Just wondering

I don't know what surgery you are having but I had a lumpectomy. I did not have any treatment before the surgery but did have 33 rad treatments afterwards. Each one of us is different and it depends on what your drs. recommend as being best for you. Since you are just starting your journey my best advice is to keep a positive attitude (not always easy) and remember.... you can do this and win!

Hugs,

Georgia

Rague said:

There are many

There are many here who have had surgery first - lumpectomy or mastectomy.   The protocol for TX for different types of cancer is different.  

The surgeon is the one that 'cuts' - not the one who decides if chemo and/or rads are needed and what needs to be that TX - that's what the Oncologists do - medical and radiation.

To me it always seem so straange when anyone talks about not seeing the chemo and rad Drs before surgery.   I saw the surgeon on Monday, rads on Wed and chemo on Thurs and 2 weeks later started chemo. The standard for us IBCers is chemo first so that it will hopefully form a 'lump' as IBC forms in bands or nests and almost always is at least Stage III when detected.  My TX plan was a bit different than other IBCers here in that I had both neo-adjuvant (pre-surgery) and adjuvant (post surgery) chemo - rads too.  I've alo been on Femara/letrozole since early Feb 2010 and will be on it 'forever' - not 5 yrs.

Winyan - The Power Within

Susan

I had surgery first, bilateral mastectomy for bilateral IDC.  During the surgery they found two additional tumors and one mestastic node that showed cancer had left the node and entered my bloodstream.  I had chemo which started 4 weeks later when I was healed.  Did you get your mastectomy cami/tank yet? 

Hugs!

Patti

kmenurse said:

Mastectomy cami/tank

Yes Patti, I did get a cami/tank and the insurance will pay for this rather expensive little garmet.  It will definitely be a blessing.. I also bought two tank tops that string gather at the waist.  I think they may help with those cute little JP drains.  I guess I remember the surgeon saying that I didn't need to see the Oncologest until after the surgery, which is good because I don't see him until 5-13-13.  And that she thinks I will only need the hormone blocking therapy, but she couldn't be 100% sure until after the mastectomy surgery and after your experience Patti, I'm glad I desided on a bilateral.  Part of the risk factor for me was that I had radiation treatments as an infant in 1950 my mom couldn't remember how many except that it was several, for an enlarged thymus gland.  This procedure is no longer used because of the risks.  That actually would be a good topic for my age group as to how many on this site had radiation treatments as a Infant/baby...  Thank you everyone for your input, you are all so helpful!  God Bless everyone!

I was diagnose in 1994, so the way I went, is after a tumor was found on the mammogram, the surgeon called (small hospital - word gets out quickly) she offered to do a Fine Needle Biopsy the next morning.  We did and it came back inconclusive and she suggested a biopsy.  I had the lump removed and knew by her body language, I would be back the following week for a mastectomy and lymph node dissection.  I was and a month later saw the oncologist.  I was ER+ and PR-  there was no HER2 testing at that time (not invented).  I went on to have chemotherapy.  Though I had positive lymph nodes, the oncologist "forgot" to order radiation.  I went on Tamoxifen immediately after chemo.  There was no internet then and my source was "Dr. Susan Love's Breast Book".  I thought I should have radiation but was to timid to ask why my oncologist didn't order it.  I had a port-a-cath put in which was not the norm at that time but veins were hard to find in my one arm.  I had the port removed the following month after chemo stopped.

I would certainly discuss this with the radiologist oncologist and let that person decided whether you need radiation or not.

I didn't have radiation and 4 years later, I had a good size tumor in the axilla.  That is when my oncologist admitted "that I fell through the cracks" and I should have had radiation.  He was a total jerk and I fired him but not before he did more damage.  Then I became very proactive in my own heath care.  

Best wishes to you.  I only had my tonsils out as a young person growing up in the 1950's.  

Doris

kmenurse said:

Doris

Thank You, Doris, Oh Wow!... That was un-excusable for a Oncologist... Mal Practice in my opinion.  Sorry but that even angers me. The treatment for cancer is not what anyone wants to go though but, we do because it could save our life.  And for an Oncologist to say you just slipped through the cracks, unexceptable!!!! God Bless... Kathy

Hi Kathy. I had a somewhat unusual breast cancer presentation. I found a lump in my underarm that after various imaging tests and biopsies (and eventually a Tissue of Origin Test) turned out to be breast cancer. No tumor/lump/mass/growth was ever found in my breast tissue. I had a right mastectomy in Feb. 2010. After my port was put in I had 4 rounds of A/C and then 12 rounds of Taxotere. My last round was in Aug. 2010. I did not have radiation. As I am triple negative there is no other treatment (i.e. Tamoxifen). As Rague/Susan said, there are a large number of variables that go into the decision about your treatment plan. It is very hard to compare your own plan to that of anyone else. Hope things go well for you.

IRENE

Lumpectomy 5 yrs ago this week..followed by 8 wks radiation.

Denise

dthompson said:

Hi Kathy,
My wife had IDC but

Hi Kathy,

My wife had IDC but it was Stage 2a, grade 3 which is very agresssive,t they did chemo before surgery whith the hopes of shrinking the tumors small enough to do a lumpectomy vice a mastectomy. She then decided she did not want to deal with this agian and decided to go all out with a double mast with reconstruction. It is still very common for surgery to go before chemo especially if the tumor board feels there may not be a need for chemo. Trust your doctors and don't be afraid to get a second opinion if you feel the need. God bless.

 

Dennis

I know many times women have chemo first to shrink the tumors, then they have surgery and some have rads afterwords.  Also, if there are positive nodes after the surgery, some have chemo again, not all do though.  I had a lumpectomy and started rads about 6 weeks later.

Wishing you all the best,

Megan

I started out with a lumpectomy.Just as I was getting prepped for surgery the mammo picked up another tumor.So the cancer tumor was taken out and the benign tumor(found out a few days after surgery).Had a check margin surgery 3 weeks  after the 1st surgery.Two days before that surgery I found a lump.I  told my doctor as I was getting prepped for that surgery.It was removed during the check margin surgery and found to be benign.  1 cancer tumor and 2 benign tumors were removed.I didn't have chemo or radiation but take tamoxifin for 5 years. Dx with DCIS Stage 0 Cancerous Tumor was 1/2 centimeter.

Those who've had  chemo or radiation first is usually because the tumor is  large.They want  to shrink it first.Then another reason(and this happened to 2 women in one family).Their chemo came first because the tumor ruptured.That had to be done before their masectomies.

Lynn Smith