I completed 6 rounds of TAC in April. My cancer started out as a 5 cm lump (2 cm was fluid filled and 2.3 to 3 cm was solid tumor). Despite all of the research that suggests that TNBC is responsive to chemotherapy, the solid portion of tumor did not shrink noticeably. During my mastectomy, the surgeon pulled out a 2.5 cm of residual disease. The surgeon got good margins and there was no node involvement.
An MD Anderson study suggests, however, that when there is residual disease, there is an increased chance of distant recurrence. As a result, my doctors (including a second opinion) have suggested more chemotherapy because of my age, race, grade of tumor, etc. I am a 39 year old, African American woman and was diagnosed with stage II, infiltrating ductal carcinoma (TNCB) in December 2009.
This time around gemcitabine and carboplatin, which I am told poses less longterm risks (to heart) than TAC. I feel pretty good about doing more chemo under the circumstances.
Has anyone else done a second round of chemo because there was residual disease after the first round.