I was diagnosed with breast cancer 4 weeks ago and go for surgery next week- lumpectomy and lymph node biopsys. I feel lucky that it was spotted while being invsetigated for something else and caught early. I am now wondering if I really do need to go for Radiotherapy and the following Hormone therapy. The radiotherapy can ony be offered at a place over an hour away from home and to travel there every day for a 10 minute procedure ? I also am not comfortable with having hormone tretament and “messing” with the body’s natural rythm. I have done quiet a bit of searching and reading and it would seems that often if caught early enough it is not always necessary to have the other treatments. I have spoken to a friend who has been treated and is enjoying good health and she told me to stop being stupid - that really did not help. I just feel that I have not really been given much choice , really just told what I will have. Any thoughts or experiences would be helpful.
Hello, so sorry to read of your diagnosis.
No-one can tell you what to do, only you can decide, but to be honest until after your surgery there will still be a lot of unknowns. Making an informed decision is not being stupid, but you need to be very sure why you decline treatment that is recommended.
Generally speaking, if you have a WLE (lumpectomy) they seem to recommend radiotherapy - which is a drag to go through but painless, though can be very tiring. The research seems to suggest that WLE + radiotherapy is as effective as a mastectomy. In my view, three to five weeks of dragging myself back and forth would be worth it for peace of mind, but obviously not everyone thinks that way.
Regarding hormones, I assume you mean Tamoxifen and/or Aromatase Inhibitors (AIs)? These are not hormones, they are drugs that work to prevent hormones latching onto cells and so potentially feeding cancer cells. I’m not so sure of the mechanics of AIs but basically Tamoxifen fits into oestrogen receptor sites so blocks it from doing the same. Tamoxifen is an old drug but a very good drug and whilst some people do have horrid side effects, most don’t. I would say it is worth giving it a go.
My own rule of thumb in all of this is “if I decide X and the cancer comes back, will I wish I had done Y instead.” You will make the decision that is right for you, and once you have your full pathology results you will be better placed to do so.
Best wishes for your surgery.
REVCAT thankyou for your information and advice. I do appreciate it I think you are right that there are so many decisions plus uncertainty it is hard to know what to do. This forum is very helpful in gaining info and support from people who really do know what it is all about x
Dear Nerakq,
I feel your dilemma. I was offered radiotherapy and tamoxifen. I would never presume to ‘recommend’ anything to anybody but if it helps with you decision the radiotherapy was fine - a bit fatigued and sore but nothing too bad. I’ve been on tamoxifen for three months. I was anxious about this after reading a lot about side effects. I also read a very helpful post here that put well the point that often we only post when we are having difficulty with something as we need advice / support and are less likely to when something is going well so we have a less balanced view of some things. I have been fine on Tamoxifen but I do know others have experienced very unpleasant side effects. I decided it was the most effective prevention for recurrence and given that I have two very young children, was keen not to go through this again.
Good luck with your recovery and in making all the challenging decisions we have to make on this journey!
Deborah. X
thankyou I am very grateful for your thoughts. I have written a list of my worries and concerns and I am going to have a chat with my breast specialist nurse when I go into hospital tomorrow x
Thankyou for taking the time to share your experiences it really is appreciated x
Amanda thank you for sharing your experiences it is also very reassuring to hear other peoples experiences and thoughts x