Triple Negative and Radiation after Mastectomy?

Lighttara you had 2.3cm after chemo.  So they say you had partial response to chemo?

I was 37 when my triple negative breast cancer was discovered last year, also with no lymph node involvement. I was given the choice of chemo and then radiation, or chemo and mastectomy. After 16 weeks of chemo (Four dose-dense AC and then 12 weekly Taxol), I opted for bilateral mastectomy and no radiation. I asked if it was possible to do mastectomy AND radiation, but that was not an option my insurance would cover. I did a ton of research, and read many stories of cancer returning in the other breast. I also didn't want to deal with any long- or short-term side-effects from the radiation. But if that had allowed me to do both mastectomy and radiation, I would have seriously considered it - I have two little girls and I want to live a long life being their mommy before God takes me home.

Do your research, ask all the questions you can think of and then: Whatever you decide will be perfect for you.

I was dx in July 2013 at the age of 31 with triple negative breast cancer. The left breast is where the tumor was found. I started chemo at the end of July 2013 with 12 weeks of Taxol and 4 weeks of AC. I finished chemo the week before Christmas. I was on a study drug two weeks before receiving the Taxol and every week with the Taxol. Within a month's time, the tumor was gone, but I still continued my treatments. I had a mastectomy (both breasts removed) in January 2014. There wasn't any lymph nodes involved, that surgery was one week before the mastectomy. The pathology report stated I had clean margins, no sign of cancer and a complete response. My oncologist and breast surgeon suggested for me not to have radiation. However, reading all of the posts is making me think maybe I should have radiation. My doctors felt as though I don't need it due to a complete response and no nodes involved.

I found this older thread while searching this very question. I've only recently come across the studies talking about the benefits of radiation on early stage TNBC even with a mastectomy. A large part of why I wanted a BMX was to avoid radiati. The doctors are quite confident that I don't have lymph node involvement, so typically that would mean no radiation. But theses studies are starting to indicate otherwise.

I'm scheduled right now for a BMX with immediate DIEP. If I were to do radiation, we need to rethink that plan since they would not want to do radiation on the new tissue. That means a whole rewrite of the current plan as well as dragging this out so much farther. Ugh.

I'd sent my BS an email with quick questions about those studies, but he didn't really answer my questions other than to say I'm young and healthy and should do fine. Ummm....

I'm really not sure what to do.