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cath7472's avatar
cath7472
Member
12 years ago

Diagnosed with TNBC

Hi everyone,

I am an Aussie who moved to Geneva, Switzerland in August 2013 and was diagnosed with TNBC last month.  I have commenced neoadjuvant chemotherapy and after that I will have a mastectomy and radiotherapy. 

What a shock. A normal person one day and on the breast cancer track the next. Does anyone know when they do the genetic testing? If I have the BRCA gene(s), I would like to have a double mastectomy. I am large breasted so I think this would be more practical anyway. Any thoughts?

Thanks and I would love to hear from you. I'm a long way away.

Cathy

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  • cath7472's avatar
    cath7472
    Member
    12 years ago

    Oh Sam, you've had such a rough time. Thank you for replying to my post. It seems that here (in Switzerland) the course of treatment is different. I am to have chemo first, then a mastectomy (too many tumours for a lumpectomy) and then radiation (although radiation was proposed before it was determined that there were multiple tumours-this only showed up on the MRI). Would you normally have radiation treatment after mastectomy or would there be no need?

    As I write this (mastectomy, chemo,radiation, multiple tumours etc!), I can hardly believe the course my life has taken over a few short weeks. I'm sure it's the same for everyone, what a steep learning curve. I hope your health improves and that you feel some relief from the hard decisions you've had to take,

    Cathy xx

  • cath7472's avatar
    cath7472
    Member
    12 years ago

    Hi Dorsey, 

    Thanks for your feedback. I will look up the clinical guidelines and see what they say. I'm worried for my daughter (13) because there is also breast cancer on her paternal side. 

    In Switzerland they seem to do chemotherapy before surgery; the rationale being that they can see if the tumour shrinks, and is therefore susceptible to the chemo being given, before being removed.

    Thanks again, Cathy

  • SamzRusty's avatar
    SamzRusty
    Member
    12 years ago

    Hi Cathy,

    I was diagnosed last May with TNBC & started chemo in June. I had blood taken on my 1st day of chemo that was sent off for testing. My results were back in 6 weeks. 6-8 weeks is how long it usually takes for results to come back, well, in Sydney anyway.

    I decided to have the bilateral mastectomy done & cancelled radiation. If you have radiation, it limits the type of surgery you can have done, so request the test ASAP. I also had the hysterectomy & oopherectomy to help prevent ovarian cancer.

    What a year! SO much to take in & learn is such a short amount of time.

    Wishing you all the best with the next steps....Sam xoxoxox

  • cath7472's avatar
    cath7472
    Member
    12 years ago

    Thanks for your reply, Gillian. I had no idea it would take so long to get the results from genetic testing.  If you have the BRCA1 mutation will the surgeon do a double mastectomy at your request or do you think he'd suggest it? Do you wait for the results and then have surgery? 

    Thanks again and I hope you're as well as you can be.

    Cathy xx

    PS has your hair grown back yet?