Mayo Breast Cancer Survivorship Clinic?

@elc, great question. I'm bringing @muradangie and @roch into this discussion to give you the perspective of both from a patient education from the Cancer Education Center (https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/cancer-education-center/) and from a Mayo patient.

Here's a podcast Q&A in the meantime that talks about the supports for breast cancer patients after treatment
What is a cancer survivorship clinic? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/podcasts/newsfeed-post/what-is-a-cancer-survivorship-clinic/

elc @elc,
From a patient perceptive, it is for "Now done with treatment, what next?"

One main part is Cancer Survivorship Care Plan. A detailed plan given to a patient after treatment ends, that contains a summary of the patient’s treatment, along with recommendations for follow-up care.

I have not specifically attended Mayo Survivorship Clinic. When I finished treatment for Breast Clinic at Mayo, I was given a document similar to Survivorship Plan.

This podcast is about survivorship, specifically breast cancer but could be applied to any cancer:
Breast Cancer Survivorship: Attaining Renewed Vitality - Dawn Mussallem, D.O.

Laurie

@elc, @roch, & @colleenyoung This Mayo Clinic Q & A Podcast is a great resource that was just recently produced that very specifically talks about Survivorship Clinics at Mayo Clinic. You can find more information at https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/oncology/cancer-survivorship-clinics/overview

Our Cancer Education Center Mayo Clinic Connect Blog has recordings of webinars on topics related to cancer survivorship and many other topics in our Video Library Tab found here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/cancer-education-center/tab/ncsd/#ch-tab-navigation

I hope you find this helpful!

What an amazing thing! When I finished my last day of radiation, after surgeries, and chemo, I asked what comes now? The answer I received was go back to normal, ooooookaaaaay. It would be great if everyone had some form of survivorship information.

Thank you!

Has anyone undergone 4 cycles of TC chemo regimen for stage 1 TNBC? I just had a mastectomy and chemo will likely begin in a few weeks. I was diagnosed with a subcategory of TNBC called Triple Negative Apocrine (TNAC).

Hi @ladytnac I received similar chemo treatment for TNBC, only more because I was 3B. For IV chemo I did 8 cycles AC and then 12 cycles Taxol. What are your questions?

@seathink My oncologist told me about 2 possible regimens. The first one was 4 cycles AC followed by 12 cycles of Taxol.
The other regimen is 4 cycles of TC ( taxotere & cytoxin) I would like to get feedback from other patients on the experience/side effects , especially permanent ones that they experienced. I am stage 1 TNAC with clean lymph nodes.

There are a couple of great conversations about TNBC.
Join @seathink and others on this page to learn more.
Triple Negative Breast Cancer What Treatments Are You Taking
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/triple-negative-breast-cancer/

Gotcha. Well I can speak on my side effects for the AC Taxol plan.

I don't know how old you are but I was under 40 when I started treatments, so my oncologist had me get monthly lupron shots to try and preserve some of my fertility. We did have a meeting with a fertility doctor about IVF but it would have delayed treatment, and by that point we were on the edge of going stage 4. My period did return post chemo/surgeries/radiation.

One of the most annoying things with the AC was that mouth sores is a side effect so my nurses had me chew ice all during that infusion. The idea being similar to the cold caps where the cold would protect your regular cells. It worked in that I didn't get mouth sores, but I hate chewing ice and I always had this awful taste from the chemo so then when it came time to take taxol I did not ice my hands and feet for the potential neuropathy side effects of taxol, which I regret because I did get neuropathy in my toes. It's been 2 years since I started chemo so it has a subsided, but I would have iced my hands and feet or worn cold gloves / socks because the neuropathy was really bad the first year out of treatment and it didn't come on until week 11 of 12. 😞

Also if you are getting a port you may get this awful taste in your mouth when they flush it which they do at the beginning of treatment and in between each medicine. Chewing gum or sucking on hard candy helps.

For taxol they inject you with Benadryl before you get the tax all because of a potential allergy so you get really sleepy. For my AC cycles I could write or do work. For my taxol I pretty much just brought a movie to doze off to. And then you can't drive yourself either.

I also had to do an onbody white blood infusion during my AC cycles which they would snap on me after infisyto wear for 24 hours. That was annoying because I just had a baby and I couldn't hold him because he might kick off the onbody they would put it on my hip.

I definitely got fatigued, but I didn't get nauseous. I found a John Hopkins study about fasting during chemo treatments and I would do that. I wouldn't eat the day before or the morning of chemo and then we'll just have dinner after chemo.

Permanent damage 2 years out from chemo is mild neuropathy in a couple of my toes. I noticed it a lot more before I got some majority from my radiation but that has subsided and it seems like the chemotherapist subsided as well. And then unknown fertility damage.

Hope this helps.