Hi @Anna15
I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis at such a vital age and stage of your life 🌸❤️; I can imagine the disruption it must have caused let alone all the other emotions.
Your diagnosis and treatment protocol is almost identical to my diagnosis (January 2023). I finished all aspects of the treatment in April ‘24.
You ask a great question- I was recommended a breast conserving lumpectomy too.
We know it’s highly dependent on personal circumstances - which are incredibly variable (who knew how diverse breast cancers could be!) - but in case it helps you contemplate your options here’s a summary of my experience and individual profile (early breast cancer (invasive lobular carcinoma), HER2+ and 3+, one (left) breast, not thought to be in the nodes based on the biopsies, MRI, PET, US and CT, 3D mammograms, no family history).
Like you I was recommended Neo adjuvant treatment (TCHP), lumpectomy, radiation therapy, adjuvant treatment and then ongoing endocrine (hormone reducing) treatment.
The lumpectomy recommendation was discussed again during the Neo adjuvant phase after an MRI (could have been an ultrasound). This scan established if the TCHP I was having was effective and how the tumour was responding to the treatment (it had shrunk from 3.8cm to 1.2cm), with the conclusion that it was, and would therefore also be effective on any cells that might be present in distant sites. This informed a decision to remain on track for the lumpectomy.
After surgery, I discussed the pathology report with my oncologist. Front of mind was whether anything in my results suggested more surgery might be needed to reduce the risk of recurrence. Whilst I had some remnants of the tumour still present, further surgery was considered unnecessary.
The factors we discussed included that I had a low Ki 67 score, no cancer in the nodes pathology, I would be having radiation therapy to the site and completing the HER2+ treatment. We discussed how targeted treatment has been researched in the KATHERINE trial.
I concluded that although no one can guarantee we won’t have a recurrence it seemed to me that the medical team and I had done all we reasonably could given my profile.
I think many of us will always have a level of worry about recurrence but with the information I had to hand, I am comfortable.
Hope this helps and in the meantime wishing you all the best whilst you’re at this stage of your treatment ❤️🌻.
Last year BCNA started a triple positive discussion group
which you can jump into as there’s a few folks in the group in active treatment phase ☺️🌸🌻