No radiotherapy
No radiotherapy Hi,
I was dx with Grade 3 tumour and 1 lymph node involvement. I had 6 rounds of FEC chemo but was told I did not need radiotherapy. I have not heard of anyone not having rads - even people without lymph involvment have radiotherapy. I am now worrying I have missed out - I finished chemo in August.
Has anyone else not had radiatherapy and if so do they know why.
hughsie41 RT is always used- I doubt if it’s as effective as they think- had recurrence-skin mets on mast site plus bronchiectasis from huge blast RT damage. You may not be losing out as RT is SO destructive!
In the bad old days of 1950s everyone had mast plus RT and they all died fast. My onc [RT enthusiast but not keen on chemo alas] claims that refining surgery and RT accounts for vastly improved figures- tosh- hormonals and chemo are what have improved life expectancy amazingly. This may be why your onc is giving it a miss.
So you may well be much better off without RT.
Let us know how chemo without RT works for you as ladies using this site will benefit from your experience.
Good luck, dilly
mastectomy and radiotherapy I was told that if I had a mastectomy I wouldn’t need radiotherapy as it would remove the breast tissue in total. The radiotherapy was to kill any cells left behind after surgery and would only work on local cells in the breast.
What kills women with breast cancer is the cells which go to other parts of the body.
Some women with mastectomies do end up having radiotherapy if the cancerous tumour is near the skin or there are close margins to other parts of the chest, or in some instances if the cancer is very aggressive.
At least that’s how I read it. The NICE guidance on improving outcomes for breast cancer goes into all the regimes in detail.
Mole
BCC Radiotherapy factsheet Hi all
You may find our factsheet helpful to read, it is available via the following link:
breastcancercare.org.uk/docs/radiotherapy_mar_06_0
.pdf
Kind regards
BCC Host
No Radiotherapy Hi,
I didn’t have radiotherapy. I had mastectomy with immediate l.d. + implant reconstruction. I had 4 AC chemo. and then on to Tamoxifen. I had 2 tumours with no lymph nodes involved. I was told I didn’t need radio. because there was no lymph nodes affected. 10 were removed. I think most of us wonder if we received the best possible treatment but everyones circumstances are different maybe we just have to learn to trust our oncologist not always easy I know.
Best wishes
Kim
P.S. Diagnosed July 04.
No radiotherapy for me either I had early breast cancer, grade 3, clear nodes, clear margins and had FEC chemo. I didn’t have radiotherapy either, but it was through choice, I did have it offered to me. I just couldn’t face it after the chemo, I still felt too tired and unwell to face schlepping to north london for three and a half weeks every day. I felt psychologically totally unsupported with a breast care nurse who I really couldn’t talk to - probably not her fault but I always got the impression that she had another large queue of patients to see to and she didn’t have time for me. She wasn’t happy about my decision, but the oncologist accepted it and I do know my risk of a recurrence is higher - however, overall it is still quite small, I religiously swallow the tamoxifen every day and I’m doing the stuff I can for myself, like keeping my weight down and exercising five times a week.
RT only destroys cells which are reproducing. If it killed all non reproducing cells it would probably kill us too.
I can’t see how, whether we have 13 or 30 RT sessions of approx 3 mins, ALL the cancer cells are going to oblige by replicating themselves at a time convenient to onc dept- so this is why I don’t think RT is ever a complete ca cell treatment. Further if the cells are of the slowly replicating variety the chances of blasting them at the right time are even more reduced.
It is also why systemic treatment is essential. dilly
no rads for me either Hi Hughsie41
I was also diagnosed with grade 3 tumour, and 1 lymph node involved. I had mastectomy and 6 rounds of FEC chemo and twas told I would not need rads. I was dx and treated at the Royal Marsden and have every faith in them, they told me that if I had had 3 or more lymph nodes involved then I would have been offered rads.
Hope this helps.
