DCIS Treatment??

lokroma

I was diagnosed with DCIS in late September, and had a lumpectomy in late November. I am now trying to decide on treatment. My tumor was small (.7 cm), and it appears that all cancer was removed with the initial biopsy. They took a good sized chunk of my breast with the lumpectomy, and that was clear. I have met with the medical and radiation oncologists, and they are pretty much leaving it up to me to decide on treatment. I will probably take an aromatase inhibitor since the tumor was 100% ER positive, but am completely up in the air about radiation. I was given personal percentages for recurrence with hormone therapy only, of 5% after 5 yrs and 8% after 10 years, based on an online app that the radiation oncologist used, but 2% and 3% with radiation and hormone therapy combined. She fed the app the various characteristics of my tumor to come up with the percentages.

Although I am meeting with the oncologist next week, and have all my questions lined up, I'm wondering if anyone here with a DCIS diagnosis has gone without radiation? It is my understanding that you can't have radiation in the same place again. and I would like to confirm this. I'm also confused about conflating percentages for the combination of radiation and hormone therapies since they have different functions (radiation to ensure all cancer is gone, hormone therapy to prevent future cancer). It seems illogical to me to lump them together.

I'm very confused and anxious about making the treatment decision, and while I know I'm lucky that they caught my cancer so early, I'm still scared. I wonder if anyone can confirm my understanding of my treatment options, and also if I should request an Oncotype DX test which I haven't had.

So great to have a forum like this!

Annette47

Hi and welcome to the club no one wants to join.

If you scroll further down the main list of forums, you will see one specifically related to DCIS. Posting there might ensure that people with experience will see your post. I believe there are several regular posters who have foregone radiation and perhaps they can share their experience with it. In the meantime, it is correct that you cannot have radiation to the same area twice.

The Oncotype DX test that would be appropriate for you is the one for DCIS (which is different than the one for invasive cancer). It would tell you the benefit (or lack thereof) you would get from radiation, so might be useful in your case. It was only introduced a few years ago, so not all doctors are familiar with it. Again, on the DCIS forum you will find more information ...