Hi I have recently been diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer and starting chemotherapy and immunotherapy next week and pretty scared of the side effects, has anybody had this combination and any advice.
I was diagnosed with the exact same thing last year and had combined chemo and immunotherapy. I had a pretty tough time with chemo, I can't deny it, but my oncology team took good care of me and altered dosage/changed drugs until we found something that suited me. I was on 3-weekly chemo cycles with docetaxel for 4 sessions then EC for a further 4 sessions. I had immunotherapy alongside the chemo every 6 weeks. I was quite poorly on docetaxel but fared much better on EC, though I did lose all my hair with docetaxel and then eyebrows and lashes went on EC! Speak with your Macmillan team, they will help with emotional support and give advice on skin care, wigs etc. I finished chemo in March and went on immunotherapy alone for a further 6 months. I'm nearly done now, my final one is next month. The immunotherapy on its own is absolutely fine, just a bit of fatigue for a day or two after treatment.
I was quite a rare case and I know lots of ladies who have breezed through chemo. I did cold capping for one session, but it extended the length of each session so much I decided not to continue (I didn't find it too uncomfortable though). I figured my body had enough to cope with!
My only advice would be to listen to your body. Take it easy and rest when you need to. Keep talking to your oncologist and their team if you have any concerns, don't think you have to just put up with it. There are always options if you're struggling. Take a good book for treatment days and wear comfortable clothes. You will be sitting for quite a while! Take some snacks too. Sometimes volunteers come round offering hot drinks/biscuits etc but it's not guaranteed lol.
