Help Please,very confused, radiation?

christald21

HI,

    I hope someone can help.. It has been an emotional rollercoaster for me!!!!   i just had double masectomy with lymphnode taken out.. My original diagnoses was  IDC with Her2 stage 3A..  I had 6 rounds of chemo,, DONE!  Then surgery.  When i came out of surgery the surgeon told my boyfriend, and have on paper that all of it came out clear " no cancer"  I go into the surgeon today 8 days after surgery, and she tells me that i have still the one lymphnode with cancer!  WHAT?!!!  I am devastated!   I read the report, it says that the one lymphnode they took out  was no tumor, except , i guess when they sliced it?  They found .5 cm.   also the tumor they took  (out of tissue duct)out had 1.9 cm tumor.  It was originally 2.5, i guess after chemo it shrunk.  

I am so confused,  now she says i have to have 6 rounds of radiation.  She told me that if we did complete masectomies that i wouldn't need radiation, because they will take out all the tissue.

Please, can someone explain to, I have expanders in also, she said i look good and healing very good.  But then she threw in that i still have to have radiation, and that now i am stage 2A,,, Just on my right side, one lympnode, but they took that one out.  So why would i have to have radiation,   and can someone tell me if its as bad as Chemo.   What are the side effects? 

She was so quick with me,, like it was nothing,, then after all the bad news, she says "have a nice holiday"   So Cold!!!

Jan11

Radiation

I am 2A as well, I had lumpectomy, chemo and radiation will be done in 11 days.  I had neg nodes and clean margins and yet still required surgery, chemo and rads so I am not suprised that is what they are telling you.  Radiation is easy compared to the chemo.

Marcia527

Very simular

I was stage 3A also. My tumors were 6cm and 3cm. I had 4 rounds of chemo A/C and surgery. I knew I'd also need radiation but after surgery I was told I'd need 4 more rounds of chemo which were Taxotere. I was very upset because I didn't want 3 more chemo rounds. After the surgery I was decreased to 2A. I got thru it and then had the radiation. Radiation was easier but you have to watch the skin and make sure you aren't getting burned. After each radiation treatment ask the doc to check the area. Mine didn't and I got burnt and had to take a break till I healed. When I was on radiation I got very tired. 

 

The way it was explained to me was radiation kills any cancer that is in the surgery site. Chemo kills cancer that is in the body. but chemo doesn't absorb well in the surgery site. That is how it was explained to me. 

I went through treatment 2003-2004. I did not have reconstruction and only had one breast removed. They found 5 lymph nodes (it's been a long time and this is what I remember) with cancer out of 15 they removed. 

 

 

disneyfan2008

so sorry to hear-stinks the

so sorry to hear-stinks the dr is so cold...would you consider a 2nd opion or changing Drs?

 

Denise