I have implants my surgeon says lumpectomy & radiation

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lrfortuna
lrfortuna Member Posts: 11
edited June 2014 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

I am starting to panic after reading through some info I have found on the internet and am hoping someone with a similar experience can offer insight.  I am 42 yrs old, have saline implants behind muscle for approx 10 yrs, no problems.  I have recently been diagnosed with DCIS Grade 3 solid with necrosis ER+PR+.  I have had two additional biopsies, due to a second look at mammo's and based on breast MRI, and both these areas came back benign, thank goodness.  So I am looking at one small area, on my left breast, 3:00 and extremely close to my implant from what surgeon says.

 Surgeon recommends lumpectomy and has scheduled me for medical oncologist for week after surgery, but has said that based on my age and grade of DCIS I will almost certainly be recommended to get radiation and hormonal tx.  Surgeon has told me that due to proximity to implant internal radiationi (beads or seeds?) prob won't be option and that whole-breast radiation is most likely what I will get.  Now, I am finding that radiation can cause problems with implants.  Has anyone had radiation with previous augmentation?  Is this OK, or can it and how likely does one think it will be to cause me not to be able to get radiation, which would completely freak me out, or require a second surgery anyway if I can't get the radiation?  I am OK with getting rid of the whole breast and starting from scratch with reconstruction, but surgeon said during consult scratched that right off as option due to the fact that it is just DCIS and not invasive.  Please any info or advise is appreciated.  Thank you!

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  • Leah_S
    Leah_S Member Posts: 8,458
    edited August 2011

    Irfortuna, I would suggest you consult a PS about the questions with the implants. I know that a lot of women with implant recon have problems after radiation.

    I would also seriously suggest that you get a second opinion with another breast surgeion. If you prefer to have a mastectomy that should be addressed. Surgeons cut, that's their job, so they say, "Less invasive to have a lumpectomy" without considering that once you add radiation it is a far more invasive treatment with a less invasive surgery.

    The surgeon can make recommendations but since you live with the consequences you have to make the final decision.

    Best of luck. Let us know how things go.

    Leah

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  • LynnyLou
    LynnyLou Member Posts: 30
    edited September 2011

    Hi Irfortuna,

    I had implants for approx 7 years prior to my first BC in right breast (also DCIS).  I had a lumpectomy and six weeks of external radiation.  My radiation oncologist said the radiation would most likely not have any effects on my implant.  However, I ended up with a capsular contracture on the radiated side and had both implants replaced and the scar tissue cleaned out a little over a year after finishing radiation treatment. I didn't have any more problems with the capsular contracture. 

    Last year I was diagnosed with BC again, this time in left breast.  I had a BIMX with TE last August and silicone implants placed in December.  The right, previously-radiated side didn't expand as well as the left side, but my plastic surgeon said it's always "iffy" when dealing with radiated skin, and he was pleased that my skin and muscle expanded as well as it did.  

    Good luck with your upcoming surgery (whatever it turns out to be).  I agree with Leah...a second consult is always a good idea, and you might want consider a consult with a plastic surgeon experienced with reconstruction too. 

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