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@A MyBCTeam Member, I like your analogy of chemo being like locking your house. When I was first diagnosed, the surgeon thought surgery would be the best first treatment for me because I was HER2 negative and she believed I wouldn't respond well to chemo. But the tumor board disagreed, so I started A/C chemo first. I can't say it was a picnic, but my tumors DID shrink; after my next chemo (taxol). I'll have surgery on much smaller tumors.
Research and Development for bc is tricky- as there are over 20 possible diagnoses, and so we don't have a one size fits all treatment plan. As we learn more about the different types, therapies can be more precisely developed for each.
The majority of bc is hormone based, and the hubs would get excited to pass me some news, etc. about progress with a drug or therapy for HR+. But since I am HER2+ (we only make up about 15-20% of breast cancers), very little of what he was passing to me even applied. For those with HR cancers, they can do the Oncotype test on the tumor tissue to determine how much (if any) benefit chemo would be.
I view chemo as locking the door to the house- sure, someone could still get in- but I have at least made it harder to do so. Chemo is not fun- but it is do-able, and thankfully, for most of us, not as bad as what our imaginations were preparing us for. There are meds to offset the most common side effects, and we will share any tips and tricks that helped us get through.
Hugs!
Plus, some day soon, they will be able to test one and know exactly who will have reoccrance and who will not of breast cancer.
Also, they will be able to fine tune treatments to each person.
These ideas seem like sci fi. Every time mention of something like this comes up, it is stated that it will be in the future.
For now, some breast cancers only have chemotherapy in their arsenal. There was a time,in the past, that this did not even exist.
So, steps have gone forward. But for BC patients, not fast enough.
That frustration is completely understandable — it can feel defeating to go through such a tough treatment only to worry it might come back anyway. But here's the thing: chemotherapy significantly lowers the risk of recurrence, even if it can't guarantee cancer won't return.
Think of it this way — chemo is like turning Show Full Answer
That's great that the tumors shrunk! That tells you it was getting the job done!! And of course besides shrinking tumors, it has been busy zapping anything that would interfere with your clear margins, etc.!! And Taxol will get busy taking care of the stray cells looking for a new home!
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