Diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, Grade 3, on 10th December. Oestrogen receptor positive 8/8, Progesterone positive 5/8, so hormone treatment also recommended as well as Radiotherapy. Having lumpectomy on 15th January +/- lymph node clearance afterwards depending on what is found.
All a bit of a shock since I have always had benign lumpy dense breasts and just thought it was more of the same so delayed going to see GP. Immediately I was seen they did 2 mammograms and 2 ultrasounds, followed by 4 biopsies which came back positive, info given above.
I know this might sound strange but I am more concerned about the treatments than the cancer, since I have other conditions that could be affected by some of the treatments. I have a pacemaker and arrhythmias and radiotherapy particularly concerns me. Can anyone out there help reassure me that Radiotherapy is safe, will not damage my pacemaker or heart? I want to go on living but I want to have a quality of life too. Thank you for any help you can offer.
I have had 2 surgeries, a lumpectomy and full auxiliary lymph node clearance, and both were absolutely fine (and dare I say it the general anaesthetic both times was like a really blissful sleep!). The recovery from both surgeries, again, absolutely fine, apart from a seroma with my second surgery that wasn’t painful, just annoying, and was soon sorted.
I begin radiotherapy 2nd week of January so haven’t experienced this yet, however I’ve had my planning scan. The radiologists there were so lovely, patiently explaining what will happen and how I need to hold my breath during the procedure in order to protect my heart. Everything they did was explained throughly to me. It was very straightforward and did not last long at all. Absolutely nothing to worry about at all.
As your treatment begins, I’m sure you will feel better. Keep communicating your concerns about any existing health conditions so your team can ease your concerns.
Good luck with everything. Do reach out to everyone here when you need to. You are not alone xxx
You are right I need to keep communicating my concerns about any existing health conditions to my breast cancer team. They were wonderful when they broke the news. To be honest I never expected such warmth from them, such understanding, such hope for the future. The only thing is that when I was in the consulting room, it was hard to take it all in, to know what to ask, especially as I wasn’t expecting bad news and was on my own. The breast cancer team gave me so many leaflets to read and support group info, including this one.
My heart is very sensitive to illness, to stresses of any kind and this is one enormous stress. When my heart is in rhythm, my life is in rhythm and I would like to keep it that way to have the best chance of fighting this.
I hope you stay safe during your radiotherapy. May we keep in touch? xx
This whole process is surreal, and at times bloody brutal. I was also on my own when I got my diagnosis…it was during a screening call back where I had a further mammogram, ultrasound and biopsies. I pushed the consultant and she told me yes, I think it’s cancer. It was like she was talking to someone else! Even now, 3 months later, I have days when I still find it difficult to accept that yes, this is actually happening to me.
You will get through it though. You just will. I remember, right at the beginning, reading those words and thinking, I just don’t see how I can. How is it possible to get through this??! But it is possible. A BC diagnosis is a terrifying roller coaster ride with appointments where you emerge from your surgeon’s room wanting to jump for joy, and others where unexpected bad news renders you speechless, questioning your ability to go on. There’s never a dull moment, that’s for sure…just buckle up and know that this dreadful ride does NOT last forever!
Take it one day at a time. Keep talking to your team. Don’t waste time and energy trying to predict next steps. Eat well and exercise if you can. Try and stay positive. Expect days to be absolutely awful. Know that the bad times WILL pass xxxx
@angelina - the first thing I thought after being told I had breast cancer (diagnosed with her2 pos IDC in August ) was how will my heart cope . Aside from having long Covid and congenital kidney defect along with interactive thyroid … I’d recently been diagnosed with SVT and leaky heart valves as well as a thoracic aortic aneurysm …
I’ve had a mastectomy … and was told I sailed through the op and I’m on my second cycle of chemo and herceptin therapy . Herceptin affects heart function so I’ve been besides myself about going on it … however I’m being monitored and will have echos . I worried that the chemo would cause terrible tachycardia but so far I just a slight racing heart on the first day after chemo due to the steroids .
I dont need radiotherapy as I had a mastectomy however I was told that they go to get lengths to protect your heart so their is no reason why it should cause any issues . Keep talking to your team … remind them if your heart issues and ask them to explain fully all your treatments and the procedures used etc . If you have full transparency you’ll hopefully feel more at ease .
Also I know exactly what you mean about your heart rythym x
Hi there, the radiographers have you in for a planning meeting before they start any treatment. This is so they can adapt treatment to your specific needs, including your medical history. There is a huge focus now with radiotherapy and protecting your heart (for all patients) so it will be at the forefront of their minds. Try not to worry as the treatment will be tailor made for you. Best wishes
Arty, thank you. I have even thought about having a lumpectomy and then stopping at that, not moving forward with further treatments, for fear of making things worse rather than better. However, after reading all the comments here, I know I need to fully discuss my concerns with my medical team first before making any decisions.
One of the reasons why my team decided to do a lumpectomy rather than a mastectomy (right breast) was because of my pacemaker device and leads. Although my pacemaker is on the left side, if they removed the right breast completely, they wouldn’t be able to do much on the left side to balance things without moving my pacemaker.
You sound as though you have a lot going on too. Arrhythmias like SVT can be difficult to stop although I have had some success with vagal manoeuvres like coughing, positional changes but they don’t always work. Low dose Rate control meds like beta blockers/calcium channel blockers can help calm an arrhythmia like SVT. I suspect the leaky heart valves won’t be helping your electrical disturbances.
Thank you again for your support. Each message I read reinforces my belief that so much can be done to help beat this disease. I survived metastatic melanoma in 1990 so why not breast cancer? xx
Dear edp, it is reassuring to read that at each stage of treatment, I will be invited to attend planning meetings before any treatments are started. I think this is what I most need. Although my breast cancer surgeon tells me that he is in charge of my case, it is good to know that different specialities are involved in my care. I need to ask about the risks/benefits of having a treatment and hopefully hear that the benefits will far outweigh the potential risks.
At the moment, I am minded to do as little as possible other than to get the lump removed, plus any affected lymph nodes taken out too, but I know that radiotherapy and hormone therapy are also part of the plan. Hormone therapy fills me with equal concern about side effects, quality of life. I have already had a hysterectomy when my ovaries were removed (I think) but they tell me that I have oestrogen receptors in other areas too, so effective hormone therapy is still recommended.
Thank you for all your help. My breast cancer consultant was told of my reservations regarding future treatments and he knows that at 76 quality of life is more important than quantity. He reassured me that I would not be forced into accepting treatment or continuing with treatment that was difficult to tolerate. I have confidence in my team and that means a lot
My Mum started hormone treatment at 80, she too has had both ovaries removed quite some years ago. She has been on them 3 years now, with no problems, just thought you might find her experience helpful. Best wishes.