planning a pregnancy after DCIS treatment

Como7

Hello! I was diagnosed last month with DCIS (approx 10mm, stage 0 grade 2 solid and cribriform with lobular extension, er95% pr60%) when microcalcifications were found on my first screening mammogram. I'm 42, and my husband and I are still planning on doing IVF with donor egg hopefully in early 2016. My surgeon is going by a standard formula, recommending lumpectomy, 3 weeks of radiation and then 5 years of tamoxifen (but in my consultation, he said I could delay tamoxifen to do IVF). But when it comes to radiation, I feel like I'm darned if I do and darned if I don't. They need to radiate the left breast, so I'm concerned about heart and lung involvement and future side effects, plus issues related to reduced milk supply. And, if I get cancer on that side again, I would not be able to do radiation again (which I learned from reading all of your community posts!). But then if I decline radiation, I am concerned that the surgeon will not give me approval to move forward with IVF, and that it would generally be a bad idea to get pregnant, even though pregnancy and breastfeeding can supposedly offer some protective effects. And of course, I'm concerned that the DCIS or worse could come back. My lumpectomy is on Oct. 29 and I meet with the radiologist and medical oncologist on Nov. 11.

I think I'm babbling a bit, so my questions for you are: if you were planning to get pregnant shortly, would you do radiation or skip it and save it for a recurrence? I'm not asking for medical advice, but am just curious what you all think, having traveled this road before me.

Thanks,

Courtney

SpecialK

You might consider the Oncotype Dx test for DCIS, link attached. It may provide some information that will help you with these decisions. This is a specifically DCIS oriented recurrence prediction test. Good luck!

http://breast-cancer.oncotypedx.com/en-US/Patient-...

sunshinegal

Hi Courtney,

Sorry you've joined us, but you'll get some good input along the way.

I can't speak directly to the radiation question - I had no choice but to have a mastectomy. But, having breastfed two children after my mx, I can say from experience that it's entirely possible to successfully nurse a baby with only one breast! So I wouldn't let the possible side effect of diminished milk supply drive whether you have radiation or not -- you will still have the other one to use. Best of luck to you!

Como7

Thank you both for your insight on this! It's very helpful!