Gardenlady

Thanks for starting this thread.  I have made the decision to not do rads.  I have stage 0 in both breasts.  I had lumpectomies in both breasts with the right only showing what was found in the needle biopsy and the left showing 4mm.  I have large clear margins.  Tamoxifen was not recommended.  Both radiologists I saw recommended standard treatment for full breast radiation.  Both stated an argument could be made to forgo radiation.  My sister has stage 3 breast cancer.  I considered bilateral Mastectomy but both surgeons felt this was not the best coarse.  This decision was very hard to make.  In the end it came down to a gut feeling, and my head just telling me I have a non life threatening disease that I could cause myself some other serious problems if I let my fear of the future make my chose.  I was told I had a thirty percent chance of cancer coming back.  With radiation I could lower it to 15 percent.  That's 50 percent improvement but the risk of rads was not worth the 15 percent to me.  I have seen the problems my family had with rads and I know the emotional damage would not be good for me.  It would put the stress on me that I think cancer thrives on.

I could be wrong but it is my decision, my life.  We all have to make our own decisions. 

Hi,

This is where I am with my thinking about my treatment.  I felt very alone until I found this conversation.  I knew there must be women who had decided against radiation but had moved on with their lives but I missed their voices. 

Marian,

You are right on in your comments.  I have read some of your posts and found them very helpful.  I am very careful who I talk to about BC in my daily life so very much appreciate the help I find here.

Hi,

I recently had bilateral lumpectomies for DCIS.  The right breast was .6mm and the left was .4mm in needle biopsy and 2. in lumpectomy.  I have one sister 13 years older than me in 2002 she had surgery for B.C. and they found 4 different types of cancer.  She had Chemo, radiation She also was Her positive and had further intervanious medication after radiation and massectomy.

I have Group Health insurance.  I wanted to go to the same hospital my sister did because I thought it would reassure her that I was being taken care of and therefore put less stress on her.  I also thought because they were aware of her history they would provide me with information I could trust.  It's Cancer Care alliance in Seattle.  They have a team of Doctors that meet with you at one place.  I don't expect to take any treatment down there at this time I just want there advice and for them to be able to keep my sister healthy.  I have been denied by the insurance company.  The appointment is in three days and they have already begun looking at my slides.  My surgeon has been supportive and believes it is the best place for me to go.  I have called about an appeal.  Does anyone have any information about this?

Thank you

My cancer was also much smaller but I have a sister with stage 4 BC.  My surgeon was very thorough.  I had asked the radiologist for an MRI because I had some calcifications in the right breast they wanted to follow for changes.  They did and saw none than all of a sudden some knew ones appeared in the left breast.  They sent me a letter telling me they felt they were benign.  I opted for a needle byopsey and it came back positive for dcis low grade 3-4 mm.  I then saw the surgeon who ordered a MRI of both breasts.  There was a suspitious spot in the right breast also.  The radiologist had moved on from the right breast because there had been no change in the Mamograms.  I had another needle biopsy which came back positive for dcis low grade mm.  I now have had two lumpectomies one in each breast.  I have clear margins and will go onto an oncologist and radiation team meeting in a week.  I live in a town of about 73,000 people but will get the second opinion in Seattle.  The surgeon was very good at being attentive, to all of me which I felt was extremley important.  She knew I had watched a sister go through this and survive.   I knew we all wanted to be obtimistic but there could be surprises.  It is very important to get as much information as you can before surgery and take care of it.  The waiting for results in very hard.  I am so glad the second spot was found and I can deal with it all at once now.  The radiologist said MRIs cost $3,000 and they can't be having every woman get one.  I understand false positives can happen but I think to many woman are not getting the information they need.  I hope you find a surgeon

that you feel deals with all of you. 

I appreciated reading your comments.  The pain kindness can bring is sometimes too much.  I sometimes feel it is just easier to deal with BC without a lot of people knowing.  Letting some loved ones know is often much to emotional for me but I feel this obligation to care for them and I know they will be hurt at some point if I don't tell them.  I feel that having a strong unquestioning belief in religion must make things easier but I don't have this nor will I.