Title: Should I Undergo Chemotherapy for Borderline Breast Cancer?

It won't let me attach my onco paperwork here, but I describes the results and can answer questions.

What was your score? These decisions are hard to make. The chemo requirements are different for pre vs post menopausal based on the score. Keep in mind it never hurts to get another opinion. What % was your recurrence? That is something to also help guide you. Have you plugged you information into the Predict breast cancer tool? That might help as well.

Hi, Sarah, was your oncotype score between 16-20, which would have the 1.6% benefit from chemo that you mentioned? I was 37 when I made my decision for no chemo since the 1.6% benefit is so low. I opted for ovarian suppression and hormone therapy. Did your oncologist recommend an oophorectomy or is that your choice? I asked my oncologist about an oophorectomy vs the ovarian suppression and she suggested to try the ovarian suppression first (injection every 3 months).

Nina, my number was 21! I am pre-menopausal, but am immediately getting my ovaries taken out and then starting Tamoxifen. Technically, my "chance" from 20 to 21 makes my recurrence rate go up by 5%, but my score was so close to the edge I tend to think it is more ambiguous than that. What I do know is that I've made dramatic lifestyle changes, and since then my body took care of the cancer cells initially found in the biopsied lymph node. I also know that I took ADD meds for many years (heart and vascular considerations), probably drank too much (liver), and have a history of kidney disease in my family. This means I have an at worst 7% recurrence score, with less than 1.5% in all subgroups, and I'm about to effectively go into menopause. I'm just not willing to gamble the next foreseeable future managing chemo side effects that will drain me, effects on my kids, and my immune system for such a low grade improvement in treatment efficacy. I plan on monitoring the heck out of it and making it my job to stay healthy, active, and frequently screened. I wish I could find my future written on stone, but I had to pick, with some of the best oncologists telling me it was a coin flip. *sighhhh* Best to all of you in this group and thanks for reading!

Hi Sarah.. my onco score was 19. I opted for 4 chemo sessions in 2020. Unfortunately I has recurrence in 2024. I had developed resistance to tamoxifen and at time of diagnosis I was 46. Now there is targeted therapy that I am on. I hear it is also used for early stage breast cancer. I am not sure how reliable oncotype score is (at least in my case wasnt) and perhaps ongoing ctDNA can help if u can go on targeted therapy sooner. Best wishes.

🙏

Nazn how did you cope with Tamoxifin? Please tell me as I am kicking and screaming and resisting it with all my might. I had a lumpectomy for stage 0HER positive two months ago and have nearly completed 20 rounds of radiology.

This decision sounds incredibly overwhelming, especially with so many factors to weigh while caring for four young children. Many people in similar borderline situations have faced this same difficult choice between accepting the potential side effects of chemotherapy versus the uncertainty of forgoing it. The medical team's acknowledgment that this falls in the "grey area" highlights just how complex these decisions can be when the statistical benefits are small but the personal stakes feel enormous. Consider seeking input from other community members who may have navigated similar borderline recommendations, and remember that whatever choice feels right for your specific situation and values is valid - there's no universally "correct" answer when the medical evidence itself is uncertain.