Christina Applegate and radiation

RobinWendy

I think that any woman who is handed a dx of BC has hard decisions to make.

I have been branded as a "troll" by some on the alternative/complementary forum on this site because I shared an experience to show some perspective. I had refused to go on Tamoxifen after my initial dx because I was afraid of the side effects and the possibility of a blood clot (which I had in my teens) Then I became Stage IV and after many tx's, am now on Tamoxifen and it is working for me.  I just wanted to show the other side of making decisions to forego tested therapies and paying the consequences later on.  I believe in both alternative and mainstream and as many of you stated so eloquently, I'll do whatever I can to stay alive.  My story highly offended two of the women on the board and one of them became quite vicious toward me.  It was so unnecessary.

I think that if Christina Applegate had the opportunity to hear what we all had to say, she would feel bad for upsetting anyone and possibly regret saying what she said.  But it is soooo easy to say things like she said when you are told you don't need it.  The media loves to celebrate those women who "survive" the first go round with BC and don't delve into the fact that there are no guarantees that it won't come back.  Sadly, that goes for Christina Applegate, too, despite her being in denial about it.

I think it is important to respect each other's choices but to also be open to hearing both sides of an issue with this confusing disease.

BTW, not only did I do 30 rad tx's after my lumpectomy (later on had double mastectomy with reconstruction after getting DCIS on other side with no clean margins after two biopsies), but I am receiving cutting edge radiation tx specifically for my liver mets even as we speak.  I have one more tx to go and then I am done.  Do I want rads in my body... of course not, none of us do.  But it has helped a lot of people with all kinds of metasticies to the liver and if it can give me a few more years until the next great treatment is discovered, I am all over it.

Good luck to ALL of us, no matter what paths we take!!

Robin

lookingforward4more

I don't think that we are being spiteful. I think that Christina Applegate is brave just like the rest of us...we forge ahead and make personal decisions about treatment and then we live through the treatment to the best of our ability. What I feel is sad about Christina is the fact that she misinforms the public. Simply saying that she is 100% sure she will not die of breast cancer is inaccurate and makes breast cancer treatment seem like a guarantee. I don't know what her doctors have told her but I have never met a breast cancer survivor who got a 100% outlook. With research dollars in short supply for all diseases I don't want the public to think breast cancer is so easy. Its not. Another star who said the same thing was Cynthia Nixon. She said she was never worried and is totally cancer free following radiation. Her mother, also a survivor, said the same thing. They considered it not a big deal. Okay..............................................

Here is what she said....and I do believe that what she refers to as "in the breast" is actually DCIS....we all know that Invasive breast cancer IN THE BREAST that has not spread to the lymph nodes is not 98% curable. Its a good prognosis but not that high. 

Cynthia Nixon:

I'm a logical person to do it because I have a very good story to tell," she says. "If you catch it when it's in the breast and has not moved outside, your chances of surviving are 98 per cent.

"So the only thing you really have to be afraid of as a woman is if you don't get your regular mammograms."

It was a routine screening that detected cancer in her right breast. She says: "It wasn't a happy thing to learn but my mother, who is alive and well, has had breast cancer twice - the first time 30 years ago. 

"I admire the way she's always dealt with it. Far from hearing it as a death sentence, she heard it as a health problem that if you treat the chances are very good that it will go away

Celebris466

I have to say the same as some of you.  I am surprised that people are trashing Christina.  We all wage our own battles and handle them in our own way.  Having gone through radiation and then having to have a mastectomy afterward, I would totally agree with Christina about her choice.  I ended up having to have a LAT FLAP because of rads and wish I would have gone with mastectomy the first time around instead of waiting for it to come back.  I am ticked off that I could risk damage to my lungs and heart and the cancer still came back.  So I think you have to look more into what she was saying... because if I had known that I would have this huge jagged scar down my back and this horrible oval scar on my breast I would have forgone the rads and opted for mastectomy the first time myself.

 I think because Christina has a sense of humor, because she is perky and cute... the media doesn't give her the respect she deserves.  Even on Oprah, Oprah wasn't warm to her. 

 I also agree with whomever said we are not there to see CA cry, scream and wish she had her body back.  Imagine how difficult Hollywood is for actresses in general then imagine how difficult it is for CA from a self image prospective living in that world now.

 Please lets all remember how difficult this disease is no matter what our path.  There is no right decision, only what is right for you.

Yogi70

I agree with you Celebris466. Christina Applegate is a woman first and foremost she has a right to the way she feels. Who made up the rules for Breast Cancer Etiquette for Celebrities?  Chrisitna is a woman with breast cancer who just HAPPENS to be a celebrity. I remember when the news broke someone else on this board was irritated with her but don't you think that just like a lot us she came to this site looking for answers, help and support?  Just because she's a celebrity does that mean she doesn't deserve it? We (sisters on the board) don't always agree with one another. We may watch an interview of CA for 5 minutes and get bent out of shape for a couple of comments we may not agree with and we ostracize her?

