So someone asked about skipping chemo, well can we skip rads?

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2Floridiansisters
2Floridiansisters Member Posts: 384 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
Still don't know what choice to make as I sit here. Can I do a mastectomy and not do any radiation? I'm doing chemo now and I'd be willing to do even more but I hate the thought of doing radiation, the radiation doctor did say it would affect about 20% of my lung.

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  • Hubby
    Hubby Member Posts: 325
    #2
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    Not sure about with the
    Not sure about with the mastectomy, but rads are a given with the lumpectomy.

    Bob
  • Rague
    Rague Member Posts: 3,653 Member
    #3
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    Sure you can -
    you can do whatever you want to do or not do. Does it make sense to not - only you and your Drs can decide what's right or wrong for you.

    I never gave it a second thought - I was going to do everything that I could. To me = even 1% more is what I'm going for. Has nothing to do with not 'hating' doing it but with doing it to fight in every way I can. But that's just me - we're all different.
  • carkris
    carkris Member Posts: 4,553 Member
    #4
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    Rague said:

    Sure you can -
    you can do whatever you want to do or not do. Does it make sense to not - only you and your Drs can decide what's right or wrong for you.

    I never gave it a second thought - I was going to do everything that I could. To me = even 1% more is what I'm going for. Has nothing to do with not 'hating' doing it but with doing it to fight in every way I can. But that's just me - we're all different.

    coming from a person who had
    coming from a person who had a local recurrence -if they recomend it DO IT. I had it 16 years ago and lungs were ok. hopefully this time too!!!!
  • New Flower
    New Flower Member Posts: 4,294
    #5
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    carkris said:

    coming from a person who had
    coming from a person who had a local recurrence -if they recomend it DO IT. I had it 16 years ago and lungs were ok. hopefully this time too!!!!

    Hi Ronda
    as far as I remember you have started from Chemo because your tumor was large, I am assuming that it was stage II or III with lymph nodes involvement. Yes, radiation has side effects, but in most cases it has been effective in prevention recurrence. Please listen to your doctors and focus on cancer treatment. I had mastectomy, Chemo and radiation. Keep us posted
    Good luck with your decision
    New Flower
  • summerautumn
    summerautumn Member Posts: 2
    #6
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    Hubby said:

    Not sure about with the
    Not sure about with the mastectomy, but rads are a given with the lumpectomy.

    Bob

    Done both
    At 33 had breast cancer and had lymphetocomy then 8 weeks of radiation, I had no lymphnodes
    involved. I did good. It's been 12 years ago and I found out 2 days after Christmas I had breast again in the same breast different kind, only happens in 3% of patients. And then they are saying now that maybe the radiation we gals took back then could have caused a reoccurence of breast cancer. Can't win for losing. I could keep having to worry about my breast and it coming back in the other I had double masectomy in March and 3 surgeries for
    bad skin that was radiated not circulating with the new tram flap tissue and skin from my back. Needless to say I had 7 drains. Then we had to do a skin graph from my leg to add
    skin to the radiated breast that needed more tissue. He says he's a miracle worker and I still belive it but we have another 18 months of stuff along with finishing up my chemo.
    My husband and I prayed alot but we got two suggested from 2 top doctors and they were both different. One TOLD US WHAT we would be taking and the other spent 1 1/2 with us showing up all our option and then letting us make the best decision on what we could live with.
    I was not taking the red devil I am a healthy 46 year old and I wasn't going to let them kill all the good. Make you decision and stick with it cheer it on and stay positive and you will do great.
    THe Bayliff
  • meena1
    meena1 Member Posts: 1,003
    #7
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    New Flower said:

    Hi Ronda
    as far as I remember you have started from Chemo because your tumor was large, I am assuming that it was stage II or III with lymph nodes involvement. Yes, radiation has side effects, but in most cases it has been effective in prevention recurrence. Please listen to your doctors and focus on cancer treatment. I had mastectomy, Chemo and radiation. Keep us posted
    Good luck with your decision
    New Flower

    I think you should do the
    I think you should do the radiation if that is what your doctor is telling that you need to do it. I had chemo, masectomy, and then radiation.
  • VickiSam
    VickiSam Member Posts: 9,079 Member
    #8
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    meena1 said:

    I think you should do the
    I think you should do the radiation if that is what your doctor is telling that you need to do it. I had chemo, masectomy, and then radiation.

    meena 1 is RIGHT .. chemo, mastectomy .. with
    radation coming in a distant third. Check with your Onc, and his clinical trails he may be involved with. You may also want to speak to a few of his or an associate's patients and see what has happened with their health, after they elected not to proceed with the last phase of breast cancer treatments.

