Hi i have a consultant call tomorrow. Im on the cusp of chemotherapy but i need to decide whats best.
I feel radiotherapy targets specific area, where chemotherapy will go through my body and prevent reoccurrence somewhere else?
Dad passed of bowel cancer.
Thoughts please
Hello and welcome
It’s very hard and personal, if you have the choice. I wish I had the choice, in which case I would have opted for Chemo for the same reason as yours, it covers a wider area. I know chemo is hard (in fact all the treatments have negative side effects), but there may be a long term benefit with it.
No one knows for sure which might be or might have been the better option. But listen to their advice, ask questions and do some of your own research. That way you will be satisfied with your decision.
Best wishes, hope it all works out x
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Do you have the choice ? I had both years ago. It was tough, but so glad now that I did everything offered. Best wishes.
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Yes the oncologist says its my choice. Its really hard.
Oh thats hard. My oncologist gave the the choice to have herceptin or not. It had just been approved by nice. I didn’t have a clue, so asked him what he would advise his wife to have, he said have it, so I did. Not sure that helps, sorry. Hopefully someone with similar experience will reply. Best wishes.
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That does help. Thanks 
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Hi - it’s a very personal decision. It depends on lots of factors, such as what support do you have to help look after you, do you provide support / care for someone else, do you have children. The oncologist I spoke with said if she were in my position (age and the age of my daughters) she would have chemo. I figured that even though it would be hard, at least I would know I had given every chance to remove any stray cells. I didn’t want to be thinking “what if” later down the line. But it is very difficult when they are giving you the decision to make. All I can say is although chemo was hard, it was do-able. Side effects are very individual, some people hardly have any. Maybe have a chat with the nurses on here, I did and found them to be really helpful.
Wishing you luck with your choice and the rest of your treatment xx
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Thank you, thats where i think im going is chemo, i have a good support network.
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I think Id take into account grade, stage and how fit I was to cope with it. I wasn’t given the option of chemo due to low grade. No lymph node involvement either, which is key. Im assuming you had no lymph nodes involved too, otherwise it would be chemo.
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I think if it’s being offered then there must be a view that it would be beneficial? Most people don’t have choice - it’s either very early stage BC and chemo is of no benefit or, like me, fast growing (I’m triple negative) and chemo is a must. I personally would take it if it’s being offered to you x
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Dear welsh-witch,
I’m not medically trained to advise, I was lucky to get away with radiotherapy which I coped with well.
This is a big decision for you to make, maybe have a chat with your breast cancer nurse before making a decision, also have a notepad with you, so much to take on board.
Wishing you well, you sound positive, so feel you will make the right decision. Come back and let us know how your getting on.
Wishing you health and happiness going forward.
With the biggest hugs Tili 
The 3 network is down so unable to make or receive phone calls, ill call my nurses tomorrow.
To answer you properly we would need more info. on your age, stage, type of cancer (ER+ —) etc. Typically, rads are common place after a lumpectomy. Chemo has it’s own list of why someone would do it. Most of the treatment will help lower your % of recurrence in terms of survival, but let me tell you there is distant recurrence (stage IV) and local recurrence. Doctors do not know who will get it again and how good or bad it may be. This is why they often leave it up to us to decide.
The first time I had breast cancer was 2011. Lumpectomy, chemo and rads. I did chemo because I had positive lymph nodes, I was relatively young and had young children. I was very healthy so I did all I could. Fast forward to 2024, and yep. It came back. It was a local recurrence hiding in my scar tissue from 2011. My MO did every test he could on me to make sure I wasn’t Stage IV. That was a scary few months. So, my point… chemo and rads could only do so much. That cancer cell was hiding and waiting to turn on and it did. This time I had a DMX with DIEP reconstruction. I am only 4 weeks out so I am still healing, but “what a long, strange trip it’s been.”