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4th time breast cancer.. cannot do radiation again
This is my 4th time of Stage 1 breast cancer/1 cm..I am a very young , active 76 year old..I need to make a decision rapidly ..I have 3 options ...#1...lumpestomy /no radiation/but on Arimidex....#2 ..a mastectomy/1 side/no reconstructive surgery because of radiated skin....#3 a mastectomy with a skin.graft for tissue, etc..Please help me. with your knowledge and perhaps experience....I need it !!!
Ultimately it is up to you. I had breast cancer last year and opted for a lumpectomy without chemo or radiation and it came back, so I opted for a double mastectomy without reconstruction followed by chemotherapy. I am 3 weeks post surgical and doing well. I meet with an oncologist soon to discuss chemotherapy.
Being without breasts is not as big a deal as I thought it would be. I didn't want to go through the additional surgery that reconstruction would entail, but can always change my mind later. You can as well.
Being without breasts is not as big a deal as I thought it would be. I didn't want to go through the additional surgery that reconstruction would entail, but can always change my mind later. You can as well.
Hi,
Since you have been given the 3 different options, I assume the choice depends upon you personal preference.
However, if you are interested in the minimal necessary treatment, according to a recent study, I believe, esp. at your age, you would be fine with the lumpectomy without radiation
The purpose of the study was to determine whether there is a benefit to adjuvant radiation therapy after breast-conserving therapy for a population of older women with small ER-positive breast cancers who will be treated with adjuvant endocrine therapy for 5 years.
Women over the age of 70 years with early ER-positive invasive breast cancer (tumor measuring no more than 2 cm) and clinically negative axillae were enrolled between 1994 and 1999. A total of 636 participants with stage I breast cancer who were all treated with lumpectomy (axillary exploration was left to the discretion of the treating surgeon) were randomly assigned to receive tamoxifen plus radiation therapy or tamoxifen alone.
After a median follow-up of 12.6 years, investigators found no significant differences in time to mastectomy, time to distant recurrence, breast cancer-specific survival, or overall survival. More women in the tamoxifen group had local and regional relapses and were treated with surgery or radiation at the time of relapse. There was no significant difference in the number of distant relapses between the 2 treatment groups.
Although there remains a benefit in terms of reduction of local recurrence for patients receiving tamoxifen plus radiation therapy, this does not translate into a survival advantage and does not affect the rate of distant metastases. These findings allow physicians and patients a legitimate option to minimize treatment at the time of breast cancer diagnosis.
I wish you all the best, whatever you decide.
Regards,
bluebutterfly
Since you have been given the 3 different options, I assume the choice depends upon you personal preference.
However, if you are interested in the minimal necessary treatment, according to a recent study, I believe, esp. at your age, you would be fine with the lumpectomy without radiation
The purpose of the study was to determine whether there is a benefit to adjuvant radiation therapy after breast-conserving therapy for a population of older women with small ER-positive breast cancers who will be treated with adjuvant endocrine therapy for 5 years.
Women over the age of 70 years with early ER-positive invasive breast cancer (tumor measuring no more than 2 cm) and clinically negative axillae were enrolled between 1994 and 1999. A total of 636 participants with stage I breast cancer who were all treated with lumpectomy (axillary exploration was left to the discretion of the treating surgeon) were randomly assigned to receive tamoxifen plus radiation therapy or tamoxifen alone.
After a median follow-up of 12.6 years, investigators found no significant differences in time to mastectomy, time to distant recurrence, breast cancer-specific survival, or overall survival. More women in the tamoxifen group had local and regional relapses and were treated with surgery or radiation at the time of relapse. There was no significant difference in the number of distant relapses between the 2 treatment groups.
Although there remains a benefit in terms of reduction of local recurrence for patients receiving tamoxifen plus radiation therapy, this does not translate into a survival advantage and does not affect the rate of distant metastases. These findings allow physicians and patients a legitimate option to minimize treatment at the time of breast cancer diagnosis.
I wish you all the best, whatever you decide.
Regards,
bluebutterfly
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