Everyone needs Radiation?

Hi Nancdancer,

Sorry to welcome you to the BC club, but glad you came under the circumstances.

As Caryn said very eloquently, your treatment will be based on what they find after your surgery. It is true that if you and your doctor decide that a lumpectomy is in order, radiation will most likely be part of the treatment. This is done to kill any residual cells that may be left behind in the surrounding area and chest wall. Radiation is not usually done with a mastectomy, but sometimes, depending on the margins and the surgeon's recommendation.

I was really nervous about radiation when i was first diagnosed. In fact, it's one of the main reasons I chose mastectomy! In retrospect, my fears were really misplaced, as I later had radiation treatments to my spine for progression four years later, and they were relatively easy to tolerate and caused no harm. The radiation killed the cancer in that area of my spine and enabled me to walk normally again, so I'm kind of a fan, now, lol!

Chemo is definitely not something everyone gets. It's something you will discuss with your oncologist after your surgery, as the characteristics of your cancer will point to one therapy or another. Many women only get hormonal treatments, especially for early stage ER+. You will probably get a recommendation one way or the other, depending on whether your oncologist feels it will help you, based on statistics that relate to your tumor. There are also the Oncotype test that may be an option to help you make a decision, which is done after surgery with a portion of your tumor.

It all seems so scary and overwhelming at first, but try not to get too far ahead of yourself with worry. I don't know if your health plan allows you choices, but if so, focus on finding a good doctor you like and trust . I asked friends and found someone on my own rather than waiting for a referral from my surgeon. Write down all your questions and take someone with you to your appointment. Don't be shy about asking anything and everything you want to know.

Keep us posted with how you're doing, and good luck. It does get easier.

I just had a lumpectomy for a small noninvasive DCIS. There were clear margins. Some sort of genetic test was performed on the tissue they removed which indicated that there was a very low likelihood of a recurrence. You might ask your surgeon about such a test. Both my surgeon and my oncologist agreed that I did not need radiation or anything else except careful monitoring. I agreed with them and will do nothing else. I am 79 years old with a number of other health problems. If I were much younger I might do things differently but for me this is the best way to go.