ILC Stage IIIa but history of heart attack and stroke
Hello, all. I hope this is the right area to post. I had ADH removed in 2013 and am doing well. My mother is 81, had a heart attack in 2006 (two stints), and a stroke last year that left her with moderate receptiove and expressive aphasia. She has a MUGA (nuclear heart scan) next week so the oncologist can determine if her heart is ok for therapy. (I'm thinking for chemo maybe?) She had 11 lymphs nodes positive for tumor out of the 14 that were removed as well as a right side mastectomy last week.
I'm just wondering if it would be very risky to have chemo after having the heart issue AND the stroke. Her brain MRI today showed foci, microcalcifications, vascular disease, and more things like frontal and parietal area involvement from her stroke. I'm so upset that she is going through this.
Comments
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momcat1962, I'm so sorry your mother is having to deal with breast cancer on top of everything else. It's hard having to choose treatments when the side effects can be worse than the benefits. When I was my mother's healthcare proxy the toughest thing was deciding what medical treatments would help the most while maximizing her QOL.
What is your mother's hormone receptor status? If the tumor is ER+ an aromatase inhibitor taken in pill form would be effective and tolerable. If the tumor is HER2+ trastuzumab given as an infusion or injection would be more easily tolerated than chemo. I hope you and the doctors can figure out the best way forward.
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