Message for Olivia07

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Message for Olivia07

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Message for Olivia07 Hi Olivia

I was sorry to read you had a recurrence after such a long interval. It must have been a hell of a shock!

May I ask a question? Was your recurrence in the same breast? I was under the impression that once you have had rads to a breast, if the cancer recurs, then mastectomy is the only option - something to do with bleeding problems with irradiated tissue.

But perhaps you meant your other breast.

If you could let me know, I would be most grateful.

Mcgle

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Bringing this to the top again.

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Hi Mcgle and sorry I missed your post. Yes my recurrence was in the same breast and you are right that you cannot have rads twice but my oncologist decided as the tumour was 5 mm invasive grade 1, I did not need a mastectomy and am now on Arimidex for 5 years which I absolutely HATE as after only 10 days the flushes are back with a vengeance as they were on Tamoxifen. I too was under the impression that mastectomy was inevitable but it seems thoughts are changing.

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Hi Olivia

Does this mean you did not have further surgery and kept your breast?

Hope I am reading this right.

Mcgle

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I did have surgery - wide excision to remove the lump and have kept my breast - what little there is of it! Scar is pretty small and I think I could still do a W I Calendar with a little airbrushing!! Had bone scan, liver, scan and CXR - all clear and am just on Arimidex. Am very lucky in that respect.

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So, if I’m reading this right, Olivia, surgery was done to previously irradiated tissue. Wasn’t there an awful lot of bleeding - thought this was the reason they couldn’t do surgery again.

Or am I being totally thick?!

Glad that the cancer hadn’t gone anywhere. Arimidex is supposed to be better for recurrences. Sorry you’re having a bad time with it.

Mcgle

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There was no problem over bleeding. Surgery can be done any number of times as long as there is enough breast tissue. What cannot be done twice is radiotherapy to the same breast. Hope that answers your query.

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Yes, it does. Thank you, Olivia. May you continue to do well.