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Very opportune this thread.
I was diagnosed in February 2004.
Found two underarm nodes myself. Never found primary tumour but had 4/11+ axiliary nodes plus at least two more in chest wall.
Surgical removal of underarm nodes end FEB 2004.
Taxotere 3 weekly and Herceptin weekly from March to July 2004.
30 rounds of Rads to breast and chest wall Sept/Oct 2004.
Back on Herceptin 3 weekly from October 2004 and have continued since.
Not sure what my stage is but probably III. As I understand it, stage IV is when you have another organ affected.
Am seeing my oncologist for my 3 monthly visit again today.
We have the discussion each time.
I am tending towards staying on given the aggressivity and nodal spread of my original tumours. At least until there is more information from the trials. Although there seems to be very little for us in between people.
If I left the decision to her I *think* she would take me off but she is not pushing me. She has other considerations like cost to take into account too.
My feeling is that the risks and inconveniences of Herceptin are less than the likelihood of recurrence.
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