Hi I have just had small lumpectomy and nodes all clear, lump out, all apparently fine apart from very deflated and ugly appearance of breast. Been put on tamoxifen, read side effects with horror and even MORE horror when I read these posts. Is this drug cheapest and that’s why its used? radiotherapy is next and I now wonder at my age, 68, if there’s any benefit to further misery? Wish I’d never had the op. I live alone, no support, friends disappear after the novelty wears off, and I dont have partner(he disappears into alcoholism when things are tough )no kids either, so I face everything alone. cancer grows slowly when yr older apparently, so was this nightmare worth it?
rads is usually comparatively easy and it does reduce the chance of cancer coming back. For tax its not that its cheap, its that its a drug that has been proven for most people with hormone positive cancer to make a difference. I think you need to ask your onc what the difference in prognosis is if you have the extra therapies. That will help you make your decision. If its (say) just a 2% improvement you may decide its not worth it. It is up to you but you could live another 20 years say if you stay cancer free, and this could be cut short if you do get a recurance (plus you might have to have further ops or chemo which would probably be worse than rads and tamoxifen now)!