Newly diagnosed with breast cancer

Hi I am 61 and was diagnosed with Oestrogen positive breast cancer in April. I have had a segmentectomy 4 weeks ago .Thankfully the margins around the tumour are clear and so are my lymph nodes .I am having chemotherapy as my consultant  gave me the choice to  send a tumour sample off to America to have the oncotype dx test which works out the probability of a recurrence.and wether chemo will benefit me which it will although the thought if chemo frightens me .I have to have radiotherapy and 7 years of tablets..

  • Hi Weeze63,

    I've had HER2 positive breast cancer too. I had a lumpectomy / reconstruction on 2nd April. Same as you clear margins and lymph nodes. My sample also went to America. Oncotype score was 20 and threshold was 16 for my age (46). I believe threshold is higher for over 50s. So I have been given the option of chemo which I have decided to do. Its taken me a good few weeks to get over being frightened but I keep telling myself its worth the try and it is adjuvant chemo. At least the chemo is not to try shrink a tumour as that has already been removed. All I know so far is that it'll be once every 3 weeks for 18 weeks. I am hoping to start this month asap. Have you got a start date yet for chemo?

  • Hi  I have an appointment with oncology dept on July 2nd to discuss treatment .No date to start chemo yet . I only found my results 3 days ago so still processing it but like you say the cancer has been removed and anything I have now us hopefully to reduce the risk of it returning .