TN and skipping radiation. Anyone do it?

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Lucyred
Lucyred Member Posts: 64
edited October 2018 in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Here is where I am currently at with everything:

Finished chemo 6/4/18

BMX & expander placement 7/12/18

Xeloda started 9/6/18 (8 cycles need total)

I've meet with my RO twice now and have to go back when I am finished expanding which will be soon. I am just not sure that I want to do radiation, more side effects to worry about. MO put me on xeloda since it was going to be awhile before radiation would even start. If I am remembering correctly I would stop xeloda when I started radiation then finish the remaining cycles after.

Pathology report after my BMX showed that only 10% of the tumor cells were killed from chemo. The tumor was 4.3 cm per pathology.

Please feel free to share your stories or thoughts.

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  • VL22
    VL22 Member Posts: 851
    edited October 2018

    Lucyred - if I were you, I’d do the radiation, especially with the residual cancer cells. It really seems that after going through chemo, radiation can be much easier. I know it was for me.

    Near the end you get so tired and you just want it to be over! But my take is if you’ve come this far, why not finish it strong? Do all you can!

    Obviously, some people have really bad experience with radiation and you could be one of them. But again, I’d personally take the risk.

    I only had a lumpectomy, however, so hopefully someone who had your surgery will come along.

    Hugs


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  • JoE777
    JoE777 Member Posts: 628
    edited October 2018

    Lucyred, how many rads will you need to take

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  • Lucyred
    Lucyred Member Posts: 64
    edited October 2018

    I’m not sure how many yet. I’ll have another appt with RO after I’m done expanding

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  • Flynn
    Flynn Member Posts: 307
    edited October 2018

    I didn’t skip it. I didn’t have any positive nodes but standard care for the size of my tumor included rads. My suggestion is to try to pin down your ro on increased risk of whatever issues concern you most. I was worried but reassured by the numbers she quoted me. GL whatever you do!

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  • cccmc2
    cccmc2 Member Posts: 131
    edited October 2018

    I wanted radiation but dr says no... I guess not needed with my diagnosis. No nodes, clear margins, no vascular invasion, and 2.5cm lump with mastectomy. Still not sure how I feel about not having it.

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  • buttonsmachine
    buttonsmachine Member Posts: 930
    edited October 2018

    Lucyred, I'm not TN, but I just wanted to chime in to give you another perspective. I did radiation - twice - and for me it's been easier than surgery or chemo. I was quite afraid of radiation before I started, but once I did it, it really was fine. I worked, I went for walks, and I really had very few side effects at all. My skin did turn pink, but went back to looking normal afterwards.

    I know not everyone has that experience, but many do. You might too. My Drs told me that radiation is more effective at killing cancer cells locally than chemo.

    Are there any particular fears you have about radiation? Are you worried about your reconstruction, for example?

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  • Lucyred
    Lucyred Member Posts: 64
    edited October 2018

    I met with RO this week for my scan and tattooing. I'll be going in next week for x-ray and trial run through to see if I need to deflate my left side. After meeting with MO and RO I know its something I should and will do to lower my re-occurrence chances I'm just ready to done with all this. I'm exhausted. I'm coming up on a year since all this started and I think it's just taking an emotional toll on me. I want to move on.

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  • jamorcar
    jamorcar Member Posts: 27
    edited October 2018

    Rads weren't recommended for me because I had a BMX, no node involvement, and I had a complete response to the chemo. With limited treatment options, I worry about not having it. Good luck with your decision.

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