I'm hoping to get some input from all of you wonderful people...I need to decide whether to have chemo or not. A bit of info impacting on my decision … I had my first surgery almost 4 months ago, a wide local excision where they found a large DCIS, 2 small IDC's, and an NCIS. 7 weeks ago I had a bilateral mx with immediate DIEP recon, where one flap failed. I then had infection on both sites followed by skin grafts. Mostly healed, but chemo may stuff that up!The complications have made the time since the initial surgery long and my cancer is very early stage. Basically, they're saying that they are prepared to give me chemo but the benefit is negligible - 1%. I've decided against Oncotype testing as it will extend the optimal time, cost a lot of money, and may get me no closer to the decision I need to make.Any suggestions, advice, personal experience is absolutely and gladly welcomed!!!Toma x

I found it. I'm not suggesting that it should change your mind but it does help clarify things, I think... Purely on the statistical side, for me, when faced with the same decision as you now are, I looked at it from different angles. One of the scenarios for me was this. I was in a room with 1000 women who were told that they had been diagnosed with my type and grade of breast cancer. We were all told to have such and such surgery, which we did. We were then taken back to that same dreaded room and given a card with a number. Then 830 numbers were read out, and those women were allowed to leave the room and go next door for a celebratory cup of tea and slice of cake....considered cured (10 years). The other 170 shocked women looked at each other with dread. Just then the compere said...."Oh sorry, I forgot, I have another 70 numbers to draw, that is the women who had additional chemo, they can pick up their bags and join the others". If, perchance I was one of the 100 left behind to the future of stage four, would I wish that I might have been one of the other 70, or would I go "Que Sera Sera..." and accept it? For me the answer was "Fuck no" bring it all on, and if the wheels still fall off, at least I would have given it my best shot, and not have been left with the perhaps..." Each of us has to weigh it all up, make our decisions and then go forward. As Afraser says, having started chemo, you can always stop. But it doesn't work the other way. Best of luck. (Author: AllyJay)

Thanks everyone :smile: After some consideration, I've decided to not have chemo but to take Tamoxifen and see how I tolerate it. Thanks again x

Ultimately, @rainwalker, it comes down to whet you can live with. If you don't have chemo and the BC recurs, will you have regrets? If you have it and the chemo causes other problems, can you live with it? There's no right or wrong answer other than to say that the stats are on your side unless you're the 1%. @AllyJay has a great analogy which I can't get to at the moment - maybe someone else can find it. Whichever way you go, good luck.

@rainwalker, There really is no right or wrong answer to this as @sister says, and unfortunately you are the one that has to decide. Unhelpful I know, and trusting your own instincts through this thing is difficult enough. You never really feel totally sure that you have made the right choice because there are no 100% definitive answers to any of the questions. No matter how much we keep searching for them they all remain so variable. You have to do what your instincts tell you and trust yourself to have made the best decision you can for yourself at this point in time.xoxoxo

@rainwalker The decision is certainly personal and for you to be comfortable with. Your comment "that they are prepared to give me chemo but the benefit is negligible - 1%" certainly must have you saying no probably not!For me it was 3% and I said No and the Onc had said if it was more like 8% I would have convinced you otherwise, but for me 3% benefit negligible. I then asked what else was on offer and we went from there.Best wishes as you sort out what is best for you

Decision time ... | BCNA Online Network

13 Replies

iserbrown
Member
7 years ago
@rainwalker

The decision is certainly personal and for you to be comfortable with. Your comment "that they are prepared to give me chemo but the benefit is negligible - 1%" certainly must have you saying no probably not!
For me it was 3% and I said No and the Onc had said if it was more like 8% I would have convinced you otherwise, but for me 3% benefit negligible. I then asked what else was on offer and we went from there.

Best wishes as you sort out what is best for you
kezmusc
Member
7 years ago
@rainwalker,
There really is no right or wrong answer to this as @sister says, and unfortunately you are the one that has to decide. Unhelpful I know, and trusting your own instincts through this thing is difficult enough. You never really feel totally sure that you have made the right choice because there are no 100% definitive answers to any of the questions. No matter how much we keep searching for them they all remain so variable. You have to do what your instincts tell you and trust yourself to have made the best decision you can for yourself at this point in time.
xoxoxo
Sister
Member
7 years ago
Ultimately, @rainwalker, it comes down to whet you can live with. If you don't have chemo and the BC recurs, will you have regrets? If you have it and the chemo causes other problems, can you live with it? There's no right or wrong answer other than to say that the stats are on your side unless you're the 1%. @AllyJay has a great analogy which I can't get to at the moment - maybe someone else can find it. Whichever way you go, good luck.

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Decision time ...

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