Topic: Oncotype dx scores

Check out the Oncotype Roll Call discussion thread.  Loads of us have posted our scores and treatments.  It might give you some clarity.

Wishing you peace of mind as you go forward with your decisions.

Hi!  I was diagnoised with bilateral bc in Jan/07.  My tumors were a little larger but my stage was 2, ER positive, node negative.  My oncotype dx was 11% on the left and 12% on the right.  My oncologists said chemo would improve my chances by only 2% and she left the decision up to me.  I decided not to have chemo and my oncologist said that would have been her recommendation as well.  A 2% improvement in the odds of a recurrance did not justify the potential damage to other organs in my body from the chemo.  It's been 3 years and I've never second guessed my decision......good luck!

Thank you all for your comments.  I didn't know there was an oncotype roll call thread, so I'm heading there now. 

It was buried, but I found it and bumped it.  If you go to the Active Topics tab at the top of this page, it should now be near the top of the first page.  It is called NEW Oncotype Dx Roll Call Thread . 

As a new member, you are restricted to 5 posts in 24 hours, but you can send as many private messages as you want/need to, so you can still get help even if you can't post.  To send a PM, click on the blue screen name of the person you want to send to.  When their profile comes up, click on the send member a private message on the top right of the page and start typing in the dialog box.

Hi Val, my Oncotype score was 22.  You can see the rest of my stats below.  I chose not to do chemo because I needed my physical strength and wits about me to get through a particularly difficult time with my business and personal life.  I was also deathly afraid of potential long-term damage from chemo.  In contrast to some women who would not be able to live with themselves if they didn't "throw everything at the cancer," I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I had lingering physical or cognitive issues resulting from chemo - and the cancer came back.

It's a very personal decision.  I'm completely at peace with mine.  BC is now a constant in my life, but I don't obsess about recurrence or get freaked out about doctor visits.  Today is my one-year cancerversary, and I'm looking forward to a full and fulfilling life ahead.  I hope you will, too.

I was pretty similar to your stats. The gray area is an awful place to be. My Onc and DH(statistics guy) explained the statistics to me and I eventually agreed..... no chemo. The 3% improvement? They said it this way - that if 100 BC patients with my stats opted for chemo, only 3 of them would have any benefit. That did it for me.

The Onc said that Femara was the big fighter for me. I still dither about it all now and then, but I trust the Onc. 

Good luck

My score was 18 and I decided not to have chemo.  It was not a difficult decision for me.

Roseann

Thank you all for your posts.  It has been immensely helpful to me.  I was supposed to see the oncologist tomorrow, Wednesday.  He's located in Baltimore, MD, and as most of you have heard, unless some of you just don't ever watch the weather, we're supposed to get a LOT of snow here.  Record-setting.  In case I haven't mentioned it, I HATE SNOW!!  It's totally messing up my plans here. 

But that being said, my appointment got postponed because the office will be closed.  I'm not happy about it, but it's nobody's fault there is a Major Winter Storm coming..  Again... 

I'll post what I decide after I talk with the oncologist and see what his recommendation may be.  My surgeon did put it to me this way, is four rounds of chemo worth 3%?  You know, for some people it may be.  Not sure it is for me.  The oncologist I'm seeing told a good friend of mine, who has BC and had a score of 18, to not do chemo, the negatives outweighed any benefit.  He actually had to talk her out of it.  I may get the same advice, but not sure yet.  I'm hoping he'll call me over the phone and discuss it with me rather than making me wait another couple of weeks for the next scheduled appointment. 

I'm getting impatient here because this all started back in November, first surgery December, second surgery January 15th, and I just feel like I should either be in the middle of radiation or something by now.  Don't like all the waiting.  Maybe it's no big deal with my kind of BC, meaning no lymph node involvement, etc, but I get nervous sometimes. 

Just reporting back on my decision.  My oncologist called me today to discuss my oncotype score, and his advice was,with a score of 20 he would not push chemo.  Which suits me just fine because I wasn't a real enthusiast.  It was tremendously helpful to read all your comments and experiences and helped me to make my decision to not have chemo.  I'm comfortable with it, I'm going to get my radiation, start Tamoxifen and hopefully never have to worry about this again.  Thank you all.