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Since you have positive lymph nodes you will require radiation. I had a large tumor and had neoadjunct chemo (before surgery) to shrink the tumor. It did shrink the tumor but I opted for a bilateral mastectomy for many reasons. It was a personal decision that I thought long and hard about. I was told that since I would require radiation that reconstruction would have to wait until about six months after mastectomy. I have no regrets and will probably not have reconstruction. You are still very young and according to statistics, there is no significant overal survival difference in mastectomy vs lumpectomy and radiation. With your chemo regime you should have good results. Talk to your surgeon and oncologist at length about your diagnosis and what they would recommend. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you feel good with your decision.
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Kate
Stage IIIC Diagnosed Oct 25, 2005 (age 58)
ER/PR-, HER2+++, grade 3, Ploidy/DNA index: Aneuploid/1.61, S-phase: 24.2%
Neoadjunct chemo: 4 A/C; 4 Taxatore
Bilateral mastectomy June 8, 2006
14 of 26 nodes positive
Herceptin June 22, 2006 - April 20, 2007
Radiation (X35) July 24-September 11, 2006
BRCA1/BRCA2 negative
Stage IV lung mets July 13, 2007 - TCH
Single brain met - August 6, 2007 -CyberKnife
Oct 2007 - clear brain MRI and lung mets shrinking.
March 2008 lung met progression, brain still clear - begin Tykerb/Xeloda/Ixempra
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