Sep
My mother-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer in June of this year (2008). She had surgery in July to remove the small tumor in her right breast and everything seemed fine.
Then the physicians decided that they should do a lymph node biopsy to make sure the cancer had not spread.
So they did that then sent her to an oncologist and a radiologist for a consult. They decided that she should have radiation to prevent recurrence and my mother-in-law concurred to do it.
That was over three weeks ago. They have marked her for her radiation treatment that was scheduled to begin on the 15th of September.
Well today my mother-in-law went to see the oncologist and they told her that they received the Oncotype DX Results of her tumor that states she should have chemotherapy because it is a more serious cancer then they thought.
Does she really need it? Do the physicians really know what they are doing? Why havent they started treatment if the cancer is so serious?
We can use all the advice you all can give.
Thanks 
Answer:
Yes, the OncotypeDx test is a good one and it tells the story of who would or wouldn't benefit from chemo.
It tests how likely a person is to have a recurrence.
If I were you, I'd go to the OncotypeDx website and read all about the test and the meaning of the results there. Find out her score and let me know or just go to the site and see where she falls in the danger group.
I had stage 1 breast cancer- 3 little tumors and my oncologist really didn't think I needed chemo…until the OncotypeDx score came back in the medium-high risk group( of recurrence ) Then he rushed me into chemo the day after Thanksgiving and for 6 months after.
Answer:
She is getting good treatment. We like to see things happen fast but inreality a couple weeks doesn't make that much difference when it comes to cancer..
Chemotherapy is essential is you want to make sure you catch any cancer cells that have migrated elsewhere in the body.
Radiation targets a specific area only.
My Mom had both and it gave her many more years of life. Trust your physicians. They know more about cancer treatment now than ever before.
Answer:
Yes, she likely does need chemo. When dealing with an aggressive cancer they like to hit it with surgery, radiation, and chemo. I know it's frustrating. You would rather be told of the complete game plan up front. But, that's physicians for ya, and they often don't know much at the beginning either.
If it was me, I wouldn't hesitate to go to a top notch facility for a second thought.
Answer:
I have just finished radiation therapy and I’m having chemotherapy. The cancer center where I’m being treated have counslers availabe for family and patients. I recommend you should make an appointment and let them answer your questions. I have the ability to only pray she has good family support..it is a very difficult time to get through.
Answer:
The decision to prescribe chemotherapy is based on what kind of cancer your mom had, how aggressive it is, and several hormonal markers like estrogen and progesterone etc. It takes a while for these results to come back from the lab. The purpose of the lumpectomy was to remove the tumor from the breast, the purpose of radiation is to shrink any cells that are microscopic, and the purpose of chemotheraphy is to kill cancer. My mom just had a mastectomy last wed. after two lumpectomies came back with microscopic cells at the edges of the samples. chemo also affects the probability of cancer reoccuring. Good luck and ideal wishes.
Answer:
If your mom in law has a known aggressive type of breast cancer than the chemotherapy is being given adjunctively. With cancer it isn't what you see that can be feared, it is what you can't see. The reason that cancer is life threatening is because it is so deceptive. Patients seem healthy and normal at first. The problem is that cancer is a progressive disease . . so just because you look and feel normal one day does not mean you’ll always be that way.
Chemotherapy is being offered to your mother in law because she has a type of cancer that if it has metastasized . . might kill her. Cancer is far easier to treat when it is small and in one location than when it has grown massive and metastasized into the body. What may have happened is that before her surgery .. the tumor went through a process called metastasis and shed hundreds of malignant microscopic cells into the lymphatic system or blood stream. The mets can than travel anywhere throughout the body and lodge in a distant location and start growing a whole new cancer crop. Usually the first places that mets travel to are the lungs, the liver, or the brain . .but they’re unlimited in the locations they have the ability to begin. Because they are microscopic the doctor has no idea where or even if metastasis has occurred . . chemotherapy is given through an IV into the blood stream in hopes of following the same path as the malignant cells . . seeking them out and killing them before they grow into more tumors.
There are many cancer patients who have been treated with the same chemotherapy drugs . . and it has worked for them . .there might also be a percentage where the chemo did not work or stops working for the patient. There’s no guarantee . . only a chance. Your mom in law has a good chance since the cancer would be microscopic . .to kill off any remaining cancer cells that linger inside the body. The risk that she takes by not undergoing chemotherapy is that the cancer will return . . in three to six months . .it might be widespred . . or inoperable . . or far more difficult to treat at that later date. Significant delays in treatment could cost her her life.
When the cancer is microscopic as could be in your mom in laws case . . the physician knows that eventually the disease will start to grow. What they don’t know is exactly when it will start to grow or if it is already growing. Some cancers are slow, and some are aggressive and fast growing. Starting treatment can be determined by the size of the disease . . if there is 'no visible evidence' of tumors than there might be a window of a few weeks or a month before treatment. If there’s visible disease . . than the sooner treatment starts the better chance. From what we experienced . . the sooner the disease is treated the better off you'll be. Don't let the cancer progress.
Ultimately, it will be her choice . . but she should fully comprehend that cancer is deceptive . . and deadly. Cancer rarely grants you to make a mistake in judgment . . so she needs to make the right decision the first time . . she may not get a second chance.