No Chemo--Thank God!

For about two weeks I've been waiting for the results of the Oncotype DX test which gives a cancer recurrence score that determines if one needs Chemo or not.  With some, Chemo helps lower the risk of recurrence but not with all.  If the score is low, Chemo is not recommended because it's been proven not to make any difference in that situation; however, if the score is high, then Chemo is recommended because it has been proven to help lower the risk of the Cancer returning. 

My medical oncologist went ahead and made arrangements with the radiation oncologist on the assumption that I would not need Chemo.  So, when I got a call from her office that she wanted me to come in to discuss my treatment plan, I was pretty sure it would be bad news.  I was very relieved when I found out that I don't need Chemo after all.  Even though my score wasn't in the lowest range, it missed by only a little bit which put me into the intermediate range where it really hasn't been proven if chemo helps or not in that range.  My recurrence was 12% but with radiation and the 5-year follow-up pill, that cuts it in half.  The doctor told me that MAYBE with Chemo, it could lower the risk by an addition 3-4%.  She let the decision up to me.

Of course, I chose not to have the Chemo.  A possible 3-4% benefit didn't sound like it was worth it to me so on to my radiation treatments!  Why did she scare me like that?