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Wow Donna!
What wonderful news of such a dramatic response from neo-adj chemo! Now,what to do...?
As Al mentioned, data shows there's no survival advantage of a mastectomy v. lumpectomy, & with your history of healing difficulties, why put yourself thru it? Remember, surgery & radiation are considered "local control". It seems that follow up w/ "systemic control"- eg.chemo,herceptin,hormone tx-is the more significant factor. Thank God for Herceptin!
When I was dx'd 3 yrs ago, the primary tumor was ~3cms, but surrounded by a whole lot of rigid tissue that was "inflammatory response" to the tumor. About 1/4 of my breast felt rigid & dense. Even though I was a good candidate for a lumpectomy, I recall feeling so uneasy about the surrounding inflamed tissue that I kind of wanted it ALL taken out. My surgeon assured me that once the tumor was out, the surrounding inflammation would resolve & didn't pose an increased risk in local recurrence.
She was right. I opted for a lumpectomy & have a simple 3 inch scar that is barely visible today. Even though I had 12/12 pos. nodes, I've not had a problem with controling recurring disease in my breast or nodes. (now it's the stubborn spot in the liver that's been such a problem). It sounds like you're covering all your bases w/ the treatment for local & systemic control.
It really is just a matter of your own comfort level & peace of mind.Will you feel comfortable just having a lump. and radiation for local control, knowing that chemo, hercep & hormone tx will do their job systemically? Or do you just want the breast tissue gone?
It's a tough decision - it's your body, your choice.
Good luck to you!
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