Diagnosed with TNBC in April
I have not started treatment yet but have been told to do keynote 522, surgery and radiation. For multiple reasons I do not want to do chemo treatment at this time. The tumor has gone from 3 cm to 5 cm and there may or may not be lymph node involvement scans say no but doctors think may be. I would like to do surgery and radiation only. Has anyone had success with this treatment or opted for it? Also what chemo did they do before the platinum chemo they recommend now ? Thank you for any input I really appreciate it.
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Hi @anitaparks , welcome to Breastcancer.org! We're so sorry you’re going through this, but glad you found us. Thank you for reaching out. I can hear that you're facing some difficult decisions about your treatment plan. Many here have experience with TNBC and can share what helped them make treatment decisions. Hope you find the answers you need soon. Until then, you might find this page from our main site helpful: Treatments for triple-negative breast cancer
The Keynote-522 protocol (chemo + immunotherapy before surgery) has shown strong results for triple-negative breast cancer, particularly when there's concern about lymph node involvement. However, treatment decisions are deeply personal, and it's important you understand all your options and their outcomes.
In general, Triple-negative breast cancer typically responds well to chemotherapy, which is why they are strongly recommending it. Surgery and radiation alone treat the local disease but don't address potential microscopic spread elsewhere in the body
However, your concerns about chemo are valid and worth discussing thoroughly with your oncology team. They can help you understand:
- What the outcomes look like with different treatment approaches
- Why they're recommending this specific protocol
- What the risks are of delaying or declining systemic treatment
This is your body and your decision, but please make sure you have all the information you need to make an informed choice. Consider getting a second opinion if that would help.
The community is here to support you whatever you decide. Please keep us updated.
Hope this helps! Let us know how you're doing. We're here for you!Sincerely,
The Mods
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Hi Anita
I was also diagnosed with TNBC in April. I opted for the chemo first option, but my onco recommended against the Keynote regime due to my age (74) and a heart disease incident in 2018 (Tako-tsubo syndrome). I got a second opinion at UC San Francisco (super easy to do, did a video visit and there was no cost). That onco suggested I get cardiac tested which I did.
I don't know why you have opted not to have chemotherapy. I wanted to share my experience so that you have some additional information about how chemo can progress.
In May, I started on a 6 cycle treatment plan with taxol and carboplatin. However, after 3 cycles, I had an ultra sound that showed my tumor hadn't shrunk. So I switched to the Keynote treatment. 4 cycles tax/carbo and 4 cycle AC. Last Ultrasound showed tumor had shrunk 30%. Completed chemotherapy on October 1.
There are folks who have a hard time with chemo. For some unknown reason, I was not one of them. I did have side effects, but they could be handled with the medications available. (My least favorite: explosive diarrhea and mouth sores. At least they weren't on the same cycles).
What my onco said is that chemo hits people differently.
I am going to have a lumpectomy and removal of sentinal node+ early next month. For me, the chemo seems to have had a positive effect on tumor size.
I wish you well, and I hope that whatever treatment you choose, you are healthy!
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Hi again @anitaparks,
We're just checking back in with you to see how you're progressing with your treatment decisions. Have you discussed your concerns, benefits and risks with your oncologist? How else can we best support you?
Thinking of you!
—The Mods
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Thank you for all of your responses. I did have surgery last week and have not done any chemo. I will see how my pathology report comes back and move forward from there.
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