I know that after my surgery for breast cancer I wanted to start chemotherapy immediately, so much so that I had my first dose of Adriamycin and Cytoxan before my port was put in. I didn't want to have to wait for another surgery and more healing time before getting started with fighting the cancer that may be in my body.

A new study shows that it is safe to wait up until twelve weeks after surgery to start chemotherapy. This is important because it can give the patient time to recuperate after surgery and also can help them to have more time to make decisions about treatment options.

The women in the study received chemotherapy after surgery for Stage I and Stage II disease. The study showed that among the women who started chemotherapy within four to twelve weeks after surgery had an average survival rate of 86 percent at five years. It also showed however that waiting longer than the twelve weeks to receive chemotherapy can cause the patient to have a higher risk of recurrence and also lower survival rates.

"Our findings can reassure women with early-stage breast cancer that it is okay to take time before they start chemotherapy to gather information and be actively involved in treatment decision making. These steps have been shown to reduce anxiety and depression associated with breast cancer. However, to achieve the full benefit of chemotherapy, patients should not delay further, and should ensure that they start treatment within three months of surgery." said the lead author of the study, Dr. Caroline Lohrisch, a medical oncologist with the BC cancer agency.