Breast Cancer Now Forum

Hello, I participated in the import high trial and finished by 15 sessions of radiotherapy last week. I found it fairly easy and apart from a little burning underneath the affected breast and slight pigmentation, my skin seems to be okay so far. Good luck 🙂 ... View more

That's great to hear!. I've been on tamoxifen since middle of January and have since combined it with monthly zoladex injections in last few weeks and so far okay and no real side effects but who knows as it's still early days! I started radiotherapy last week and have noticed I've become a lot more tired however but that could just be all the rushing around and appointments every day. Glad to hear you are getting on well. All the best for your next one. Xxx ... View more

Hello hopeful, How are you getting on with your chemo? Hope all is going okay xx ... View more

Thanks Sandytoes! I thought this group was for those residing in Manchester. I'm a Londoner but will join! 🙂 ... View more

Hello Becks, sorry I've only just seen this message. I didn't have chemo but thought I would be so cut my hair into a pixie cut last November. Actually love having short hair now and think I will be sticking with it for some time. I started tamoxifen in January and began to combine it with zoladex 3 weeks ago. So far I haven't really noticed major side effects but I know it's very early days!. I do get a bit more tired than I used to however but this could be down to my radiotherapy. I started radiotherapy last week and have had four sessions so far, have my fifth this afternoon. How are you getting on?. Have you started chemo? X ... View more

Hello, sorry to see you here. I am 28 and was diagnosed with no family history too. The worst time is always following diagnosis but it does get easier after you receive your treatment plan. They are many women on here who have had chemo first as part of their plan and it can often be followed by a Wide Local Excision or Lumpectomy to remove just the lump and conserve the breast. This forum has been great for me and I'm sure you will meet many women on here with the same treatment plan as yourself. Once you see your Oncologist on Monday, I'm sure you'll feel better once you know what the next steps are. You will be fine. Ask as many questions on here in the meantime, we're all here to help each other. Take care xxx ... View more

Hello Angiepops, I am also on tamoxifen and have been for the last month. While I haven't experienced changes in weight just yet I was told that it is a widely reported side effect. My breast care nurse also explained that many women report carrying more weight around the middle tummy area and/or feeling more bloated so I am sure you are not alone. I didn't have chemo so can't comment too much on that side but it's a good sign that your body seems to have adjusted from then, in terms of your weight loss since chemo and steroids. As your body is adjusting the remaining weight gain may only be temporary. I don't diet either but have increased my exercise regime in order to try to combat any weight gain. Only time will tell!. Good luck xx ... View more

Hi Becks, I am 28 and was diagnosed in October and have had a lumpectomy and awaiting radiotherapy. I have also been prescribed tamoxifen and zoladex. I live in London and would be happy to chat xxx ... View more

Hi Hopeful, sorry I haven't checked here for a few days but noticed you have your treatment plan now. Have you started chemo yet?. I hope all is well xx ... View more

Hello, Sorry to see you here but very good news that it has been removed with no spread :-). I has the exact same diagnosis as you. It seems that different oncologists have different thoughts on chemo for younger women. Chemo was discussed as part of a treatment plan but my oncologist rather said zoladex and tamoxifen is his preferred treatment for me. I started the tamoxifen 2 weeks ago and haven't experienced any side effects yet. My radiotherapy starts on 20th Feb and I am taking part in the high import trial over 3 weeks. I was advised that it would be a good idea to not start the tam and zoladex at the same time to ease side effects and to also know which one was potentially causing me most problems. I think I will start with the injections in the next 2 weeks. I've realised that some women are advised to take hormone therapy after the radiotherapy so not sure how common this is. My oncologist did say it was up to me when I started and it wouldn't necessarily put me at greater risk. I was however quite keen to start them so the long countdown can begin as to when I can come off them! I wasn't offered the oncotype test but rather the standard NHS predict test. I do trust my oncologist but at same time wonder if chemo would give me a better long term survival. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. I will let you know how I get on with the zoladex injections. All the best xxx ... View more

Thanks Lexy, that's helpful. I started the tamoxifen no side effects yet but only a couple of days in. Planning on starting zoladex in next few days too, I also thought I would stagger them but also have suddenly started to think I should just get on and take them both as I was diagnosed back in October! ... View more

Forgot to add, my oncologist prescribed my tamoxifen and said I could start straight away even before radiotherapy!xx ... View more

Hello hopeful, no I won't be having chemo, my oncologist recommended the zoladex and tamoxifen as the best treatment for me. After all the options where explained to me my oncologist recommended this form of treatment so I am going ahead with it. I had already started preparing myself for chemo and cut my hair short into a pixie cut in November as a way of minimising the impacts of the side effects. Again all treatments are very individual so wait and see what your oncologist says first before you make a decision. Xx ... View more

Congrats Chewbecca, Great news and very inspirational. All the best to you! 🙂 ... View more

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 🙂 Good luck Xxx ... View more

Hello Hopeful, yes chemo was indeed mentioned, he explained the benefits and side effects and said if I was 10 years older he wouldn't even mention it but because I was younger he had to look at survival rates over a longer period. He also explained that sites such as NHS predict aren't very good for younger ladies as they are not designed for longer survival rates although you do put your age into it. He explained that for the tamoxifen was the most important treatment for me long term. He also said that although I was grade 2 that there was still a significant risk of reoccurrence in same breast so that's why they always recommend radiotherapy after lumpectomy. I was rather overwhelmed with all the different treatment options and side effects and also was unsure whether to undertake chemo as the most common bolt and braces approach. I asked the oncologist if he was to have a daughter at my age with my diagnosis what he would do. He then said he would recommend zoladex for two years along with tamoxifen. Zoladex would effectively turn off my ovaries for as long as I am receiving the injections. I like you am still unsure as to all these treatments and just want to get on with my life and move on. At the same time I need to give myself the best chance to do that. I received my prescription for both the tamoxifen and zoladex and I think I will be starting both next week. I hopefully will revive my dates for radiotherapy on Monday too which I will be having at University College Hospital in London. Please let us know how you get on with your oncologist next week. Don't be afraid to ask questions too, like the very personal one I asked!. They expect it, afterall these are very important decisions! X ... View more

That's great news!. It sure does feel great to finally get some good results in this rollercoaster. Good luck with your appointments next week :-). p.s - I have created a new post which explains what the oncologist told me yesterday xx ... View more

Hi Hopeful, mine was only of the breast too but they told me that before I had it. They'll usually suggest a CT scan if they want a detailed scan of whole body (I think!) xx ... View more