radiation damage

I had radical radiation (the strongest dose  they could give me} for stage 3c breast cancer (masectomy with 13 lymph nodes cancerous).  My firend has lung cancer from radiation she received five years ago.  Is this a possibility for me as well?

[Fernando Roque, MD]

Hi.  The risk of developing a secondary lung cancer is increased for women who had extensive radiation treatment for breast cancer, but the risk does not increase until 10 years after the radiotherapy.  The absolute risk of developing any secondary cancer 20 years after the diagnosis of breast cancer ranges from 0.6% to 10.3% depending on the age of the patient and the stage of disease.  These values are quite small compared to the risk of dying from the breast cancer itself.

[babygui]

Thank you.  I feel a lot better.  My friend's case must be a fluke.

[katarina777]

Well, how would one know if the lung cancer is due to the radiation and not due to metastases?

[babygui]

When it is metastic it is still breast cancer but in the lung, etc.  My friend has lung cancer.   Her breast cancer is supposedly cured.

[katarina777]

Thank you. I was not sure. Kat

[babygui]

I should have added her breast cancer was estrogen positive like mine.  Thew lung cancer is a different kind.  She is not doing well at all.  She never smoked but like me inhaled a lot of second hand smoke on the job and at home.