1. < Breast Cancer

Oncotype DX test result

Posted by rida @rida, Feb 14, 2023

Hi
I am 43 years old and was diagnosed with breast cancer stage 1 in Oct'22. No lymph nodes involved.I had skin sparing mastectomy on 4th Jan'23 and my block was sent for Oncotype DX.The result came and my score is 13 and recurrence chance is 4% in next nine years.I haven't been through any chemo and radiation.My Dr has advised Tamoxifen for the first month and later AI with lucrin injection on every 3rd month as I have history of endometriosis with 4 open surgeries (myomectomies). I want to know anyone who has experienced recurrence with this low score? What are the side effects of Tamoxifen and AI? What things I should be really concerned about?

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windyshores | @windyshores | Feb 18, 2023
In reply to @mugs24cancer "I had a 2% chance of recurrence. I chose not to do chemo or radiation. My..." + (show)
@mugs24cancer

I had a 2% chance of recurrence. I chose not to do chemo or radiation. My breast cancer did recur after 9 months. No lymph nodes involved either time. After the second recurrence I did chemo and proton beam radiation. I took Tamoxifen for 2 years but developed gastritis because of the blood thinner I was on with it. Have been on letrozole for 2 1/2 years since with some side effects. Another 6 months and I hope to be drug free:)

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@mugs24cancer your post leaves me with some questions. Was your recurrence actually a second cancer? Was it local or regional or metastasis? What do you mean by "second recurrence"? Did you have cancer three times?

Was the 2% risk from an Oncotype Dx?

Did you have a lumpectomy the first time? How about the second time? Did you take tamoxifen the first time or did you decline treatment entirely?

REPLY
1 reply
mugs24cancer | @mugs24cancer | Feb 18, 2023
In reply to @windyshores "@mugs24cancer your post leaves me with some questions. Was your recurrence actually a second cancer? Was..." + (show)
@windyshores

@mugs24cancer your post leaves me with some questions. Was your recurrence actually a second cancer? Was it local or regional or metastasis? What do you mean by "second recurrence"? Did you have cancer three times?

Was the 2% risk from an Oncotype Dx?

Did you have a lumpectomy the first time? How about the second time? Did you take tamoxifen the first time or did you decline treatment entirely?

Jump to this post

I had a mastectomy the first time. The 2% risk was from Oncotyoe Dx. Anastrozole was prescribed and I took it with few side effects. Nine months later I felt a small lump at end of incision. Thought it was scar tissue but biopsy confirmed cancer. Had lumpectomy and then surgeon said to do chemo and radiation, no questions asked.

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3 replies
windyshores | @windyshores | Feb 18, 2023
In reply to @mugs24cancer "I had a mastectomy the first time. The 2% risk was from Oncotyoe Dx. Anastrozole was..." + (show)
@mugs24cancer

I had a mastectomy the first time. The 2% risk was from Oncotyoe Dx. Anastrozole was prescribed and I took it with few side effects. Nine months later I felt a small lump at end of incision. Thought it was scar tissue but biopsy confirmed cancer. Had lumpectomy and then surgeon said to do chemo and radiation, no questions asked.

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Wow @mugs24cancer. I have not heard a story like that, with such low risk, a mastectomy and anastrazole.

I am wondering why they don't test the local recurrence with Oncotype! I never knew they did chemo for a recurrence like this. Gosh, good luck!

Cancer is so unpredictable. This really shows that.

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1 reply
mugs24cancer | @mugs24cancer | Feb 18, 2023
In reply to @windyshores "Wow @mugs24cancer. I have not heard a story like that, with such low risk, a mastectomy..." + (show)
@windyshores

Wow @mugs24cancer. I have not heard a story like that, with such low risk, a mastectomy and anastrazole.

I am wondering why they don't test the local recurrence with Oncotype! I never knew they did chemo for a recurrence like this. Gosh, good luck!

Cancer is so unpredictable. This really shows that.

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It has been 4 1/2 years. Alot of procedures are changing so I do not know if the route I went would still be the same. My surgeon just said that we were taking no chances after the recurrence and that we were going to make sure to “get it”. I have been blessed to have a great medical team at Mayo.

