T1N0M0, refusing radiation and Femara

milly71

Hi--I was dx'ed with breast cancer after finding a lump Sept. and was operated on Nov. and my diagnosis is T1N0M0, which it is suppose to have been slow growing and I am certainly very greatful about this outcome but my question is to you all, is ,I am seriously thinking about not doing Radiation OR Femara after reading what different ones have been saying about both.  It seems to be mostly negative in their experiences and comments and I also have read that radiation can cause a secondary cancer called angiosarcoma,altho rare, it seems to be on the rise and I am thinking about not doing anything, at my age, which is 71.  So, I am asking for any help that you may be able to give me on what you all might do under these same circumstances and this forum has been a very great helpand comfort, already, for me so I decided to register and talk with you all, directly and much Love and THANKS TO YOU !

NativeMainer

milly--all cancer treatment is a balancing act.  How do the benefits (a smaller risk of the beast coming back or popping up as a metastasis) compare to the risks (radiaiton:  secondary cancer,  rib, lung, heart and nerve damage.  Chemo:  secondary cancer, permanent or temprary nerve damange, heart damage--adriamycin--chemo brain, bone marrow damage with permanent anemia,  Hormone therapy:  osteoporosis, hot flashes, mood swings, depression, weight gain).  All of these are very individual choices to make.  The best thing to do is talk with your doctors and get the numbers as they pertain to you.  What is the rate of recurrence without radiation?  With radiation?  What is the average life expcetancy with and without rads?  Ask the same questions about the Femara.  These numbers will give you some idea of how much a particular treatment influences the risk of recurrence.  The problem is that the stats only apply to large groups of women.  My individual risk is either 0% or 100%.  Either I will get a recurreance or I won't.  Only time will tell.   

somanywomen

I totally understand, I chose not to do chemo with the added benefit only being about 2%...But my surgeon told me that I had about a 35% chance of recurrence in same lump breast without rads and 14% with rads, so I did choose to do rads...I am on #23 and have 7 more to go...Then one of the hormone drugs and hopefully I can tolerate it...But, I know someone who has same stage as me and she decided no rads, no hormone treatment...I think it is our choice and if you are comfortable with your choice and have done enough research, then I wish you the best!!...Just make sure you add a very healthy anti-cancer diet/vitamins/supplements for as much protection that you can control...

milly71

Hi somanywoman and THANKS so-o-o much for replying to my post.  I am wondering why the person that you know with same DX desided to not do rads or hormone treatment.  As you can see, I am still wondering what to do in my case !!  I am so afraid that radiation will cause more problems than it is worth and that is why I am trying to get as much input from everybody and I figure that is trying to do my homework, too.  What do you suggest as a cancer diet, vitamins and supplements ?  Any idea's is much appreciated and again, Thanks a lot !!

milly71

Hi nativemainer---I know what you are saying and I will go and talk with the radiation oncologist just to get some stats, altho, my cancer Dr. got pretty perterbed at me because I wasn't wanting to go along with the system or program so I can imagine that the rads Dr. will do the same if I don't go along with her ,right off the bat.  I had a few boo boo's ,made by the girls before going into surgury and when they were doing my sentinel node, the male Dr. asked the nurse why she released the mammo machine before the second mammo was done and she said "because I'm stupid"!   AND then, she really tugged and pulled on me    with the wires in the tumor to get me back in place for the 2nd mammo so that I could go to surgury.  And they didn't have my IV hooked up and should have been so I guess that is what is scaring me so-o-o much and I can't trust them setting and calibrating the radiation machine,like it should be and not really frying me.  Especially for that many days and weeks and figuring that somebody won't have a quirk or having a bad day and just doesn't care about doing something right.  I know that you will probably say that I will need to trust them but it is kind of hard to do.  So anyway, thanks for replying to my post and any further input would be really appreciated. THANKS !