So confused! Remove more nodes and don't do radiation?

deenah

So confused! Remove more nodes and don't do radiation?

deenah

I met with my local radiation oncologist a couple of weeks ago, and my BS last week.  I had neoadjuvant treatment with a very good response to chemo.  My latest PET/CT shows no cancer in any of my nodes (before chemo I showed about 8 axillary nodes with cancer in them).  Because of my dramatic response to chemo, my BS is planning on only taking level 1 axillary nodes during my surgery next Thursday.  We met with another radiation oncologist at UCSFyesterday, and she strongly recommended a different plan.  She said it is very risky to leave level 2 nodes in place, even if that area will be radiated.  She said that if there is any cancer still left in that level, and we only do radiation to that area, my chances of recurrance there are higher than if I just have level 2 surgically removed and don't radiate that area.  She also said with just surgery on the axillary nodes (no rads), my chances of getting lymphadema are lower than if I go with level 1 removal followed by rads.  The UCSF rads Dr. had awesome credentials, and really seemed to know what she was talking about.  Anyone else have differing opinions from Dr's on Rads?  I tend to lean toward what the UCSF Dr. said just because it makes sense to me.  Leaving nodes in my body that could have had cancer in them at one time scares me.  Especially since this Dr. told me flat out that radiation alone will not kill all of the cancer.

Luckily both Dr.'s agreed about radiated the nodes in my neck, the inter mammory nodes and the chest wall.  It's the under arm area that is in question.  I have to make a decision before Thursday too!  I will be talkingt to my BS this weekend, so I'm trying to gather as much info as I can before I talk to him.  I wish I had time to get a good third opinion, but I'd have to make another trip out of town, and there just isn't enough time to do that.

 Thanks for any input!  I'm off to do some searching online.

Deena