This is my first post because I would like to know what choices others have made following surgery. Initially I met with a consultant who explained the dcis would be removed and there would be radiotherapy after. Now I’ve had the surgery, the consultant dealing with my case has suggested either radiotherapy or the preferred choice in my case tamoxifen. I am being asked to make a choice, but I’m not the expert and I don’t know what to do.
I appreciate each case is different but I would appreciate your thoughts. I’m phoning the nurse tomorrow with my decision
Hi paurac, I don’t know if I’m going to be any help as I wasn’t really given a choice. The treatment plan formulated by my multi disciplinary team was…surgery, chemo, rads and an aromatise inhibitor, which is Letrozole. I suppose I could have declined. The question I asked each of my consultants was this…if I was your mum, sister or ( in one case) granny, would this be the treatment for her/ me? As it happens I think I was wise to go with everything as mets were discovered part wayhrough rads. Radiotherapy is really a nothing compared to chemo, and is designed to mop up any floating cancer cells in the main tumour site. The Letrozole is a hormone inhibitor which blocks, or tries to, the oestrogen which my cancer really likes. Why have you been offered this choice? Perhaps you need to ask if one procedure is more effective than the other? Ask about known side effects. Letrozole can have some crappy ones, but don’t know about Tamoxifen. Whatever you decide I think you need to be fully informed of their reasoning as it is your body . Obviously you want the longest lasting solution. Whatever you decide I wish you good luck. Let us know how you get on, ? x
Hi Pauorc. I had a WLE in june last year for DCIS, though the biopsy then showed a 3mm IDC within the DCIS so had a follow up sentinal lymph node biopsy, 2 removed, both clear thank goodness. I’m on Tamoxifen for 5-10 years. I’m guessing from reading other posts that I’ll be swapped to something else after 5 years as although I was 54 at the time, I was still having periods (late menopause runs in the family). I did know that radiotherapy might be offered once the node biopsy was back and to be honest I was actually relieved when they did offer it. Belt and braces the oncologist called it and I had 15 sessions which finished Sept last year. But, in spite of the ‘belt & braces’ reassurance, I have struggled since with anxiety about recurrence (which is normal, I know) so for me , having rads as well was the right decision. I’d have weekly mammograms if they’d let me. My very best wishes whatever you decide is right for you xxx