My doctor said adding the other chemo was overkill. She said it would just cause me to have bad side effects and it was not worth it. She said it would not provide any more help than using just the Herceptin. And that my quality of life would not be as great.

I was Stage 1, so DCIS is a different story. I had negative nodes, bi-lateral mastectomy, and my oncologist at first didn't recommend chemo. After talking intensively with my onco, we decided chemo was the best route. It was m choice and he agreed. I wanted to get rid of all the bad,bad cells in my body..ALL of them! I also didn't want to do radiation.
What I have learned in my journey, not one cancer is alike. Not one person is alike in their cancer journey, and we are all in it to win it!!!! Sounds cliche....

I had DCIS, neg nodes, and a bi-lateral mastectomy. My oncologist said she felt I had 3 choices:do nothing, do chemo, or do herceptin(a type of chemo). I chose Herceptin ....it has no bad side effects. My Doctor thought I made the right choice. I did it for a year. I had HER2+ and Herceptin works only with that type. No hair loss etc. No sickness. Regular hard core chemo was overkill for me i felt.

If the DCIS is large, high-grade, and comedo type, it is likely to be more aggressive, and your oncologist may recommend more extensive treatment. The same holds true if you are under age 40, since younger age may increase the risk of recurrence.

I have a friend who had DCIS (more than one area) and had a unilateral MX. She had no further treatment, and 18 months later had a recurrance, but this time is was IDC and in her nodes. Personally, I think had she had chemo the first time, she could have avoided the recurrance, but I don't think its protocol to give chemo for DCIS. DCIS is contained and hasn't spread, therefore isn't invasive and can't be in the nodes. If it is in the nodes, then it isn't just DCIS. DCIS is stage zero.