hi, 3 weeks before my husband died of pancreatic cancer I was diagnosed with high grade DCIS. I had to wait for my husband to die before I could have the massectomy I was told I needed, as I was his primary carer. I have now had a massectomy and I have been told although no cancer was found I would need to have radiotherapy as the DCIS was so widely spread and my breasts are so small they can’t guarantee they have removed all the breast tissue. Apparently one suggestion was to completely remove the skin to remove the risk…
I have been through a living hell with my husband and all of his treatments and death, and I really can’t face having to go through radiotherapy, especially as I am now on my own and miss him so much. I feel I’m being pushed down the radiotherapy line through fear factors, but don’t really understand the likely hood of the DCIS returning or it coming back as cancer. I desperately want some normality in my life not the pain of radiotherapy, has anyone else ever heard of this before or anything similar?
Hi Kate , Im am so sorry you have lost your husband to this vile disease and you must be wondering what the hell you ever did in a previous life to have been diagnosed yourself too! Life can be so unbearably hard , its no wonder you dont want to have to deal with this yourself now. Radiotherphy after BC isnt anything awful, its a totally painless treatment and although can cause your skin to feel like its got sunburn Its nothing more than an irritation honestly, its nothing to fear.
I assume you mean no invasive cancer was found and yours was all contained in the ducts, they cannot of course rule out any rogue cells that may have been left behind which is why they reccomend Radiotheraphy, i hope you can come to a decision and allow yourself time to grieve , always plenty of support here for you Xx
Hi Kate, I’m really sorry to hear what you’ve been going through recently. Re the DCIS, I have been in exactly the same situation - widespread high grade DCIS and small breasted - after the mx there was no sign of invasion and lymph nodes were clear but they couldn’t get a clear 1mm margin where the breast tissue had sat against my skin (I had an immediate recon with implant, although nipple removed) and therefore couldn’t rule out the presence of breast cells - possibly cancerous - still being there. At my follow up appointment I was offered the following options - removal of skin over the area where there wasn’t a clear margin (and would mean removing the implant); radiotherapy to the area (which would probably cause problems with the implant); tamoxifen and regular monitoring (checking for lumps rather than mammogram) so any future changes would be caught early, but no guarantee that something couldn’t ‘slip through the net’. I was left feeling bewildered but had been offered a second opinion with another consultant - after talking to her and discussing the risk vs benefit of each option I decided against surgery or radiotherapy and am still thinking about the tamoxifen. She felt there was very little risk of any cancer cells remaining. Obviously each person is different re details of site of cancer, surgery etc but, from my experience, it would be worth asking for a second opinion and looking at whether any further action has to happen straight away.
Please let me know how you get on, sending a big vitual hug xx
Hi Katie
My husband died of end stage COPD on 3 August at home. He refused hospice and it was absolutely awful caring for him. I was his carer for nearly 8 years and for his last 9 months he was bedbound. Let me just say a huge HUG from me because I know what you must have been through.
I got my recall letter from a screening two weeks before he died and when I went for that appointment the doctor indicated it was very likely I had cancer. Two days after he died it was confirmed I had invasive lobular breast cancer. And now on Friday my GP informs me she found I have a heart murmur and at the time had a rapid heart beat too.
So I am on my own too… again big hug from me. The anxiety of it all is unbearable.
As to radiotherapy, everything I researched before my diagnosis says that radiotherapy is brilliant for making sure the cancer does not return.
Please feel free to PM me.
I am reading this in March, some months later, and will follow the thread. I wanted to extend my sympathy for the loss of your husband, and hope very much these few months later things are better for you. x
Oh Kate…I cant begin to imagine what youve been through…I just had to post an answer.It puts my own situation into perspective (DCIS…possibly invasive…awaiting results).
Just wanted to wish you all the luck in the world…and I will think of you and hope things get better for you.