No rads Hi Hughsie41
When I was dx with a 2 cm tumour, I was offered WLE and rads or a mastectomy and no rads. However, after the pathology was back showing stage and grade 2, 4 lymph nodes affected, they changed their tune, and after total axillary removal, strongly suggested I have 6 x FEC chemo. I don’t know what circumstance (grade or lymph node status) made them change their mind, as I never thought to ask - too dumbfounded to think straight then, and I knew zilch about treatments as I didn’t find this site until undergoing chemo.
I was interested to read Rosamarie’s post, as she had a higher grade tumour than me, but only 1 lymph node involved. but no rads. (I had 25 and 3 boosters). However, she is being treated at perhaps the best cancer hospital in England, and like her, I would have total faith in their proposed treatment. I was treated at a breast care centre of excellence and perhaps naively, believed they were up to date with treatment options. I live in Cornwall, so too far to go to the Royal Marsden, which I would have preferred, given a choice.
Perhaps you could ask your Onc to explain his/her decision so that you properly understand their reasoning.
Liz.
I think its the nodes Hi Liz
I think it is the number of nodes involved which is the deciding factor. You had 4 and I had only 1, so the Marsden would have almost certainly offered you rads as well as 6 x FEC.
Rosamarie
thanks everyone Hi,
Thanks for all your replies. I did ask the oncologist at the time but only took in the standard 15 percent the average patient takes in. Every time the word cancer or tumour is mentioned I go into a deaf panic for at least a minute thereby missing the next few words of wisdom.
I have a quarterly check in Feb so will make a list of questions.
Hi Kim How are u doing now Kim - you were diagnosed a while back. I was diagnosed late Nov 06 and am due to have mastectomy and immediate L.D reconstruction too. Are you glad you went for immediate reconstruction? Are you glad you had a LD reconstruction? How long did you take to recover from surgery? Were there any complications afterwards such as rejection of implant (if you had one) and did the other breast need to be adjusted in any way for a good match with the reconstructed breast? Did you have a nipple reconstruction too - how was that?
Sorry - too many questions, I have agonized over the decision to have immediate reconstruction or not - the surgeon did make me feel as though I was making a big fuss over nothing but now that I have made the decision and have a date for the surgery - I am nervous. So if you could answer my questions it may help - let me know how you got on - the good and the bad - so that I can be best prepared.
Thanks , Chloe
For Chloe Hi Chloe,
So cross just typed a long reply and it dissapeared.
Doing fine at the moment thanks. Will try and be more brief incase it dissapears again.
You are not making a fuss it’s a big op. Here’s my experience briefly.
I was in hospital 8 days. Had 4 drains in.These weren’t a problem. Not painful to take out just a strange pulling sensation. Have to admit was in quite a bit of pain post op. but had morphine and other painkillers. Some hospitals put in epidural during surgery.Might be worth asking about. Managed a shower and hair wash day 3 or 4. Did exercises best I could but got ‘stuck’ at about 6 weeks needed extra physio to sort it out. Got full movement back about 12 weeks after op. Driving about 6/7 weeks after op. I think most people recover quicker than this.
Needed chemo. but not rads. Was told before op rads can affect implant but took a chance.
Surgeon put a port in to add saline to the implant this was to stretch the skin only needed 2 or 3 lots added then he took some saline out this made a ‘natural droop’. When we were happy with the results had port took out under local anasthetic.
I have been offered a nipple recon but can’t make my mind up about it.
I haven’t had any work done on ‘good’ breast it is lower than recon with no clothes on but fine when I have a bra on.
The only scarring is a circle where the aerola used to be (all surgery done through this) a line on my back where the muscle was taken (bra covers this) and a patch on my back where skin graft was taken to cover the hole.
Overall I am pleased with the recon. Took ages to get used to it feels strange mostly numb but just lately feels part of me.
Having the recon immediatley saved me from the full trauma of the mastectomy. When I am in a bra or swimsuit no one can tell. It doesn’t look or feel like my old boob but to me it’s better than nothing.