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polianad22 | @polianad22 | Feb 19, 2023
In reply to @mugs24cancer "I had a mastectomy the first time. The 2% risk was from Oncotyoe Dx. Anastrozole was..." + (show)
@mugs24cancer

I had a mastectomy the first time. The 2% risk was from Oncotyoe Dx. Anastrozole was prescribed and I took it with few side effects. Nine months later I felt a small lump at end of incision. Thought it was scar tissue but biopsy confirmed cancer. Had lumpectomy and then surgeon said to do chemo and radiation, no questions asked.

Jump to this post

Where did you have lumpectomy? You said that you had mastectomy.

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1 reply
rida | @rida | Feb 19, 2023
In reply to @mugs24cancer "I had a 2% chance of recurrence. I chose not to do chemo or radiation. My..." + (show)
@mugs24cancer

I had a 2% chance of recurrence. I chose not to do chemo or radiation. My breast cancer did recur after 9 months. No lymph nodes involved either time. After the second recurrence I did chemo and proton beam radiation. I took Tamoxifen for 2 years but developed gastritis because of the blood thinner I was on with it. Have been on letrozole for 2 1/2 years since with some side effects. Another 6 months and I hope to be drug free:)

Jump to this post

@windyshores I have same questions for @mugs24cancer
Was the 2% recurrence chance predicted from Oncotype?Did you take hormone therapy (Tamoxifen or any other medicine) right after your surgery?

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1 reply
Mentor
Chris, Volunteer Mentor | @auntieoakley | Feb 19, 2023
In reply to @rida "@windyshores I have same questions for @mugs24cancer Was the 2% recurrence chance predicted from Oncotype?Did you..." + (show)
@rida

@windyshores I have same questions for @mugs24cancer
Was the 2% recurrence chance predicted from Oncotype?Did you take hormone therapy (Tamoxifen or any other medicine) right after your surgery?

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@windyshores @rida In the above post I believe she already answered this, and if I read it correctly she had; mastectomy, then anastrazole, then lumpectomy in scar tissue, then the chemo and radiation.
“I had a mastectomy the first time. The 2% risk was from Oncotyoe Dx. Anastrozole was prescribed and I took it with few side effects. Nine months later I felt a small lump at end of incision. Thought it was scar tissue but biopsy confirmed cancer. Had lumpectomy and then surgeon said to do chemo and radiation, no questions asked.”
There are always going to be exceptions and cancer can be an unpredictable thing, even by the most advanced testing.
Did I get all of this right @mugs24cancer ?

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1 reply
windyshores | @windyshores | Feb 19, 2023
In reply to @auntieoakley "@windyshores @rida In the above post I believe she already answered this, and if I read..." + (show)
@auntieoakley

@windyshores @rida In the above post I believe she already answered this, and if I read it correctly she had; mastectomy, then anastrazole, then lumpectomy in scar tissue, then the chemo and radiation.
“I had a mastectomy the first time. The 2% risk was from Oncotyoe Dx. Anastrozole was prescribed and I took it with few side effects. Nine months later I felt a small lump at end of incision. Thought it was scar tissue but biopsy confirmed cancer. Had lumpectomy and then surgeon said to do chemo and radiation, no questions asked.”
There are always going to be exceptions and cancer can be an unpredictable thing, even by the most advanced testing.
Did I get all of this right @mugs24cancer ?

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@autieoakley that answer came after I asked the questions 🙂

I am still not clear on whether a second cancer in the same site, like this, can be a different cancer or is a recurrence of the original one. Not important.

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mugs24cancer | @mugs24cancer | Feb 19, 2023
In reply to @polianad22 "Where did you have lumpectomy? You said that you had mastectomy." + (show)
@polianad22

Where did you have lumpectomy? You said that you had mastectomy.

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I had a mastectomy of the right breast with an expander put in during surgery. The incision healed nicely but I could feel a lump near left end of the healed incision. It was very close to the chest wall. It was small, about 3 mm. Took it out, lumpectomy, left the the expander in. Did not have replacement implant put in until 9 months later.

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1 reply
polianad22 | @polianad22 | Feb 20, 2023
In reply to @mugs24cancer "I had a mastectomy of the right breast with an expander put in during surgery. The..." + (show)
@mugs24cancer

I had a mastectomy of the right breast with an expander put in during surgery. The incision healed nicely but I could feel a lump near left end of the healed incision. It was very close to the chest wall. It was small, about 3 mm. Took it out, lumpectomy, left the the expander in. Did not have replacement implant put in until 9 months later.

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Understood. You felt the lump right after the surgery. Correct? How many days after?

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