Pat634

I think people are really enamored with famous people and hang onto every word and deed.  I know stars get treated like royalty all over. I even saw on television where OJ Simpson had to check into jail and the guards were saying that if he needed anything he should let them know..made me wanna scream.  Therefore I am sure that Christina Applegate was waited on hand and foot.

I think that the rich and famous shouldn't discuss health issues openly as there are people out there who will do EXACTLY what they say.

kerry_lamb

It is a bit of a natural reflex to get shirty about the famous people. I got pissed off in Australia when numbers for breast checks and regular mammograms went through the roof following Kylie Minogue's diagnosis. But do you know what? These girls are first and foremost women who have breast cancer and we ALL feel the same terrors and doubts and pain and fears about it. Some (and not just the famous ones!) say really inappropriate things sometimes but really..that's just being human. They are girls with breast cancer, just like me, and all the $$ in the world can't make THAT right! xxxx to you all.

kittycat

I was in the same predicament as Christina Applegate in June of 2009.  I had DCIS, but had watched my sister go through several surgeries and chemo for BC.  My former BS told me I was going to have a lumpectomy and radiation.  Since my sister and I were both young in diagnosis, I asked about my other options.  I learned about gene testing from Christina Applegate's diagnosis.  I got tested and ended up being BRCA1+.  I made the decision to have a BMX and reconstruction.  I wanted to avoid the agony of being screened in the future.  I will admit that getting rads scared me more than having a BMX.  Plus, I wanted to avoid chemo in the future.  I also opted for a ooph/hyst with the BRCA1 gene. 

I ended up getting diagnosed with BC for the 2nd time about 10 months later.  I still stand by my decision to get a BMX.  Unfortunately, there was a small amount of breast tissue left behind (which is always a possibility).  My case is rare because I had a small amount of DCIS (less than 1 cm) and widely negative margins.  The doctors were shocked and I sought 2 other opinions from oncologists.  I just finished chemo yesterday - YAY!!!  I will start rads in about 3 weeks.  I am triple negative.  I had some anxiety over chemo, but hopefully it got any rogue cells floating around.  I am scared about the rads and the effects it will have with my reconstructive surgery, my skin (which is very sensitive) and any other issues. 

spitnspunk

I don't think CA is any different that some members on this board, that is, I've seen a lot of members posting things in varous forums as if they have a breast cancer PHD just because they now 'have it' and did some research to learn about it (and they know it all, never mind that the REAL doctors went through years and years and YEARS of schooling to get their knowledge). Everyone is entitled to 'THEIR OPINION", it's when their opinion starts being dosed out as the God Given Truth that problems arise. Take CA for what she is, just another one of us trying to survive this ordeal, and yes, she may have influence because of her celebrity status, but in the end, she's just one of us!

lago

The people want to listen to Christina Applegate or Suzanne Sommers for treatment recommendations instead of their doctors are more interested in hearing what they want to hear and finding a reason to get out of some of these treatments. I don't see a problem with people asking their doctors about things they have heard from other survivors, famous or otherwise but seriously these people do not have medical degrees or the years of experienced treating this disease in many people.

Both Christina and Suzanne are survivors as well as human. They are entitled to their opinions as well as saying stupid things once in a while (OK maybe Suzanne does it more than once in a while).  While we many not agree with them or agree with what some people post here we have the choice to ignore their comments but we also must remember they are battling this too.

Medigal

I think people like Applegate should NOT be allowed to publicly say such negative remarks against a procedure like radiation.  There are those who, IMO, would change their mines about it if they think she considers it harmful to the body.  Also, she did not loose her breasts to bc, IMO, it was a choice she made to have the double mastec.  If she had opted for Chemo and Radiation she may have been able to keep her breasts.  No one knows the real answers as to how to really survive this horrible disease.  We all make our own choices and then have to live with the consequences.  I just think her statement may endanger some women who were already on the fence about Rads and now will refuse if they heard her. 

 I cannot understand what the fear is about radiation treatments.  I had 35 and did not have one side effect from them.  They do not make one nauseaus like Chemo can so what is the furor about Rads??  Celebrities DO influence many people so she should have known better than to be negative about these treatments where millions could hear her opinions.  "I did not choose to have radiation" would have been the best thing for her to have said and not add the negative part.  

Mountains1day

I think when the general public hears about breast cancer in celebrities and/or in public prominence, they don't understand the different types of breast cancer (only those of us who had it know).  Christina Applegate was gracious enough at least to share the type of bc she had, which reflected the treatment.....DCIS, BRAC positive for which mastectomy is highly recommended and usually when a women has a mastectomy she can avoid radiation simply because there's nothing left to radiate.  If she goes on national TV and bashes radiation without disclosing why she didn't need it, then that would be irresponsible and would give the general public a distorted sense of this disease.  In reference to Somers, after all her books and appearances, I'm still not clear as to what kind of breast cancer she had.  It does matter in terms of treatment. 

deadlanguages

Yikes. I stumbled on this thread by accident and have to say, am a little appalled by many of these self-righteous, more-cancer-hero-than-thou posts.

A reality check, people: Nobody with cancer is a hero. Nor are we victims. We're just people dealing with an illness in the best way we know how. Even if you're a celebrity.