Has anyone opted out of rads after lumpectomy?

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cleisok
cleisok Member Posts: 1
edited June 2014 in Recipe Swap for Healthy Living
I just had a stage 1, 2cm ILC removed w/neg lymphnode. Been reading about side effects of radiation & effects on the heart, especially when cancer was on left side. I didn't know about this b4 surgery & am now wondering whether I should take the risk. My family has some heart failure history & I have a slight MVP(weak valve). Everything I read says that radiation doesn't prolong life, just lessens recurrence in same breast. I feel like I'm taking a risk either way, just want the lesser of two evils.
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  • Marie_S_
    Marie_S_ Member Posts: 47
    edited March 2007
    You'd probably get more responses to this question if you post it over in the radiation thread. I'll go ahead and answer you here though since I sometimes don't check in to read here for days or weeks.

    I refused radiation after having a lumpectomy 3 years ago this month. I was diagnosed at age 49 and already in menopause at the time. My breast cancer was left sided, less than 1 cm, low grade IDC mixed with low grade DCIS. I too, have some heart issues...moderate mitral regurgitation
    (no prolapse though) and some mild pulmonary hypertension because of the regurg. That's the main reason, among a few others, why I wouldn't consent to radiation. Just couldn't risk any more damage to the valve...and considering the cancer was low grade with wide surgical margins and the surgeon carefully removed the biopsy track along with the cancer (he knew I would refuse radiation), I felt it really wasn't necessary.

    I know this may sound strange to some, but because it was small, and especially becuase it was low grade, I'm really not all that worried about a recurrence of that particular cancer. If it comes back, then I'll deal with it then and probably just have another lumpectomy. But I'll never, ever have radiation unless it's absolutely necessary to prolong life. I've got extremely non-dense breast tissue and mammograms pick up virtually every little thing on me, so I'm counting on the yearly mammos to catch it if it rears it's ugly little head again.
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  • susan_CNY
    susan_CNY Member Posts: 276
    edited March 2007

    I wanted to opt out of rads but the docs had me so afraid. My breast cancer was found while celebrating my 1 year out from colon cancer. I had done chemo for the colon so adamently refused chemo again, if my breast cancer developed while doing chemo why would I want to do more? I was actually given a hard time on chat when I stated I had refused chemo, one woman told me that my colon cancer was my own fault and is curable and how could I tell bc patients that chemo was bad! Now that the onco type testing is done that kind of behavior has kind of gone away, why would someone willingly damage their heart for a few percentage points of no recurrance? chemo would have added only 2 or 3 points in my favor, lets do the math! Anyway, I did do the rads, my grandma lived 20 some years after her mast in 1951, doc said the rads would give me that same chance, so was my decision. I am 3 years out from treatment now and NED, crossing my fingers and praying hard.

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  • azzig49
    azzig49 Member Posts: 16
    edited March 2007

    I started Rads before I was completely healed from the lumpectomy, and developed a horrible abcess in less than 10 days!After a second surgery to take out the abcess, I'm now left with a large "dent", otherwise ok. I decided not to re-do Rads after reading the literature. Mine was DCIS with good margins (so they say). So I'll just take my chances with more exercise, losing weight, and better nutrition. Don't believe everything Dr's tell you. They lie.

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  • moonsong
    moonsong Member Posts: 15
    edited March 2007

    I have idc grade3, stage2 3 negs. no node I had a mest. am 4 into my 6 chemo. and we will soon talk about rad. They did get clear margins. When making my choice between mest. or lump. I chose mest. thinking I could just be done after chemo. and skip rad. I thought that was for women who chose the lump. or had node invovlement. Guess I'll see but my oco. test came back 47 (bad) I do wonder the test says it is for er+ cancer, mine is er_- would these results be accurrate?

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