What to do?

@kmakm Adelaide

Possibly. Some of our questions are like rabbit holes you can disappear down like Alice in Wonderland I reckon. Maybe jot it down to ask your oncologist next time you see them.

Whereabouts in this wide brown land are you @Stargirl?

Thanks @kmakm, that makes sense. I already had HER2+ MBC when they found I had a new ER+ PR+ cancer so I can see why it was never mentioned. Although I wonder whether it’s worth knowing the likelihood of the hormone positive cancer metastasising, even though I know the HER2+ one already has? Maybe a moot point?

@StarGirl The tests look at your specific tumour and its likelihood of metastasizing and therefore whether chemo would have a curative effect.

From breastcancer.org:

The EndoPredict Test... (is) a genomic test for people newly diagnosed with early-stage, estrogen-receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. Research suggests the EndoPredict test may be widely used to help make treatment decisions based on the cancer's risk of coming back in a part of the body away from the breast (distant metastasis) within 10 years after diagnosis. The

EndoPredict test provides a risk score that is either low-risk or high-risk of breast cancer recurring as distant metastasis. Knowing if the cancer has a high or low risk of recurrence can help women and their doctors decide if chemotherapy or other treatments to reduce risk after surgery are needed.

What are genomic tests?

Genomic tests analyze a sample of a cancer tumor to see how active certain genes are. The activity level of these genes affects the behavior of the cancer, including how likely it is to grow and spread. Genomic tests are used to help make decisions about whether more treatments after surgery would be beneficial.

@Frances54 I have no regrets for my decision. I never wanted to look back and think 'if only'. Chemo's not fun but it's doable.

Ouch, that sounds painful. How long ago? Hope youre going ok. I guess one of the things we have to do is our faith in our team. In my case surgeon said no to chemo, radiation oncol said maybe, oncologist said yes. Hence my second guessing which has caused a great deal of anxiety. I suspect there are a lot of factors they take into consideration which arent shared with us. 

Removal of all the lymph nodes

A genome test gives you more info about the characteristics of the tumour, costs a bomb. I had a lumpectomy so maybe thats why. I have to have three weeks ray and 8 cycles chemo. Whats axilla clearance? 

Hi @Frances54, I haven’t heard about a genome test and have no idea what it is. I had a mastectomy and axilla clearance and then did 5 weeks of radiotherapy.

If only they all got on the same page. Its cost me a lot of heartache trying to make the decision. I keep rethinking my position. I start chemo Thursday anyway. Ive never had it before so feeling anxious this week. The genome test came back high risk for recurrence so Im trying to tell myself I have no choice and have to do everything I can. What treatment did you have? 

Hi @Frances54, that’s really interesting. I had grade 3 tumours and lymph node involvement and no one even suggested chemo. Maybe because I did chemo previously? Now I’m beginning to wonder . . .