't get a choice.

                                             Tonya xx

Hi Kavitha,

Your surgeon and medical oncologist will decide together which road to go regarding chemo after your mum's surgery (either type), and then you will have much more information. Radiation isn't always suggested, but my Medical Oncologist wanted to blitz the cancer while it was down, after chemo, and I agreed with him. It will be a personal decision between your mum and the Radiation Oncologist. (Yes - GP, Surgeon, Medical Oncologist, Radiation Oncologist!)

The surgeon's nurse will also be able to order a special free bra from Berlei with soft filling to wear after surgery, so your mum will have breasts (for clothes) as soon as she heals. After that, the government repays the cost of prostheses up to $400 each breast, every 2 years, and this is all explained in your My Journey kit, or in fact sheets from your local Cancer Council. Myer does fittings for prostheses and so does DJ's and some bra shops. There is also heaps of information about reconstruction on this site if your mum wants it.

To answer your question about time, my surgery was 16 days after being diagnosed, as Easter fell right in the middle and everyone was away. It didn't make a scrap of difference, so don't worry yourself about it - the cancer has been there for quite a while already and a few days more won't count.

Try just to cope with one day at a time, and don't look too far ahead - it will all happen quite quickly once it starts, so just go with the flow and try not to stress too much. Meditation tapes help and the Cancer Council will probably send you one with all their information sheets. Hope this helps - Michelle xx