So sorry to see you here, @LisaO.
it seems to depend on the surgeon and the oncologist team whether chemo is required.
My surgeon told me that if any Lymphnode was involved, then it was automatically chemotherapy.
They only took two sentinel nodes during my lumpectomy and 1 was positive, so I was booked for chemo.
I suppose it will also depend on the nature of your cancer too, whether it will respond favourably to chemo.
If you have a choice, then you will probably want to know more about how likely the chemo will change the outcome.
That will mean you will need to understand how the proposed chemo will work. Your Oncologist should be able to explain all that to you. Take notes.
You are entitled to get copies of the pathology reports from any biopsies or pathology you have done, and understanding the jargon they use to stage and grade your cancer will help you to understand when they tell you why or how chemo should help you.
Your surgeons office should be able to supply these to you.
I understand that a faster growing cancer will respond better than a slower growing one, but you will have to confirm that and which one yours is.
If you are undecided lots of questions to your team are needed.
Your Oncologist will have access to your pathology reports and to various charts and graphs he can show you that will help with describing the amount of benefit you should get.
This can include estimates of recurrence etc
This can be overwhelming, it helps to scribble notes and to ask him to clarify key points.
The Oncologist may also give you choices of chemo treatments, and should run through with you the advantages and drawbacks of each.
I had a choice of 3 but as we ran through them 1 really only suited me, partly because of a family history of heart problems.
When I mentioned this he organised for me to go for an Echocardiogram.
I think he really had already decided this would be the best but wanted to involve me in the decision and ultimately it was my decision.
Your individual cancer will determine whether chemo will help.
I have had chemo, and have just finished.
I actually think it was easier to be told it was necessary than to have to make yet another decision where I worried about making the right one.
However, I think I would have decided to have anything they told me might be beneficial, I am determined to do everything possible to cure this thing.
I still have to have a mastectomy as my pathology was different after lumpectomy than expected.
But don't know about radiation until after mastectomy pathology comes back.
I will also go on Hormone therapy as my cancer is hormone positive and HER -ve too.
