So many complications,any chance to survive?

My opinion, take it for what it's worth, is that your chances of surviving BC are better than mine as long as it's not metastasized and truly was caught early. Your other medical conditions most likely complicate or restrict some treatments but I wouldn't be planning my exit anytime soon. I would think a palliative consultation would be in order as they're great at assessing multiple issues and coming up with a care plan. I wish you well and hope you can feel optimistic about your BC as much as any of us can.

Amy

I know 6 months chemo sounds like a long time, but most likely it's once every three weeks but even so, chemo is doable in most cases. I had such good results my treatments ended 1 month early, ultimately my choice but suggested by onc. In addition, I chose NOT to do radiation. It didn't make sense to radiate my axilla (under arm) when it had already spread to numerous bones so you do have options. And I would not rule out a second opinion. If there is such a thing, you have the "good" or more common BC with lots of treatment options. But you are right, mastectomy is major and aggressive and so is chemo. I hope you have a strong support system bc I can't imagine going through this alone.

Amy

Ebony, I would get a second option and also get the other specialists with whom you are involved for your other conditions involved in your treatment plan. They should be working with your oncologist to help develop a treatment plan based on your unique situation.

Surgeons do NOT make the final decisions on treatment. Oncologists do. Get one on board before you do ANYTHING, including surgery!!!!!!!!

keep this in mind. I don't know where I got this stat but 50% of breast tumors left untreated would never leave the breast.

There was a woman in a support group with me who for complicated cultural reasons put off treatment 10 years and didn't get mets.

Lets face it, plenty of us are over treated.

you have a good shot at survival.

Ebony,
As Ruth stated, surgeons do not make post op treatment decisions, oncologists do. Also, bear in mind that these treat decisions are driven by the final pathology report after surgery, not biopsy results. Lastly, although some women (not sure about 50%) may do fine with no treatment, how does one know if you will be one of them. Without a way of knowing that, it seems like quite a gamble. Take care.

Hi EbonyEyes,

I just wanted to say that the blood clotting disorder prevents you, I believe, only from taking Tamoxifen not the AIs. I also am unable to take Tamoxifen due to a prior history of blood clots and had my ovaries removed to go on an AI (Femara). I am sorry you are dealing with all this.

EbonyEyes

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/breastcancer/detailedguide/breast-cancer-treating-by-stage

Stage I

These cancers are still relatively small and either have not spread to the lymph nodes (N0) or have a tiny area of cancer spread in the sentinel lymph node (N1mi).

Local therapy: Stage I cancers can be treated with either breast conserving surgery (BCS; sometimes called lumpectomy or partial mastectomy) or mastectomy. The lymph nodes will also need to be evaluated, either with a sentinel lymph node biopsy or an axillary lymph node dissection. Breast reconstruction can be done either at the same time as surgery or later.

Radiation therapy is usually given after BCS to lower the chance of the cancer coming back in the breast. Women may consider BCS without radiation therapy if they are at least 70 years old and ALL of the following are true:

• The tumor was 2 cm or less across and it has been completely removed.
• The tumor contains hormone receptors and hormone therapy is given.
• None of the lymph nodes removed contained cancer.

In women that meet these criteria, radiation after BCS still lowers the chance of the cancer coming back, but it in studies it didn’t help them live longer.

Some women who do not meet these criteria may be tempted to avoid radiation, but studies have shown that not getting radiation increases the chances of the cancer coming back which can shorten their lives.

Adjuvant systemic therapy: Most doctors will recommend adjuvant hormone therapy (either tamoxifen, an aromatase inhibitor, or one following the other) to all women who have a hormone receptor–positive (estrogen or progesterone) breast cancer, no matter how small the tumor. Women with tumors larger than 0.5 cm (about ¼ inch) across may be more likely to benefit from it. Hormone therapy continues for at least 5 years.

If the tumor is smaller than 1 cm (about ½ inch) across, adjuvant chemo is not usually offered. Some doctors may suggest chemo if a cancer smaller than 1 cm has any unfavorable features (such as being high-grade, hormone receptor–negative, HER2-positive, or having a high score on a gene panel like Oncotype Dx). Adjuvant chemo is usually recommended for larger tumors.

For HER2-positive cancers, a year of adjuvant trastuzumab (Herceptin) is usually recommended as well.

Hi EbonyEyes:

From previous posts, I recall that you had a palpable lump and more than one area of disease (an area of DCIS and another area of DCIS/IDC).

In certain limited circumstances, a mastectomy may be indicated for early stage disease. For example, with a biopsy showing widely-separated multifocal DCIS (two areas of confirmed DCIS and a third area of suspicious micro-calcifications), spanning a large portion of the breast, I was advised by two surgeons to have a "simple or total mastectomy" with a sentinel node biopsy (one to a few nodes removed).

Your situation may be different. As a layperson, I cannot say what the recommendation should be for you.

Because you have doubts about the recommendation you have received, and because of your other conditions, a second opinion would be of value.

For your information only, these are the different types of mastectomy:

http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/surgery/mast...

BarredOwl

Hi again:

Although, it does not change what I said above, I would add the following.

A surgeon's "recommendation" is not statement that there are no other options. The recommendation reflects their medical opinion that a particular option is what they think would be best for this particular patient, based on imaging, pathology, clinical findings, and presentation.

With lumpectomy (plus sentinel node biopsy), if adequate margins are not obtained, a second surgical procedure under anesthesia to remove additional breast tissue is performed ("re-excision"). I do not know what the rate of re-excision is, but this may be a consideration in balancing the risks/benefits between lumpectomy and mastectomy.

BarredOwl

I am sorry it happens to you.

We all try our best and we all have a hope for better.

I just would ask you to look closer at your nose.

I have seen somewhere that a lot's of our health problems come with our breathing problems.

Do you have some kind of nasal obstruction or chronic sinus pain?

All the best,

ata

kbirk - the OP has not signed on to this site since early last year, so I doubt that she will answer you. This thread has not been active since 2015. It seems that you are new so I would advise that when you post, look at the last date the thread was active, and if asking a specific question of a member you can click on that member's name and check to see the last time they signed on. I was worried you would wait for an answer and be disappointed. You might also try using the search bar on the left side of the screen and type in kidney disease - the result will reference all mentions of kidney disease chronologically from newest to oldest. Wishing you luck!