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harrie · 07-16-2009, 11:24 PM

For a 2 cm tumor, is it standard practice to try to shrink it before removing it surgically? And also, is the tumor usually checked after the first few treatments to know that the chemo is effective so the patient does not complete the entire course and then find out the tumor did not change?

07-16-2009, 11:24 PM	#1
harrie Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Hilo, Hawaii Posts: 1,867	question on chemo before surgery For a 2 cm tumor, is it standard practice to try to shrink it before removing it surgically? And also, is the tumor usually checked after the first few treatments to know that the chemo is effective so the patient does not complete the entire course and then find out the tumor did not change? __________________ * MARYANNE * aka HARRIECANARIE 1993: right side DCIS, lumpectomy, rads 1999: left side DCIS, lumpectomy, rads, tamoxifen 2006: BRCA 2 positive Stage I, invasive DCIS (6mm x 5mm) Grade: intermediate sentinal node biopsy: neg HER2/neu amplified 4.7 ER+/PR+ TOPO II neg Oncotype dx 20 Bilat mastectomy with DIEP flap reconstruction oophorectomy 2007: 6 cycles TCH (taxotere, carboplatin, herceptin) finished 1 yr herceptin 05/07 Arimidex, stopped after almost 1 yr Femara