I am awaiting appointments with a radiation speicalist and medical oncology specialist. I am curious if anyone out there thought the risks associated with radiation, chemo and pills were too much to handle.
I have been reading up a lot on the changes you can make with food, beauty products and overall lifestyle. I have already put a lot of these into place. I am just trying to make sure I have all the facts before I make one of the biggest decisions in my life…
Hi hopeful, please think very carefully before declining treatment, im sure you have. The changes you have made are great and can only help. But the treatments are there to improve our chances of beating this and reducing risk of returning. The benefits of having far outweigh the risks of not. What are your particular concerns about the risks? I really empathise with you, please keep us updated xx
Where cancer is concerned, I wouldn’t put my trust in any beauty products. As far as diet is concerned, eating sensibly is a wise move, as is leading a healthy lifestyle. But this alone might not be enough to keep the cancer from growing and spreading.
I did actually decline radiotherapy, but only because I already have a lung condition that could possibly have been worsened if I’d gone ahead. However, I did have chemotherapy and found out as near as I could what my risks of a recurrence where before saying no to rads. I am also taking a hormone tablet for at least 5 years. I think if it hadn’t have been for my lungs, I would have gone ahead with the rads.
which works out your survival rates with or without chemo. I don’t think there is one for radiotherapy, you would have to discuss that with our specialist.
I have no idea what is even going to be offered to me for treatment yet. I was just curious if there was anyone out there who declined treatment.
I am reading more and more on naturalist approaches. I truly belive in what we put into our bodies has a huge impact on our health… I therefore am curious about what others beliefs are on this…?
I will decide what path is right for me after I hear what the speicalists have to say. Just trying to get all the information before I have to make that very difficult decision…
Hello, I also asked my oncologist this as with all the other questions in relation to my previous post. I consider myself fairly healthy, exercise regularly, don’t drink alcohol much, and don’t smoke. One of my first thoughts upon diagnosis was that I would make some big changes in how I look after my body, exercise even more, avoid foods that increase oestrogen in body (dairy, red meat etc), avoid beauty products that are full of parabens and go 100% natural and organic. For me, I blamed myself for my diagnosis, I blamed myself for not taking more care of myself and for also being a previous user of the contraceptive pill, going on and off it for 2 years. I read a lot of literature that promoted alternative ways to prevent reoccurrence and convinced myself that I had the best chance of fighting the disease myself.
However, whilst there is proof that certain healthier lifestyles can minimise the risk of reoccurrence this is only one school of
thought in the debate about cancer. As well as this, many people live very healthy lifestyles but are still diagnosed with our sort of cancer or worse.
For me it was simple logic at the time- I had
oestrogen positive cancer, therefore cutting
the amount of oestrogen that goes into my body was best for my long term survival. I spoke to my oncologist and explained how
I thought reducing the amount of oestrogen that goes into my body was the best way to prevent my body from producing these cancerous cells. He then explained that whilst going healthier is good for ones body in a number of ways, it wasn’t enough to reduce the chance of a reoccurrence of cancer.
It was the oestrogen that my body was producing naturally that was of most importance. Ways to prevent this - tamoxifen, zoladex was most important for me.
Whilst deciding on treatment options is a very personal decision, please think carefully before relying on a particular school of thought.
Whilst some of these treatment options have some pretty scary sounding side effects, everyone reacts to things very differently.
There are many women out there receiving these treatments and coping with side effects who may not post on these forums.
With me I will be going ahead with the treatment options recommended for me and will see how I get on with them.
If I really can’t cope I will consider my future options then.
I hope this helps, enjoy the next few days and try not to think about it too much until you speak with your oncologist.
You will get the chance to consider your options further then
I appreciate all of everyone’s feedback. Just to be clear, I haven’t said I am going to decline treatment, I just asked if there was anyone out there that has.
To me my cancer is gone right now. My tumor was successfully removed, clean margins and not in my lymph nodes. Anything else done now is to be sure it doesn’t come back. I completely understand that.
I do also 100% believe in what we put into our bodies can affect our health. I don’t claim that food, paraben free health products and exercise are a cure, but I do feel they are a preventative. I will continue to eat clean, use clean health products and exercise for the rest of my life. This journey has brought that out in me and I am thankful for that.
I will listen to the speicalist as I know they are the experts…however I am the expert for me! In the end I will follow my instinct, it is what I have done from the beginning of this crazy rollercoaster ride.
Thanks again for all the replies. Its great to have people to talk to who are going through the same thing and asking the same questions!
