Anyone opt out of Rads?

pepper43

Alright, I know this might sound crazy but after 20 weeks of chemo (including the aptly named Red Devil) and a BMX with tissue expanders - and oh did I mention a PET scan done early on after my BC diagnosis revealed a large mass in my right kidney that turned out to be renal cell carcinoma that requires removal on 1/11 of this year??? Well, given this sh$t storm, I'm really rethinking this whole radiation thing as part of an already incredibly taxing treatment plan that's been complicated by another cancer. I have an abdomen CT scan set up for tomorrow that I've been on def con level 5 anxiety about and I swear if this kidney thing has spread outside of the kidney, I will quite likely lose my mind.

The potential side effects of rads- increased risk of lymphedema, burning, scarring, fatigue that could last beyond treatment period, chest wall edema, immobile implant/capsular contracture, weakened ribs that could fracture after trauma, scarred lung, nerve damage and potential for other cancers caused by rads many years after treatment. Not to mention the discomfort of heading to daily treatments while recovering from kidney removal (I need to have rads started within 8 weeks of mastectomy which was 12/09). I've never had straight talk on numbers as far as how much the rads will actually prevent local recurrence/increase years of survival.

My MO wanted me to talk to an RO before making a decision (I did not have PCR to chemo but we weren't expecting that as I have estrogen sensitive cancer; but it was largely effective in reducing size and lymph node involvement- all 4 sentinel lymph nodes found in mapping during surgery were found negative - final pathology found lymph node #1 as positive with 9 mm). I met with an RO earlier this week and still am not sold as he was talking of studies from 80s and 90s. I think he floated a 5% figure for reducing recurrence which didn't exactly blow me over. I emailed her after and she said "let's get you through kidney surgery and we'll talk again (prefacing it with "I'll support you no matter what.")

My poor husband went to nearly every single chemo treatment. He's taken me to all appointments after mastectomy for fills...and if I do rads, he'll be taking me to these for at least a couple of weeks every single day because I won't be able to drive.

I don't know what the right thing is to do but my gut is telling me to skip it. If there's a local recurrence down the line, then radiate it. It's been my understanding that with ER+ cancer the most important piece of the treatment puzzle is hormone therapy- which I'll be doing along with an oophrectomy.

Am I being crazy? Not taking treatment serious enough???? Anyone out there opt out of radiation?