Confused about Treatment

connie41
connie41 Member Posts: 2
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I am about half way done with my radiation and then will begin 6 rounds of chemo. From what I have read from a lot of women they had chemo than radiation. Does it matter which one is first? I found out I had breast cancer in August 2000 and have invasive lobular with no lymph node involement. There is so much to absorb and it is hard to understand all of it. Plus the more I read the more fear I have. Thanks for any input on the treatments.

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #2
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  • mjdp2
    mjdp2 Member Posts: 133
    #3
    They gave you the radiation first to fight any remaining lobular cancer or pre-cancer that might have been missed from the surgery. Since your lymph nodes were not involved they can't really say it was invasive but they are giving you chemo anyway as added insurance. The majority of breast cancers are invasive DUCTAL cancers so that may explain why your treatment isn't the same as someone elses. Margaret
  • sueholm
    sueholm Member Posts: 205
    #4
    Connie: I too have invasive lobular carcinoma. invasive means it has broken out of its own growth within a lobule and is invading the surrounding breast tissue. Mine is invasive, and has also reached the lymph nodes, which is a separate thing from being invasive. as yu will have read, lobular is less common than ductal, but its treatment is much the same. I too am having chemo then radiation, and it turns out I also have to have another operation. what i have discovered is that there are also other features of a tumour, the determine course of treatment. one thing that concerned me was that, in canada, i will get 16 days of chemo, when i hear most on this site, talk of longer. so i asked my onco. he explained that i am getting exactly the same amount of radiation as my fiends in the states, broke into slightly large doses, because a recent extensive canadian study has shown that this is just as effective. all the time, doctors are modifying treeatment, based on new information. your chemo may also be diffrent than mine. so, just ask your oncologist why the difference. interestingly, research is now showing that trust in one's doctors is a significant indicator of prognosis., so it is important that you trust. ask away. i am sure there is a very good explanation. could be to do with the grade of the tumour, all sorts of things. where are yu? please keep in touch. you will find tremendous help here, both factual and supportive. susan

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