cancer from radiation

survivor9 · January 2010

please, talk with your dr. about the cancer radiation can cause. i had radiation 9 yrs ago for BC.. today i am in treatment for breast angiosarcoma caused by my radiation. a decision, i thought was going to save my life, has caused me to have a very serious cancer, with a poor prognosis.. although it is rare, it happened to me. it can happen to you. just be advised. talk with your drs. is it worth saving your breast and maybe in years to follow, finding you may be fighting for your life. i wish you all well.

lotstolivefor · February 2010

survivor9,

I just wanted to tell you how very sorry I am that this is happening to you. I actually read your post awhile ago, and it's been on my heart ever since. I know many of us fear such long-term side effects as these, and I applaud and thank you for encouraging us to be informed and aware.

Good luck in your fight, and I wish you well!

chinablue · February 2010

survivor 9 - What are you advising?

somanywomen · February 2010

survivor9...those of us that are having to choose lump or mast when first dx and just wanting this out of our bodies....I had all three docs sway me towards lump which is what I did....None of these esp., the rad onco went over the se's (she really played them down then tried to charge my Ins. co more than $2000. a day for rads+ 30 x $2000.= $60,000. plus charge me a $35. copay for each) and since these choices are thrown at us so fast with little info most of us make the decision we think is best for us at the time...I truly wonder what the long term se's will be from these rads and the many other upcoming tests since I chose lump....I am so sorry yours turned out to be so harmful, thank you getting the word out about long term effects that we might be facing...I also wonder if maybe docs had it right many years ago when everyone was given same treatment (double masts), I know this was very radical and agressive but my 80 year old aunt dealt with this bc one time and not continually throughout the rest of her life (she is still doing great)...Wishing you the best.....

survivor9 · February 2010

thank you all for your well wishes. i guessi'm just trying to advise you to ask your drs. just what kind of cancer radiation can cause. even though this is aa rare cancer, it happens. anyone could be it's next victim. i remember my surgeon 9 yrs ago saying rad. can cause cancer, but at no time was a name put to this cancer. nor do i remember my rad oncologist ever talking to me about anything. so little is known about angiosarcoma of the breast. most drs. have never heard of it. it's hard to know what to do when we are faced with cancer. it's a whole new world we are thrown in. i met a lady in chemo. who was free of bc for 14 yrs. now she has her 2 bc. if i could go back those 9 yrs. i would opt for a double mast. done and over with. but at the time. i had a stage one bc and thought the lumpectomy was the right choice. who was to know. i wish everyone the best. i pray that whatever choice you make it is the right one, with no future problems. the future is not for us to know. we can only hope it is a good one.

survivor9

jacee · February 2010

survivor- just got home from my first rad treatment. I asked the rad onc, " If cancer shows up in my lung in years to come, can you tell if it's from the radiation?" He said, if it was caused by rads it would show up as a sarcoma...and said my chances of that happening are 1 in 300 over the course of a lifetime. Yikes!! So much to be concerned with from now on.

Sorry you are going through this...best wishes

Anonymous · February 2010

I am so very sorry and my heart and prayers go out to you. Personally, my treatment has gone so bad since surgery (infections-ongoing; bad reaction to 1st chemo-ongoing and I am supposed to do RADS.) Very honeslty, thinking I want to simply stop treatment and settle for what I have, which is the rest of a wonderful life. Because the treatments are damn near killing me now! Blessing to you my dear, SV

survivor9 · February 2010

hang in there.. chemo is tough. i'm not haveing the easiest time with chemo. alot of side effects. very short of breath with the gemzar. and alot of fluid retention with the taxotere. as for rad. not good for me. it all weent fine at the time. but here it is 9 yrs later and i am one of those rare people with a sarcoma because of it. so tired of cancer.... love the obx. we have been there several times. someone says,"wanna to to the beach?" we start packing. take care of yourself and just take it a day at a time.

survivor9

kellyj · February 2010

Survivor9,

In 2007, I was one of those people to have a double mastectomy and bypass radiation. I thought that I would never have to worry about the cancer in the breast again. Two years later it did return in the breast. As I understand, that is about a 2% chance. I am now getting ready for my 6 weeks of radiation. I have been informed of the risks as I have undergone radiation for an unrelated brain tumor. I still did the radiation, no other choice but to let it grow. I understand I could get an even nastier tumor in the future. It is so scary. I just don't want you to beat yourself up for a treatment choice made in the past. It seems to all be a crapshoot sometimes. Take care of yourself...I wish you the best.

Kelly

TenderIsOurMight · February 2010

I'm so sorry too. I knew about the risk of angiosarcoma when I choose to have the radiation since I had such quadrant involvement and extensive dcis and positive node. It is a horrid thing to treat one cancer and get another.

Thanks for reminding us of our choices. Everyone must do their due diligence.

My best to you,

Tender

cancer from radiation

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