Breast cancer stage 3. Cancer treatment.

As per the scanned paper, I think they have planned 4 cycles of chemo followed by re assessment for surgery. She will then recieve 4 more after surgery. The ER, PR and HER 2 NEW status on the biopsy specimen is not yet ready. If she is her 2 neu 3+, she will require trastuzumab which Is a very costly medicine. 17 cycles is standard treatment over 2 years but many oncologists treat with less cycles as there is evidence to suggest that even less cycles is effective. Please go with what your oncologist is comfortable with.

Your mother has been diagnosed with a locally advanced form of breast cancer. Currently, treatment protocol is to rule out distant metastases by performing a PET CT ( an expensive but extremely useful test). Neo adjuvant chemotherapy is then given to reduce the tumor size and the cancer burden in the body.. The problem is, every patient's cancer responds differently to chemotherapy ; some respond very well, whereas some do not respond at all. This has to be assessed by the oncosurgeon after every alternate cycle... Hence, the variation in the number of cycles. Currently, I think she is receiving standard treatment.. If she responds well to chemotherapy, the surgeon will then plan surgery, followed by maybe some more chemotherapy and radiation..