Newbie - Lumpectomy , radiotherapy and HT

Going through breast cancer treatment Top tips and practical support
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I was diagnosed 22 December and was told 7mm, so lumpectomy, possibly radiotherapy, and HT strongly recommended. Grade 1.

I am also 6 years in remission from stage 3c colon cancer.  Thereafter diagnosed with osteoporosis, which i reversed without drugs, by diet and weightlifting.   

So, since completing chemo in December 2016 I have been drug free.

I had my lumpectomy 23 January, and will see my surgeon next Thursday for the results.  I,m obviously praying for clear margins and that it’s not worse than thought.

I’ve been told that Tamoxifen is recommended, although I’m post menopausal, and I think this is due to my osteoporosis.  I’m absolutely terrified of drugs.  Anything other than cancer, I would always try the natural route first.  I refused bisphosphonates and achieved much better results.

My mother took Tamoxifen and it didn’t work.  The cancer was in her bones 5 years later. 

I’m actually wondering if it would have been better to have had a double masectomy and chemo, without needing to take HT?

I’m finding it difficult to cope with this diagnosis.  There seems to be a permanent worry of new primaries, as well as recurrence. 

My surgeon is also not very keen on questions.  On the morning of my surgery she told me ‘you won’t have any questions, as we discussed this at the last appointment’.   After surgery, she saw me briefly, and I said I would prepare questions for my next appointment.  She said ‘when we give you the information, you maybe won’t have any questions’

I’ve also been told I won’t see an oncologist, only a radiologist (oncology) …not sure if that’s the correct title.

Most women I know who start with one lumpectomy, end up with another one or two primaries, and double mastectomy. 

I also find it strange that follow up is only mamograms.  So, you have to wait till symptoms develop before scans?

I had annual scans and blood tests with my bowel cancer.

Sorry this is all a bit jumbled but I’m finding this Grade 1, possibly stage 1 diagnosis, so much worse than my previous stage 3c, grade 2 bowel cancer. 

Did anyone opt for double masectomy and reconstruction instead of having to take HT?

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Hi Rockstar!!! Pleasure to read your post and see what positive changes you made to your life and your fantastic health as a result. Because it reads like you do have great health, colon and breast simply being an anomoly.

The thing with hormone therapy is that it will always be recommended with a hormone positive breast cancer diagnosis. It’s the big guns in treatment and without using them your risk of getting a recurrence does go up. That’s fact. But what’s also fact is that some people really don’t have much of a difference in recurrence with hormone therapy. Maybe a percentage or two more but not enough where they don’t feel they should have to take it and their doctors agree. Anyway I would suggest asking your doctor what your risk is without hormone therapy and with it. And then decide if you’re comfortable with the risk of not taking them as a result. With a grade 1 small tumor you may decide the rewards of hormone therapy don’t outweigh the risks for you and that’s a perfectly legitimate decision to make. 

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And no they will not be doing scans for future monitoring. They do not believe there is a benefit to them after treatment for early stage breast cancer since if you go to stage 4, there is no catching it early. At that point the treatment either works or doesn’t.