Video clips of our experts answering questions online
I have triple-negative stage 2B. I have undergone radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and then took TS-1 chemotherapy drugs, and also received immunotherapy for one year. Will the recurrence rate or metastasis rate be lower?
In China, we don’t often take TS-1. We take a drug called capecitabine. It's similar to TS-1. There are two methods. One method is to take it for half a year, and the other is to take it for a year. It seems that you have already taken it. In this case, taking this medication will help you reduce the rate of recurrence. It's better than not taking it. Then you should do a regular check-up and have a review every three months. For triple-negative breast cancer, the most common recurrence is within one year. If there is no recurrence in one year, the recurrence rate in the second year will be reduced by 50%. If there is no recurrence in two years, It's actually safer than other tumors. The recurrence rate will be very low after 5 years.
For stage I and II breast cancer what are the treatment recommendations?
The tumor has not been treated and the size is 1.5cm. I would advise you not to hesitate any longer and treat the tumor right away. It can still be "cured" with treatment. But if you wait any longer and metastasis occurs, you will miss the opportunity to "cure". As for how to do treatment. There are surgical methods and non-surgical methods, so we need to discuss them together and reach a consensus. If you can accept it, we can help you treat this tumor.
Can I reconstruct my breast after a total breast cancer surgery? How long does it take to be suitable for reconstruction?
Yes. After the complete resection, check whether you need electrotherapy first. If you need electrotherapy, we will reconstruct after the electrotherapy is completed. Generally, for reconstruction, it's recommended that you do it about two years after the surgery.
Which muscles are used for breast reconstruction, and how are donor muscles selected?
For breast construction, we usually prefer the muscles of the rectus abdominis. Unless you are very strong and your latissimus dorsi muscles are well developed, you can use them. It also depends on the size of your opposite breast. If your opposite breast is small, you may be able to use the latissimus dorsi muscles. If the opposite breast is larger, then your latissimus dorsi muscles are not enough. Another thing is that there are some defects after the latissimus dorsi muscles are done. For example, after you remove the latissimus dorsi muscle, the side taken out is concave and deficient, so the shape of your back is not as perfect. However, most women have a lot of rectus abdominis muscle, which can be removed to give you a more perfect body shape.
For stage III breast cancer, surgery or chemotherapy first? Does treatment order affect outcomes?
For stage III breast cancer, should surgery or chemotherapy come first? The success rate of these two treatments. If it's stage III, most of the patients will receive chemotherapy befre surgery. Doing chemotherapy first can shrink your tumor, reduces the tiny tumors in your blood, reduce the chance of recurrence, and help you to provide the opportunity to preserve your breasts. It can also know your sensitivity to drugs. If you can't control the tumor after chemotherapy, it means your prognosis is very poor. In this case, it's recommended to chemotherapy first and then surgery
Do I need chemotherapy or radiotherapy after lymph node surgery?
Whether you need chemotherapy or radiotherapy after surgery, it depends on the state of your lymoh nodes after surgery. The size of the tumor and moleculur analysis. So it is difficult to tell you whether you need chemotherapy or radiotherapy right now. You need to give me all your reports,including the relevant parts I just mentioned, so that I can tell you whether you need chemotherapy or not. Some patients do not need chemotherapy or radiotherapy, but it depends on the patient's condition.
