Should I Skip Chemo for Early-Stage Breast Cancer at 77?

Oops i meant to say lumpectomy next week. I am overwhelmed with this new journey.

I'm in your same shoes. Surgery next week!

Hello! I'd speak to your medical team and especially oncologist then weigh the pros and cons of what you wish to achieve. For me I am 45, TNBC as you. I did chemo, then surgery, then just finished radiation. I'm currently receiving immunotherapy infusions

TNBC is tricky. I’d take all treatments including chemo.

I had my lumpectomy last week. My pathology report came back negative for margin and lymph nodes. Labeled stage IIB what does that mean.?

Lucretia, typically there is the clinical staging (done before surgery based on your biopsy and other factors they know before surgery). After surgery, they will do a staging based on the pathology of the tissue removed. This looks at several different things including tumor size, aggressiveness of the cancer, lymph node involvement.

TNBC here as well. 8 mm tumor. stage one. Lumpectomy scheduled for mid December followed by chemo and then radiation. This is my second breast cancer experience. Opposite breast. Previous cancer was ER and PR positive, her 2 negative. Lumpectomy and radiation at that time followed by an aromatase inhibitor

Ann Marie L. Did the doctors happen to explain how your cancer changed from ER/PR + to triple negative on the second occurrence? I didn't realize cancer did that

Lucretia, I am going through chemo and radiation after. That’s my plan from my team. I highly respect them and will do whatever they say. If you think you may need a second opinion then do so. Better to be safe than sorry. God speed 💝

Mine has gone from ER PR positive to ER 5 percent/PR negative and HER2 FISH non amplified IHC 2+ adjacent to the lumpectomy. Considered a recurrence and functionally triple negative. They told me likely mutated due to treatment pressure from taking an AI and then Faslodex. Essentially it morphs to survive.

Another good reason not to do bone drugs

Wow. Not cool. That really sucks. I may have to do the bone drugs but I'm seriously considering not taking them at this point. I guess the only other thing to do is eat week, weight bearing exercises, supplements. Anything else?

I was diagnosed with TNBC in 2022 at age 64. My lump was 1.8 cm located in the right axilla. I had biopsies of two suspicious nodes which came back negative. I was staged at 1C. My biopsy came back Grade 3 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. My oncologist recommended 4 rounds of chemo before surgery to get any cancer that may have travelled and to shrink the lump. The lump shrunk to .4 cm. I had surgery with removal of 3 lymph nodes. My margins were clear but I was very upset that there was micmetastisis in the sentinel lymph node. This really threw me. At this point I would agree with any other treatment plan to be sure to get the cancer cells. I had 30 radiation treatments followed by 6 rounds of oral chemo capacetabine. In November of 2023, my mammogram and ultrasound were clear. But I will never underestimate the aggressiveness of TNBC. Once you see your surgical pathology report, you will be able to make the best decisions.

Treatment decisions at any stage of life are deeply personal, and it's completely understandable to weigh all options carefully. Many patients in similar situations find it helpful to discuss the potential benefits and risks of different treatment approaches with their oncology team, especially considering factors like overall health, treatment tolerance, and personal priorities. The breast cancer community here has valuable insights from members who have navigated these same complex decisions, so sharing experiences and asking questions can provide additional perspective as you work with your medical team.