Not all women complete radiation for breast cancer

You know, I bet not one of the doctors who dreamed up six weeks, five days a week of radiation has been through it. I chose a mastectomy because I just didn't want to go through it (and I received considerable pressure from the medical community to choose a lumpectomy, which would have required all that radiation).

THEN you still have up to four months (in my case, five) of chemotherapy. I haven't met a single medical professional who has really acknowledged the psychological effect of being faced with such severe treatments day after day and week after week.

Meanwhile, they've come up with a one-day radiation treatment and a five-day radiation treatment. It's time for women with breast cancer to demand less intrusive radiation schedules. It wasn't available when I had my surgery, but it is now.

I had DCIS and went through seven weeks of radiation - 5 days a week. The radiation itself was not that bad, but driving 1/2 hour each day, five days a week for a radiation treatment was horrendous. I, fortunately, did not have too many problems while having the radiation, but did get a bad burn. I did have some problems for four months after because my immune system was shot, but I had great doctors who worked with me and got me on my feet. It's been two years now and I feel great. If I had it to do all over again, I would do it rather than have chemotherapy. That really scares me.

"I had DCIS and went through seven weeks of radiation - 5 days a week. The radiation itself was not that bad, but driving 1/2 hour each day, five days a week for a radiation treatment was horrendous. I, fortunately, did not have too many problems while having the radiation, but did get a bad burn. I did have some problems for four months after because my immune system was shot, but I had great doctors who worked with me and got me on my feet. It's been two years now and I feel great. If I had it to do all over again, I would do it rather than have chemotherapy. That really scares me."

I had chemo and it was truly no big deal. I'm glad you had an easy time with the radiation. They've really improved it, but you hit on what I didn't want -- every single bloomin' day --- sheesh!

I don't think you really get a choice between radiation and chemo. If you're a candidate for chemo, you can't just substitute radiation for it. So in my case, I would have had to have both. I thought that was a lot to do to one body if I could avoid it.

Gail Perry wrote:

"I had DCIS and went through seven weeks of radiation - 5 days a week. The radiation itself was not that bad, but driving 1/2 hour each day, five days a week for a radiation treatment was horrendous. I, fortunately, did not have too many problems while having the radiation, but did get a bad burn. I did have some problems for four months after because my immune system was shot, but I had great doctors who worked with me and got me on my feet. It's been two years now and I feel great. If I had it to do all over again, I would do it rather than have chemotherapy. That really scares me."
I had chemo and it was truly no big deal. I'm glad you had an easy time with the radiation. They've really improved it, but you hit on what I didn't want -- every single bloomin' day --- sheesh!
I don't think you really get a choice between radiation and chemo. If you're a candidate for chemo, you can't just substitute radiation for it. So in my case, I would have had to have both. I thought that was a lot to do to one body if I could avoid it.

You're right, you don't get a choice and I am so happy that I did not have to have chemo. If, God forbid, I'm faced with it again, I don't know what I'd really do. But, at the present time, being cancer free and feeling good, I still have to say "no chemo for me". Hope you're doing well.

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Gail Perry wrote:
"I had DCIS and went through seven weeks of radiation - 5 days a week. The radiation itself was not that bad, but driving 1/2 hour each day, five days a week for a radiation treatment was horrendous. I, fortunately, did not have too many problems while having the radiation, but did get a bad burn. I did have some problems for four months after because my immune system was shot, but I had great doctors who worked with me and got me on my feet. It's been two years now and I feel great. If I had it to do all over again, I would do it rather than have chemotherapy. That really scares me."
I had chemo and it was truly no big deal. I'm glad you had an easy time with the radiation. They've really improved it, but you hit on what I didn't want -- every single bloomin' day --- sheesh!
I don't think you really get a choice between radiation and chemo. If you're a candidate for chemo, you can't just substitute radiation for it. So in my case, I would have had to have both. I thought that was a lot to do to one body if I could avoid it.

You're right, you don't get a choice and I am so happy that I did not have to have chemo. If, God forbid, I'm faced with it again, I don't know what I'd really do. But, at the present time, being cancer free and feeling good, I still have to say "no chemo for me". Hope you're doing well."

