Complete response
 

I am interested in who else has received that news after surgery path resport -- what was your long term outcome as the result of that news??? Just curious about how wonderful that news really is in terms of long term outcome. thanks

maybe remission??? am not familiar with that phrase, "complete response"

In my cancer path "complete response" was the term used when I became stageIV. What that meant was after a course of treatment that I would have no more evidence of disease and have no more need for chemo.

Perhaps the term could be used for earlier stage cases after all the treatment is finished and the labs and scans cannot detect any sign of the disease. Never heard that referring to surgery alone.

Good luck and welcome to this online community!

Hi Patty,

There are a couple of studies that do show that pCR (pathalogical complete response) is relavent in terms of long term disease free survivial. Especially having clean nodes at the time of surgery.

I had hoped for pCR but had a shrinkage from 6.5 cm to 2.5 cm and all lymph nodes clean - So I am optimistic.

Keep us posted. I think you may be the first here with complete response...not sure..

hugs,
shobha

I was told my breast tumor had a "complete response" to treatment. It went away all on its on after treatment with Taxotere, Cytoxan and Herceptin. I never had surgery.

Still battling with mets elsewhere but they're days are numbered. We think the scans are just showing healing and scar tissue now but its hard to be sure.

Complete response can and does happen!

Re: Complete response
 

Hello,

I also had cpr after neo-adjuvant chemo. It is a term used when you have chemo before surgery and then when they do remove and examine the tissue where cancer was initially, if they find no trace of cancer cells they can talk about complete pathological response.

It states that no cancer cells were found in the tissues removed, (which would be the original cancer site). It is more accurate than any diagnostic tool, as scans etc, will not pick up very small clusters of cancer cells, while the pathology tests do. Of course it doesn't offer any guarantees for the future, but it tells you that chemo has worked perfectly well in your case, while with adjuvant chemo you will never know (of course I'm talking about primary bc here).

Read this research (one of the authors is one of my oncologists!) for more info http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/full/24/7/1037

ciao
chiara

Re: Complete response
 

Hi again Patty,

this is another useful article: http://theoncologist.alphamedpress.o...bstract/13/1/6

In case you're interested I was diagnosed nearly 2 years ago, grade 3, stage 3a, 4cm IDC, a lump of 2cm came up on the pet (it was clearly palpable), so one or more? lymphnode also affected. HER2 + but Er and Pr negative. went through 12 weeks of taxol + 12 weeks of FEC all accompanied by daily lapatinib and weekly herceptin. April 08 had surgery with the results I've already said. Just add my 6monthly check up and all is fine so far.

I'm finally feeling on top of things again, in control of my life and making the most of it! Enjoying my daughters and not worry )too much) about the future. Today I'm still here and life is good!

best of luck with the rest of your treatment,

chiara