Hope this helps a little Chloe when is your surgery? If I can be of any more help let me know.
Really hope you get this post this time.
Best wishes Kim
thanks very much Kim thanks so much for the time and effort you have taken to reply to my queries - especially as the first entry was lost - it is such a help.
I am due to have surgery next week, so here is hoping all goes well for me too,
Glad you told me about the pain - as I had a WLE & lymph nodes sampling in January and the pain from that wasn’t too bad so I would have been in a false sense of security - now I know what to expect a bit more.
I too want to protect myself from the full trauma of losing my breast - I know it won’t be my breast but as you say it will be better than nothing. I know a lot of women choose not to have a reconstruction at all - good on them if they feel that is right and they have a comparatively minor op but I don’t feel that is right for me.
I did have a battle with the surgeon though to convince him that immediate reconstruction was right for me - I won’t need radiotherapy or chemotherapy afterwards - so that is not the reason he was trying to persuade me against it - but finally got there. At the same time as coping with the diagnosis you have a battle with the medics to get what you want - they did make me feel as though I was being overly superficial in not wanting to just accept the loss of my breast without any cosmetic surgery.
will let you know how I get on,
thanks again,
all the best, glad you are feeling well now,
Chloe
Good luck Chloe Hi,
Sorry to hear you have had a bit of a fight to get what you want and deserve. My surgeon just gave me the options along with the pro’s and cons so I could weigh it all up. I also knew it was the right thing for me to do.
Hopefully you won’t be in too much discomfort I have read of others who’s experiences post op seemed much easier going than mine. As you have already had the node sampling that’s part of it dealt with.
Try the other site,Dawn has posted the correct address you will get lots of support on there too.
Something that might help is one of those V pillows. I didn’t get one until I came out of hospital but it would have been a great help while I was still in. I used it for months, actually I still do sometimes. The obvious is front fastening pyjamas. They should give you a special post surgery bra to wear not very flattering but comfortable with velcro shoulder straps!!! Ameona do some nice post surgery bras I still buy my bras and swim wear from there as I find they fit better and are more comfortable.
Good luck with it all I will look out for your posts.
Kim
Thanks for the tips Kim Thanks Kim for the tip about the pillow had not thought of that - have sussed the front fastening PJs I have sorted those, I have had very little info on what will actually happen as most of my consultation with the cosmetic surgeon was spent discussing whether I should have the reconstruction. And to boot my BC nurse is on holiday until a few days after the surgery. Have been trying to get hold of another nurse to answer some of my queries - she will hopefully get back to me tomorrow. I’ll check out the other site,
thanks again, Chloe
Hi
have only just seen this post but i have also been told that i may not have rads either - have grade 3 ductal tumour 2cms with only possible?(onc and surgeons words) involvement of 1 lymph node so i am interested to see that others have had same experience. I am having 6 FEC just about to have no 5 tomorrow at St Mary’s Hosp in Portsmouth and treatment seems very good and staff helpful but it is quite difficult to know whether you are getting the best treatment for your case - guess you can only be advised by the experts. I have a friend who is a nurse and she has advised me to ask how many or what percentage of my lump was grade 3 if I was unsure about what decision to make abt the rads also there do seem to be some neg points to rads - they can affect scar etc. Just wondered if you had now had a chance to question the onc more and come to any definite conclusions
Thanks
Elaine B
I had grade 3, no lymph node involvement. I’m in the middle of 6 FEC. Was told firstly that I would have 20 rads, but have now been informed that it will now be 30!
I was stage 3 with 1 lymph node involved (the cancer was found under a benign lump I was having removed as a day patient). I am currently having 25 rads; 20 to the breast area and 5 to the scar. The oncologist dealing with this told me it was because the cancer was quite deep and although the clear margins were good it was spreading close to my ribcage. It was agressive and tested HER2+.
I have finished 4xFEC just over 3 weeks ago and will be having 4xTaxotere plus Herceptin starting in April.