Has anyone been through the decision-making process about surgery in a situation similar to mine:
Diagnosed 11/24/04 (stage IIB likely--her2 pos, Er/Pr neg) - left breast
Had a PET scan and MRIs on each breast
No mets (they don't think there is any node involvement, but they aren't positive about that)
Began weekly chemo 12/2/04 (herceptin, taxol, carboplatin)
Surgery expected 2/05 or 3/05
Excellent tumor shrinkage (5% of original size after 6 weekly treatments)
Weekly chemo (same meds) for 3 months after surgery.
When my tumor has achieved maiximum shrinkage, surgery will be scheduled. There is another woman who has Her-2 BC and has weekly chemo with me. When she had surgery (lumpectomy), her tumor had gotten so small that the surgeon had trouble finding the tumor, mkaing lumpectomy a viable choice. I have read that lumpectomy with radiation offers the same chances for recurrance as a masectomy. I am leaning toward a lumpectomy with radiation, but I am interested in hearing from others who have also made this decision (although in reading some of these posts it sounds like there aren't many stage II patients getting Herceptin on a course like mine).
Also -- when you had surgery, did you let them take any nodes?
thanks :-)
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