Chemo or not chemo

I think that the future possible regret is a big consideration. Your posts seem to indicate that you feel that 2% is not significant, and that is one issue. Of course 2% discount on the price of a handbag is not significant, but 2% of pupils in a large city school of 1000 pupils would be 20 kids. If a gunman entered the school and shot dead 2% of the pupils...that would be twenty dead children. Suddenly that 2% seems large. Same with this, the 2% doesn't matter, unless you're one of them. Added to this is that you don't know in advance and even then, it may still return chemo or not. The question then is this. If you have the chemo, and it comes back anyway, you could at least say to yourself that you had done all that you could have and get on with treatment for stage 4 (or not). But if you don't have the chemo, and it does return, will you still be happy with your choice, or would that little voice continue to whisper in your mind..."If I'd had the chemo, would I have been one of those percentage ...if only there was a stop and rewind button to push?"

When In doubt, maybe do all you can? 

Hi @June1952 this is the difficult one, not regretting on my decision.

I have to decide tonight... i dont know if i can

Hello @Della  - These decisions are very hard for us 'ordinary' people to make, and even more so when the 'specialists' are wavering.
All I can say is to make a list of the pros and cons for your particular lifestyle and expectations, ask all questions of the treating team so you are clear in your mind.  From then on, you need to be sure that you won't regret any decision should something not turn out as well as you'd hoped in the long term.
All the best.

Hi della - I must admit wasn’t given a % at start but I knew the triple positive cancer was a concern . ER+ and HER+ Can be a worry 

The chemo was to target any cancer cells still around after other treatments , with clear margins at surgery and no lymph nodes involvement .

Hi @Della. I was in a similar position as you about deciding whether to have chemo or not. Mine was stage 1 too, low grade though. However, it was multifocal and simultaneously bilateral, which I’d read on dr google was not a good thing. Before surgery I was told a dmx would mean no radiation or chemo. After surgery they changed their minds and said radiation and maybe chemo. I had only 1 node affected by a micro met, which both my oncologists said was not considered a threat at all. There was another reason I had to have radiation. The choice for chemo was left up to me, as I was a ‘grey’ area. The onc was leaning more toward a yes, considering my young age (39), but he said he’d be happy if I also didn’t do it. It was quite depressing and stressful trying to decide, as none of us want to make the wrong decision. But even the oncologist didn’t know what the right decision was. I was told chemo would maybe help me an extra 1%. I was also supposed to start with the hormone therapy, which is basically oral chemo. So, I decided against it. Chemo does damage to the whole body, and some side effects last a lifetime and lower quality of life considerably. They’re manageable, but not convenient, comfortable or pain free. And, you still don’t have that guarantee it won’t return. 

Hi @Zoffiel, firstly I thought I am gonna have chemo but when I heard the oncologist said only add 2% save from cancer not recurring, my mind in limbo... 2% compare to the effect of this chemo. Now I am considering not to take this chemo.
is it worth while take this chemo to reduce 2% of the cancer not recurring???

even though after chemo does not guarantee the cancer not recurring ....

Many thanks

Hi Sue,
thank you for the advice.

Hi @noosa_blue150 thank you for sharing your story.
from your story, you have taken all treatment advised by the oncologist including chemo. But it turns out the cancer recurring on other part of the body - your spine. So basically, chemo does not guarantee that cancer not recurring in other part of the body??
my oncologist says that if I want to take chemo, this will only reduced the change of cancer recurring by  2%.
Its not a big benefit for only 2% 
i have to do 4 times chemo for this 2%

@Della, Just a thought on the 'Some survivor just eating vegetables and fruits and cancer are gone.' videos on youtube, Please be careful with these. What scientific data do you have that the cancer is gone or that eating only fruit and veg 'cured' them. Everyone's body reacts differently to cancer and while a healthy diet (balanced and including proteins and healthy fats too) will boost your immune system, the treatments the oncologist offers you, has been proven to kill cancer cells. 

Maybe you could look on Google Scholar for peer reviewed studies about diet and cancer?
BCNA has info on diet and exercise that may interest you too.

My own personal view is to combine both the treatments offered by the oncologist and radiologist and diet + exercise to give myself every chance I can to beat this bastard of a disease!

I know making this decision is hard, all you can do is go into it armed with as much information as you can. Use all resources at your disposal, including your breast care nurse, as she has experience with many, many women going through the same thing and can draw on that for you.

Best Wishes
XXXX

Hi della - make sure you have a really good discussion with your oncologist about chemo.
all of us go through the dilemma of trying to,ascertain best treatment options and only you can make the decision but do,ask about risks if you don’t do,chemo,

I hope you don’t mind me making a observation about lymph nodes : I had 5 removed and they were all clear  after a lumpectomy .jump forward 8 months or so after adjuvant chemo/lumpectomy/radiation and extra chemo ( as I didn’t achieve full regression of tumour on pathology at surgery) I now have a bone metastase in my spine  and am lining up for stereotactic radiation . Radiation dr said she could,see,response to chemo,between several,scans .

A bit,shocked as I honestly thought it’d show in lymph nodes first but no………
At least now I think there was nothing else I could have chosen to do really , I took all treatment offered.