radiation after chemo(breast cancer)

livinonedge
livinonedge Member Posts: 6
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
does anybody know if you have had a mastectomy of one breast and 1+node and mass was 3.2, stage 2 with floating satalite.and it was invasive ductal cancer. And you had completed chemo txs andrymiacin x"s 4. would it be nesscessary to get radiation to. I have heard they use to do one or the other and have recently combined the two. What are the chances of reacurance in the same breast without the radiation. also will be taking tamoxifin soon. Is it true that if it reacures in same mastectomy site there is little that can be done? Otherwise your terminal. isnt radiation overkill if you have already had chemo and tamoxifin? with the type and stage has this? I am at a cross roads and need all the info i can get to make a educated decision. Thank you

Comments

  • ludasue
    ludasue Member Posts: 98
    #2
    Hi! I did not have a masectomy ... however they did remove about half of that breast. I had 12 rounds of A/C/F followed by 7 weeks of radiation. The tumor was 4.4 cm, stage 2, invasive ductal, 1+ node, er+. I was told that the radiation was necessary to kill any remaining cells in the breast and/or breast area. The chemo was to kill anything that had escaped into the rest of my body. I don't know how much help this is for you, but it is my story. I'm glad that I did both. Good luck to you. Just remember, you have ultimate control over the decisions being made that affect your health and well-being. You don't have to do anything you are not comfortable with. My thoughts and prayers are with you. God bless you, angie
  • livinonedge
    livinonedge Member Posts: 6
    #3
    ludasue said:

    Hi! I did not have a masectomy ... however they did remove about half of that breast. I had 12 rounds of A/C/F followed by 7 weeks of radiation. The tumor was 4.4 cm, stage 2, invasive ductal, 1+ node, er+. I was told that the radiation was necessary to kill any remaining cells in the breast and/or breast area. The chemo was to kill anything that had escaped into the rest of my body. I don't know how much help this is for you, but it is my story. I'm glad that I did both. Good luck to you. Just remember, you have ultimate control over the decisions being made that affect your health and well-being. You don't have to do anything you are not comfortable with. My thoughts and prayers are with you. God bless you, angie

    thank you angie for your reply. I hope everything going well for you. The doctors said pretty much what you said. I just dread going through the radiation part. good luck to you and may god bless you. Laura
  • shirlann
    shirlann Member Posts: 229
    #4
    livinonedge said:

    thank you angie for your reply. I hope everything going well for you. The doctors said pretty much what you said. I just dread going through the radiation part. good luck to you and may god bless you. Laura

    Hi, dear, if you are not a blonde or a red head, radiation is not bad at all. I am 66 and was 63 when I had mine and I worked the whole time. I just left work at 3 and then went on home and was tired, but not too bad. It is really nothing if you don't have any skin problems and I didn't. Just one brown breast and one pink one for about a year. Looked funny! Hugs & kisses, Shirlann
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #5
    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • banker
    banker Member Posts: 317 Member
    #6
    I don't have exactly the same as you but I had a modified radical mastectomy foloowed by 6 mo of chemo CAF, presently I have been dx in Feb. this year, DCIS, had lumpectomy, 6 weeks radiation ( a breeze compare to chemo)and now I am on chemo again. I feel I have to do all I can to try to prevent this darn BC from coming back. You will make the ultimate decision and have to be comfortable with it. Good luck, god bless. Emmi
  • bullfrog13
    bullfrog13 Member Posts: 213
    #7
    DEar livinon the edge... no one can make the decision but you and your dr.. I did both.. rad. and chemo at the same time.. it was rough but I did ok. still worked everyday thur the whole thing.. I did just it increase my chances of no more recurrance -which I have already had one of- i had stage 3 with large tumor about golf ball size w/3 nodes postive out of 12...the recurraance came back on the same side -so I lost my reconstrution job after the second surgery.. Good luck with your decision.. JB
  • 24242
    24242 Member Posts: 1,398 Member
    #8
    Well the one thing I was told when discussing this issue with my radiologist was the problem with the cancer arises when removing it from the area. Even though I had matectomy cancer pulled through the incision is where seeding of cancer cells may occurr. They told me that my having radiation treatment would only increase my survival rate minimully but I said if it helped at all I wanted it for the very best chance for life longevity. I look back on all I have had to do and would do it all again it seems. We have to do what is best for us and make decisions with knowledge for it is power over what is going on.
    Good luck with your decision livinonedge,
    Be good to yourself,
    Tara24242
  • livinonedge
    livinonedge Member Posts: 6
    #9
    24242 said:

    Well the one thing I was told when discussing this issue with my radiologist was the problem with the cancer arises when removing it from the area. Even though I had matectomy cancer pulled through the incision is where seeding of cancer cells may occurr. They told me that my having radiation treatment would only increase my survival rate minimully but I said if it helped at all I wanted it for the very best chance for life longevity. I look back on all I have had to do and would do it all again it seems. We have to do what is best for us and make decisions with knowledge for it is power over what is going on.
    Good luck with your decision livinonedge,
    Be good to yourself,
    Tara24242

    tara,
    thank you for the information.I found the seeding interesting and the minimal increase of longevity with radiation interesting. You have been very helpful. Thank you and god bless you. Laura
  • livinonedge
    livinonedge Member Posts: 6
    #10
    bullfrog13 said:

    DEar livinon the edge... no one can make the decision but you and your dr.. I did both.. rad. and chemo at the same time.. it was rough but I did ok. still worked everyday thur the whole thing.. I did just it increase my chances of no more recurrance -which I have already had one of- i had stage 3 with large tumor about golf ball size w/3 nodes postive out of 12...the recurraance came back on the same side -so I lost my reconstrution job after the second surgery.. Good luck with your decision.. JB

    JB,
    thank you for taking the time to reply. I enjoyed your information. Good luck to you and god bless. Laura
  • livinonedge
    livinonedge Member Posts: 6
    #11
    banker said:

    I don't have exactly the same as you but I had a modified radical mastectomy foloowed by 6 mo of chemo CAF, presently I have been dx in Feb. this year, DCIS, had lumpectomy, 6 weeks radiation ( a breeze compare to chemo)and now I am on chemo again. I feel I have to do all I can to try to prevent this darn BC from coming back. You will make the ultimate decision and have to be comfortable with it. Good luck, god bless. Emmi

    Emmi,
    Thank you for taking the time to write. I found the info very helpful. Good luck. God bless you. Laura
  • livinonedge
    livinonedge Member Posts: 6
    #12
    unknown said:

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator

    Auntie,
    Thank you for replying. I found the info very helpful. Good Luck. God bless you. Laura
  • isaiah4031
    isaiah4031 Member Posts: 240
    #13
    livinonedge said:

    thank you angie for your reply. I hope everything going well for you. The doctors said pretty much what you said. I just dread going through the radiation part. good luck to you and may god bless you. Laura

    Hi Laura,
    Radiation is a piece of cake compared to chemo. The only real inconvenience is that it is time consuming. There is no pain or anything. You've cleared the worst hurdle. The rest is downhill, girl. Hang in there. I'll be praying for you. Hold on to your faith.
    Love, Jayne

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