BMX after radiation?

hmmelissa

Hi All:

I have been diagnosed with a second cancer (DCIS In my right breast), after being treated (lumpectomy and rads) for IDC in my left breast last year. 

I am now facing the decision about whether I take the same path for treatment, or have a BMX and reconstruction.   I am concerned about reconstruction on my irradiated breast, but if I take the more conservative route, the next time something comes up, I will have no choice but to do the BMX and it will be on TWO irradiated breasts rather than one.

Wondering if anyone has been through this, and what their decision making process was, especially as it relates to type of reconstruction?  I guess I should post this to the reconstruction forum as well?

Thanks so much!

ritagz

just curious, after your first diagnosis, did you do radiation or any hormone therapy, and if I can ask how old you are and how long between the 2 diagnoses?

hmmelissa

Hi Ritagz:

I am 39 years old and less than a year b/t the two diagnoses.   DCIS in left breast Feb-14-2013 (I know - great valentines, right?), and DCIS (thus far) in right breast last week.   I did a concentrated radiation course of 3 weeks for the first diagnosis, and have been on hormone therapy since July-2013.   I switched from tamoxofen to Fareston given some very serious side effects (debilitating anxiety), and am a bit concerned the hormone therapy is not doing its job :-/

thank you so much!

ritagz

Hi,

hopefully this time will be the last.  Will they be giving you radiation again?

I weighed as much information as I could read (and much of it was contradictory and convoluted, especially the statistics) using my gut, information from these and other boards, my doctors opinions  (though I did not take up the oncologist  - for me) and if I am allowed to say this,  a prayer to some higher power that I feel can't  hurt.  No one really can predict with certainty every possibility that may or may not happen.  Give me a few decades and I will let you know if it worked out

good luck and feel better.