treatment for breast cancer type

i had ductal breast cancer in 97, treated with 4 rounds taxol, lumpectomy, 4 rounds of FAC, and six weeks radiation.  i never recovered.  5 years later, i was diagnosed with 'lobular' cancer in the other breast.  i had a double mestectomy.  the doctor was going to treat me with the taxol again -- i declined.  she said she wouldn't treat me -- i told her adios.  i read the other day that taxol is not recommended for lobular cancer.  i had two positive nodes (out of 17) the first time around, and no positive nodes with the lobular.  

is taxol the best thing for lobular breast cancer?  i am convinced i made the right decision to decline the chemo, and WISH we had the information available to us now back in 97.  i would not have let them treat me so agressively.   i have suffered from infections, thyroid disease (a living hell -- WHY do they not put a neck collar on you during radiation??), and live with chronic pain, .fatigue, staph infections, kidney problems . . .


This discussion is related to Radiation in tissue expander.

[PaulMD]

Hi there.

I'm sorry to hear that you are experiencing all of these, but on the contrary, Taxol may have given you the upper hand back in 1997 when you had invasive ductal cancer and positive nodes.  You may search the web for the landmark clinical trials on Taxol for node positive breast cancer such as the CALGB 9344 landmark clinical trial.  That trial showed that addition of taxol for node positive ductal breast cancers increased a patient's disease free survival.  This trial may have led to a major FDA approval.  Also, I'm not sure if Taxol does not really work with lobular cancers since the clinical trials included patients with lobular breast cancer histology.  I still suggest that you undergo regular and constant surveillance for your breast cancer.

Be strong, regards and God bless.