Why radiation after chemo with IDC?

I had chemo, surgery, 35 rads. Surgery was BMX. Rads was to make extra sure no cancer cells were hiding.

Stage 3,grade 3, 11 nodes removed IDC

6 years later, no evidence of disease.

I opted for mastectomies rather than lumpectomies for the single reason, I did NOT want radiation. However because I was Lymph node positive diagnosed during surgery, I had to have radiation anyways. I see you were lymph positive as well.

Karen, It is a very good question. I know the standard of care after lumpectomy is radiation regardless of chemo. I believe you can choose not to have radiation. Sometimes doctors want to tell you rather than recommend. I know my breast surgeon would not do a lumpectomy if he knew I would not do radiation. Their primary concern is killing cancer. On my medical record, in notes reads patient refused chemotherapy. My oncologist agree to continue to be my doctor even after I refused chemo.

For me it’s all about minimizing the probability of recurrence. Both chemo and rads reduce it significantly.

Diagnosed with invasive DCIS in October 2017. Started A/C chemo in November and continued through December 14. In and out of hospitals in December 2017 for blood transfusions. I also have Crohn's Disease which worsened during chemo. In January 2018 went to ER and was diagnosed with intestinal blockage as well. I needed to have a bowel resection and a stricturplasty done. Procedures could not be done with active cancer. Hospital did sonogram and mammogram and found that four A/C treatments killed cancer and almost killed me. Lumpectomy done on dead tumor bed and then proceeded with abdominal surgeries. There were clear margins and no spread to lymph nodes. Lymph nodes (11) removed because chemo screwed them up. In February 2018 I saw oncologist who now sprung radiation on me. She told me that w/o radiation, breast needs to be removed. I saw radiation oncologist in April and was considering. Two days later, I am in terrible abdominal pain and go back to ER. I was diagnosed with an internal hernia and had to be completely cut open. I was sedated and not cognizant because of drugs that were given. I was released after twenty days and needed wound care. I am still healing from surgery. I suffered tissue trauma and am still in pain from surgery. There is deep scarring and no belly button. They certainly did a number on me. I could not see original breast surgeon as he is out of network. He did call in February (he had flu after he performed my lumpectomy) and told me that the results were very good. I ran into him during wound care visit and he recommended a breast surgeon in network. I saw her in November and she too said that w/o radiation, breast needs to be removed. She provided me with another radiation oncologist. I brought pathology report and slides and saw him in December. Once again radiation suggested. I have been through so much because of the internal hernia surgery and have no help around the house. I am 62 and live alone. I also had a mammo and sonogram (right breast only) two weeks ago. Although breasts dense, everything was normal. I have been through so much and almost died because of the internal hernia. Radiation oncologist did not specify what type of radiation. However, oncologist and radiation oncologist keep pushing theory that microscopic cancer cells may not have been taken out with lumpectomy surgery. I do not want to be in pain and develop redness, blistering or swelling. I do not want to slather on creams to prevent this. I am very fair, never in the sun and take Mercaptopurine which makes me more susceptible to burning. This all falls on deaf ears. I am afraid of what the radiation could do to me. I am also a D cup which is quite large. No recurrence testing ever done. There has been so much research done over the years, yet same old treatments. I did walk around with cancer symptoms for almost a year as I did not know what my symptoms were indicative of. No history of cancer in either side of family. Why push to kill microscopic cancer cells when tumor was dead after four A/C treatments.

Any help in coming to a decision would be helpful.

rhonna, it is your choice. After everything you have been through I can certainly understand you don't want radiation. You could go high surveillance like I was after refusing chemo. I had mammogram and mris, my oncologist saw me every 3 months the first year.