    Please make your decision with open 'EYES' and FACTS.


    Vicki Sam
  • cavediver
    cavediver Member Posts: 607
    #9
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    doing whatever it takes
    I had chemo (stage III), mastectomy, then more chemo in progress....then radiation is suggested.......I would rather just be done with it too after the 8th chemo...but I will do whatever onc doc recommends cause I want to WIN this battle and be done with it. It know it is all a risk, but better than the alternative I think. And, I trust my docs have more knowledge than I on this........even though I try to read and listen... but that is me. I would hate to NOT do a treatment and then have a recurrence. I want to do whatever I can tolerate to get through this and do the dance! Please talk to your doctor. Mine told me to just concentrate on the last two chemos coming up at full strength...and not think of the rads yet....we will further discuss them when the time comes. Please consider doing whatever it takes to win the battle!
  • Angie2U
    Angie2U Member Posts: 2,991
    #10
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    carkris said:

    coming from a person who had
    coming from a person who had a local recurrence -if they recomend it DO IT. I had it 16 years ago and lungs were ok. hopefully this time too!!!!

    The decision will be up to
    The decision will be up to you, but, your oncologist should lead you in the right direction. Women have rads with a lumpectomy, almost always, and, also some do with a mastectomy. So, your doctor is the one that will tell you what you should do. Rads kill any stray cancer cells left behind from your surgery, whether it is a lumpectomy or a mastectomy.


    Hugs, Angie
  • Sunrae
    Sunrae Member Posts: 808
    #11
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    cavediver said:

    doing whatever it takes
    I had chemo (stage III), mastectomy, then more chemo in progress....then radiation is suggested.......I would rather just be done with it too after the 8th chemo...but I will do whatever onc doc recommends cause I want to WIN this battle and be done with it. It know it is all a risk, but better than the alternative I think. And, I trust my docs have more knowledge than I on this........even though I try to read and listen... but that is me. I would hate to NOT do a treatment and then have a recurrence. I want to do whatever I can tolerate to get through this and do the dance! Please talk to your doctor. Mine told me to just concentrate on the last two chemos coming up at full strength...and not think of the rads yet....we will further discuss them when the time comes. Please consider doing whatever it takes to win the battle!

    I had a masectomy, finishing
    I had a masectomy, finishing up now with chemo and then will start 30 rad treatments. I had 11 lymph nodes positive so as far as I'm concerned, I need to have the rads. No one wants to have to go thru all these treatments but if it improves your odds of not having reoccurrence, then its worth it. Everyone has to make their own decision on what they think is best. I think I need to do everything possible to fight this beast so I'll do what it takes to win this battle. Wishing you the best and know you'll come to the right decision for you.
  • susan smiles
    susan smiles Member Posts: 12
    #12
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    "KNOCKOUT!"
    There is a great book called "KNOCKOUT!" by Susanne Sommers, she interviews all the top successful Doctors in the world who are beating cancer. These methods work, I have done some of them and I am an 8 year survivor with HER_NEU receptors positive 3. They only gave me one year to live. This is a great book for all cancer patients, a good place to start. Hope this will help you, take care. Susan
  • ms.sunshine
    ms.sunshine Member Posts: 707 Member
    #13
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    susan smiles said:

    "KNOCKOUT!"
    There is a great book called "KNOCKOUT!" by Susanne Sommers, she interviews all the top successful Doctors in the world who are beating cancer. These methods work, I have done some of them and I am an 8 year survivor with HER_NEU receptors positive 3. They only gave me one year to live. This is a great book for all cancer patients, a good place to start. Hope this will help you, take care. Susan

    My dr said I would have to
    My dr said I would have to have radiation regardless lump. or mast. because of the aggressiveness of the cancer. Rad targets a specific area chemo drugs thruout body. I'll take rads anyday. I just finished not bad. No pain doing great.I wasn't sick, and didn't get that tired either. Radiation kills any stray cancer cells that might have survived chemo and/or surgery. It only takes one single cell to live and grow.

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