Ending the Chemo Debate: Oncotype-DX Results

May 23rd, 2006

I had to call the nurse at the cancer center for some advice. She's the one I get along especially well with. She also happens to be the nurse who sees all the test results. When she asked if I wanted to hear my Oncotype DX results, I tried not to shout when I answered, "YES!"

With the Oncotype-DX, each person is assigned a score that maps to their risk of developing metastatic (stage IV) cancer over the next 10 years. A score of less than 18 is considered low risk, representing 51% of the women studied. Scores of 18-30 are intermediate risk, accounting for 22% of those studied. Anything over 31 is high risk, and that's 27% of the study participants. I had agreed with my doctor that if I scored above 18, I'd do chemotherapy.

Sigh. I scored 27. That equates to an 18% risk of distant recurrence in 10 years, assuming I do hormone therapy (anti-estrogen treatment). Adding chemotherapy would bring the risk lower. How much lower depends on the type of chemo.

I feel like someone opened a hole in the bottom of my foot and all my energy ran out. I really did not want to do chemotherapy, but I also do not want cancer to metastasize in my body. The other predictive tool-Adjuvant Online-it was estimate my risk of both local and distant recurrence. 18% risk from Adjuvant Online doesn't mean the same thing to me as 18% from the Oncotype-DX. I guess I have some confidence that I could handle a local recurrence. Stage IV cancer scares me.

While I'm waiting for my medical oncologist to call to discuss chemotherapy, I'm already shopping for headwear. Several friends said, "Maybe you won't lose your hair" but...really folks. I appreciate your optimism, but my hair will fall out. I'm just going to accept that now.

One of the best places I've found for headwear is www.headcovers.com. They have hats, turbans, scarves, all sorts of wigs, stuff for drawing in your eyebrows, false eyelashes-you name it! These two items, in particular, make me want to take up swimming:

Retro swim cap covered with 3D blue petals Aqua swim cap with 3 retro flowers on side

Can you imagine me walking around in my jim-jams, wearing that swim cap...maybe holding a martini? My friend Maria wisely suggested that I might need some goggles and...sparkly slippers!

Hee, hee, hee. The UPS delivery guy will be terrified! Well, if you're going to go through chemo, you may as well have some fun with it!

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