Risk of RFS

glennst1011

I just joined. I apologize if there are threads I can search but wanted to share and ask for advice. I have lumpectomy with 4 sentinel nodes removed. I am fortunate enough to have clear margins and clean pathology on nodes. However in order to maximize killing rogue cells I am electing to do whole breast / whole side radiation. Now after reading some risks of RFS I am having second thoughts. Anyone have advice? Anyone know the risks of long term issues of having whole side radiation? The told me it won’t hit heart, or neck, and maybe small corner of lung. Left side.

thora

Glenn - I just had lumpectomy and 3 sentinel nodes with clean margins and 0 node involvement and also told to get radiation for the whole breast. I declined as well. This was my left breast and had DCIS and lumpectomy in my right breast in 2013 and was told to radiate that breast as well. If I had gone ahead with it, it would not have helped me since the recurrence is in my left breast. Also, keep in mind that once you have radiation, you cannot radiate the same spot again. I also feel like that everyone in the breast cancer industrial complex has a vested interest in their specialty, i.e., radiation, surgery, oncology, etc...

glennst1011

Let me clarify. My radiologist was only going to do the targeted radiation around the tumor area. I requested that she do entire breast and lymph nodal area thinking it will be better to get any rogue cells that could have escaped. My first session is Monday 1/24. However after reading about radiation risks and about RFS I am having second thoughts.

Do I go full radiation and kill rogue cancer cells but have radiation complications?

Or do I do targeted radiation only with risk a cell escaped to the lymph area?

seeking feedback on what to do..