Hi,I am interested to learn of stories where chemo has been terminated earlier than the planned treatment.I was diagnosed with TNBC mid Aug 2020 - GPʻs words ʻvery aggressive grade 3, 3 cm tumour). The following week, I started AC, short break due to some challenges and then commenced Taxol weekly. I have now had 9 taxol sessions and am wondering if anyone on this forum has stopped early and by doing so any insight on the risks to survival and of recurrence.Also, any insight on surgery - what drove your final decisions?I have raised this topic with my onc and she suggested, I take some time to think about my final decision; her advice was to see the Taxol to the end. My finger tips and nails have become increasingly sore, with brown discolouration and a few black specks on my thumb, since my last consultation with her. She may very well, alter the taxol now.The med team plan is surgery after chemo (not sure type of surgery yet, I have a meeting with the breast surgeon this coming week), followed by 5-6 weeks of rad and then who knows.I had a Genetic Blood test for BRCA mutations in September but something went wrong at the lab and no results provided. I have a history of BC in my maternal streamline. xx

Hi @Tasia,Ive just finished taxol a week ago. About 9th cycle i had similar issues. Like @Afraser i was very worried about my feet and could barely walk and also my hands which were just all pain. I had a week off and then my oncologist reduced my dose. I think this helped my mental game. I daydreamed at week 9 about being told i could just finish chemo. 3 cycles seemed like forever. But i was oddly annoyed by the delay. I had been telling myself chemo would be done by end of 2020 but now it would flow over to 2021 which i hoped would spell more positivity. (Really made no difference). On the plus side my hair started growing back with furvour so i now have a light carpet of long fluff (not full coverage). My hands are much better. My nails are sensitive to pressure and my feet are still bright red and have some pain but nowhere near the pain they were. Im sure given another week or two will subside. Hope this buoys you along. 3 cycles isnt much when you havecalready gone through so much particularly at a reduced dose.M

Hi @SoldierCrab,Many thanks for the link, I requested to join :)I have stopped chemo - what turned out to be a blend of decision outcome; I really didnʻt want to proceed and the onc assessed my PN and said she was happy to support my decision as PN would worsen with each weeks dosage. Now heading for surgery.

Just remember that no-one is really sure how many chemo treatments are necessary - they just go for the maximum most can tolerate. When I was having chemo my onc said that he would be very pleased for me to get to 9 out of 12 if I could and I have since read this many times. I did get to the 12 but was closely monitored for the second part. So it sounds like you have probably reached the goal that is recommended but even if you hadn't, it is only the recommended dose.

Dear @Tasia I nearly stopped Taxol - my problem was quite serious peripheralneuropathy, particularly in my feet. My toenails had badly discoloured, fingernails much less so but I wasn’t too concerned about that - the pain in my feet, particularly the toes before dose 10 made me concerned about my ability to walk if it got worse. My oncologist and I agreed to continue on a week by week basis - and I almost certainly would not have had my 12th dose - if I hadn’t found a lumpunder my good armpit! Long story short, completely unrelated and benign. But I went for all 12 - I felt that I wanted to do everything I could to not go through it a second time. I’d already had surgery and had 12 months of herceptin as well. My feet still have some side effects, nails all recovered in time, but I have no regrets. I started taking Vitamin B about dose 10 - may have been entirely coincidental but things got better after that. Best wishes. PS Eight plus years on, well and active.

Hi Tasia, I'm going to tag you in the post I wrote which has anecdotal evidence from people who tried cold therapy about their experience so you can read about it for yourself. I don't agree with your BC nurse. My oncologist is now recommending this therapy after seeing my good results.It sounds pretty bad but it is just uncomfortable (and thats from someone who did 12 weeks of it!) It can't hurt anyway. There are a few positive studies but it hasn't been well researched, perhaps because there is no money to be made. I have a friend who had symptoms early in her treatment (on AC) who started cold therapy before Taxol and made it through the whole course - so I've seen it work. She was TNBC too. I used cold therapy and only had one week where I experienced symptoms and that was when the infusion dragged on and my thumbs didn't stay cold. Whichever way you go I wish you well :)

TNBC Has anyone had chemo terminated early - by choice or Onc decision?