Joan, I'm absolutely fine, and if I would have one message for women (and men) facing all of this, it would be "Don't sweat the chemo." They have ways to deal with virtually all the side effects -- assuming you have any. It's not guaranteed. Honest to goodnes it just wasn't bad at all -- and at least it wasn't every bloomin' day! One course was once every two weeks for eight weeks, and the other was every week for 12 weeks.

If you have to deal with this again, don't borrow trouble if they recommend chemo. At least give it a try. I think you'll find that it's quite tolerable. In my case, it was a cake walk. Truly.

Gail Perry wrote:

"
Gail Perry wrote:
"I had DCIS and went through seven weeks of radiation - 5 days a week. The radiation itself was not that bad, but driving 1/2 hour each day, five days a week for a radiation treatment was horrendous. I, fortunately, did not have too many problems while having the radiation, but did get a bad burn. I did have some problems for four months after because my immune system was shot, but I had great doctors who worked with me and got me on my feet. It's been two years now and I feel great. If I had it to do all over again, I would do it rather than have chemotherapy. That really scares me."
I had chemo and it was truly no big deal. I'm glad you had an easy time with the radiation. They've really improved it, but you hit on what I didn't want -- every single bloomin' day --- sheesh!
I don't think you really get a choice between radiation and chemo. If you're a candidate for chemo, you can't just substitute radiation for it. So in my case, I would have had to have both. I thought that was a lot to do to one body if I could avoid it.
You're right, you don't get a choice and I am so happy that I did not have to have chemo. If, God forbid, I'm faced with it again, I don't know what I'd really do. But, at the present time, being cancer free and feeling good, I still have to say "no chemo for me". Hope you're doing well."
Joan, I'm absolutely fine, and if I would have one message for women (and men) facing all of this, it would be "Don't sweat the chemo." They have ways to deal with virtually all the side effects -- assuming you have any. It's not guaranteed. Honest to goodnes it just wasn't bad at all -- and at least it wasn't every bloomin' day! One course was once every two weeks for eight weeks, and the other was every week for 12 weeks.
If you have to deal with this again, don't borrow trouble if they recommend chemo. At least give it a try. I think you'll find that it's quite tolerable. In my case, it was a cake walk. Truly.

I am happy that you had a good chemo experience but I just lost a dear friend from cancer. She was diagnosed in l995 with stage 4 breast cancer, had a lumpectomy because she did not want a masectomy, had radiation, chemo, took medication and was cancer free for 11 years. She was rediagnosed with metasticized breast cancer a week after I was diagnosed with mine and she went through chemo again, had a port put in her chest, feeding tube and a port in her head. She was in and out of the hospital and nursing home for a year and one-half. She had no quality of life and yet until one month before her death, they continued giving her chemo in her brain. She could not talk, move, etc. I am still wondering why they continued her chemo so long. Even when they knew she was terminal and had no quality of life, they continued. I know for sure I do not want anything like that. It was painful for her and also for all of us. God bless her. She put up one good fight, but the chemo did not help her

Joan, Stage IV is an entirely different situation. I'm sorry your friend went through so much, but for cancer caught in time, chemo isn't bad. She had to agree to the chemo or they wouldn't have done it. I can understand putting up that kind of a fight, because I know someone who has supposedly been "Stage IV" -- for 15 years. They come up with a new treatment and ... she responds to it. She's actually going to the Netherlands in a couple of weeks for another treatment.

But it won't help everyone. That's one reason to have chemo when they recommend it in the earlier stages, because it really can prevent Stage IV -- not for everyone, but for a lot of people.

We'll have to hope that you and I do not have to go through what your friend and mine have.

I am tired of having breast cancer as mine is back in the other breast and is requiring all the radiation that becomes like hell in the third and fifth weeks. I just hope I get emotional support at the cancer clinic. I will need it. My worst nightmare is BACK!

Jane I'm so sorry you're having to go through it all again. That is my biggest fear and I actually thought about having a msstectomy on the other side as well, but that still wouldn't have protected me from a delayed spread fro the first one, so I haven't done it. I look at it in the mirror sometimes and think, "When are YOU going to betray me?"

I think the doctors think it's great comfort that having it in the other brest isn't a spread but a new occurrence. But how many of them have actually been through it?