28 Replies

Sister
Member
5 years ago
Just remember that no-one is really sure how many chemo treatments are necessary - they just go for the maximum most can tolerate. When I was having chemo my onc said that he would be very pleased for me to get to 9 out of 12 if I could and I have since read this many times. I did get to the 12 but was closely monitored for the second part. So it sounds like you have probably reached the goal that is recommended but even if you hadn't, it is only the recommended dose.
Tasia
Member
5 years ago
@Abbydog - I donʻt have my BRCA results, just waiting patiently.

The breast surgeon said either surgery type would mean close monitoring post surgery. Standard - no guarantees.

Thank you x
Abbydog
Member
5 years ago
Dear Tasia,
Sorry to hear of your positive BRCA result.
I have no advice re surgery.
I would certainly be having both off one way or the other. I don't know much about conservation surgery.
All the best. I hope your descision re surgery type isn't too hard.
Thinking of you
Tasia
Member
5 years ago

Abbydog said:

Dear Tasia,
How many doses of Taxol did you actually have?
Which breast surgery will it be?
Are you happier now with the decision and plan ahead?
When will this happen?
Thinking of you.

Hi Abbydog,
I completed 9. Yes, I feel that is the right decision for me. I have had 13 out of 16 chemo session, I imagine that the work of chemo has been productive. The recent scan showed the tumour had shrunk to a very small size. I can only hold hope.

We are still in discussions re surgery type. Going for op Jan 28th.
If my BRCA results come back positive, I believe we will be going for a Bi-Mastectomy. If not, we are exploring conservative as an option.

Thank you x
Tasia
Member
5 years ago
Hi @MicheleR,

Thank you :)
MicheleR
Member
5 years ago
Hi @Tasia,

Good luck with your surgery. Glad you are happy with outcome.

M
Abbydog
Member
5 years ago
Dear Tasia,
How many doses of Taxol did you actually have?
Which breast surgery will it be?
Are you happier now with the decision and plan ahead?
When will this happen?
Thinking of you.
Tasia
Member
5 years ago
Dear @Abbydog,

Decision made and now propelling forward to surgery.
As for nails; my toes are fine, its my fingers that have received the beating. Well, they sort of look like I have dipped them into an earthy mix of tye-dye solution.
I am ok with that as they will recover. Its the PN in my fingers and my legs that was alarming.
Tasia
Member
5 years ago

Hi @rebeccamarie.

I am sorry to read of all the rough pot holes you have encountered in your treatment. My warmest and best healing thoughts to you for your upcoming surgery <3

I have ceased chemo - my position hadnʻt changed and the onc supported it as PN became an issue of concern to both of us.

Nail polish or hardeners were never an option for me as I am allergic to formaldehyde. Its the pain and impact on use of fingers and legs. Since stopping chemo, physical activity pistons are blasting to help my body into some form of wellness in preparation for surgery and then rad.

x
Tasia
Member
5 years ago

MicheleR said:

Hi @Tasia,

Ive just finished taxol a week ago. About 9th cycle i had similar issues. Like @Afraser i was very worried about my feet and could barely walk and also my hands which were just all pain. I had a week off and then my oncologist reduced my dose.

I think this helped my mental game. I daydreamed at week 9 about being told i could just finish chemo. 3 cycles seemed like forever. But i was oddly annoyed by the delay. I had been telling myself chemo would be done by end of 2020 but now it would flow over to 2021 which i hoped would spell more positivity. (Really made no difference). On the plus side my hair started growing back with furvour so i now have a light carpet of long fluff (not full coverage). My hands are much better. My nails are sensitive to pressure and my feet are still bright red and have some pain but nowhere near the pain they were. Im sure given another week or two will subside.

Hope this buoys you along. 3 cycles isnt much when you havecalready gone through so much particularly at a reduced dose.

M

Dear @MicheleR,

Thank you for sharing your experience of Taxol.

I presented my reasons for choice to terminate and onc ʻgot itʻ.
PN in my fingers and legs (not feet) raised concerns and the outcome fell into place.
I have met with the breast surgeon and planning surgery.

The rest, once again, remains foreign terrain x

Forum Discussion

TNBC Has anyone had chemo terminated early - by choice or Onc decision?

28 Replies

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