Radiation and Tamoxifen

[WDWFanatic]

Has anyone recently under gone treatment for breast cancer? I have a very early stage breast cancer (DCIS), which if you get one is the best to get, but since I am considered young (41) for b.c. they are treating it aggressively.

I just had my second lumpectomy to remove it (I'll find out next week if they got it all this time :fingers:) and once I heal I will have 6 weeks (5 days a week) of radiation and then 5 years of Tamoxifen. I'm kind of nervous about these two things. The side effects seem a little daunting. I'm not good with medicine and nervous about it.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[tinkerbellybutton]

I don't have any words of advice as I have not been in your position, but I wanted to send you some :pixie: that they got it all. Good luck.

[OhToodles!]

Just a little more pixie dust for you. :pixie:

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Has anyone recently under gone treatment for breast cancer? I have a very early stage breast cancer (DCIS), which if you get one is the best to get, but since I am considered young (41) for b.c. they are treating it aggressively.

I just had my second lumpectomy to remove it (I'll find out next week if they got it all this time :fingers:) and once I heal I will have 6 weeks (5 days a week) of radiation and then 5 years of Tamoxifen. I'm kind of nervous about these two things. The side effects seem a little daunting. I'm not good with medicine and nervous about it.

Thanks in advance for your help!

:( I just recently (June) took a few weeks of to take care of my mother who was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer.... :nurse:she decided to have a double masectomy (she's 61)...we just found out she will not have to have chemo or tamoxifen...she has made several new friends also with breast cancer and she was told that the devasting side effects from treatment are no longer the case....of course, everyone is different but what the doctor told her is that they have made enormous progress with treatments in the past five years and now, most people can still live somewhat normal lives while undergoing treatment....discuss it with your doctor, pray a lot and just in case here is some pixie dust:pixie:

[kakn7294]

No personal experience or advice, but I wanted to add in more :pixie:!

[RedSoxFan]

:pixie::pixie::pixie::pixie:More pixie dust for you.

[WDWFanatic]

Thank you all for the pixie dust, I'll take all I can get:thumbsup:.

MississippiDS: So glad your Mom is doing well and won't need to much treatment. Luckily I won't need chemo either, which I've been told is much worse that radiation.

[merlinmagic4]

I love your optimism (when you said it's the "best" cancer to have)! I always say a kidney is the best organ to need, too :) It sounds like your grateful attitude will do a lot for you.

:pixie: :pixie: for some trouble free treatments. I have heard radiation is tough only in that the person was going into Boston everyday. So, the commute was tiring for those weeks.

Are you close to your treatment hospital? Will you have a long commute and/or anyone to drive you back and forth?

[WDWFanatic]

I have heard radiation is tough only in that the person was going into Boston everyday. So, the commute was tiring for those weeks.

Are you close to your treatment hospital? Will you have a long commute and/or anyone to drive you back and forth?

I've been going to MGH (great hospital and doctors) which is about an hour away w/o traffic, lol. They've been very good about giving us appointments at "off" times to help with that. But they said I can have my radiation locally and they do use our hospital for tests so I feel good about that. They also said most people drive themselves. My DH will come if I need him too, but hopefully after the first I will be able to do it on my own.:thumbsup:

[offwego]

No experience but some more :pixie: for you.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Thank you all for the pixie dust, I'll take all I can get:thumbsup:.

MississippiDS: So glad your Mom is doing well and won't need to much treatment. Luckily I won't need chemo either, which I've been told is much worse that radiation.

:mickey:: Good luck to you....from our experience the positive thing out of all this is we found out how many wonderful people are out there:)

[JanetMegan]

My grandmother has done both and the radiation was not bad (mostly just very inconvienent.) By the 5th week she had some burning, itching at the treatment area but she said it wasn't unbearable, just made wearing a bra uncomfortable.

The Tamox she said was not a problem other than for her, cost.

[RALPH]

Check your intercot private messages for one I sent you.

[WDWFanatic]

My grandmother has done both and the radiation was not bad (mostly just very inconvienent.) By the 5th week she had some burning, itching at the treatment area but she said it wasn't unbearable, just made wearing a bra uncomfortable.

The Tamox she said was not a problem other than for her, cost.

Thanks, that's what I am hoping for...didn't give the cost part a thought. I just figured it would be covered by insurance. Is it a drug they won't cover?

[ElenitaB]

Prayers and :pixie: for you!

There are some great preparations out there to help you with any skin issues (look for a PM from me as well). My cousin drove herself to and from radiation, and I often drive myself to and from chemo (depends on what drug I'm receiving and what pre-meds are involved).

As is often said in the cancer community, this is a club you really don't want to join, but once you're in, you discover a lot of really great people.

[WDWFanatic]

As is often said in the cancer community, this is a club you really don't want to join, but once you're in, you discover a lot of really great people.

That is so true! Everyone is so kind and wonderful. I'm looking forward to having this all behind me so I can help a "newbie".

[disneydeb]

I wanted to wish you good luck with your treatment. I have had no cancer, but I have had to have 2 tumors (one in each breast ) removed and they were both benign. I will keep you in my prayers.:pixie:

[Kairi_7378]

First of all, I wanted to send you some pixie dust and prayers. I hope that everything goes as smoothly as possible for you.

I don't have personal experience with radiation but both my grandmother and my high school band teacher were diagnosed with early stage breast cancer when they were 60. Both were treated with radiation. My grandmother did have some stiffening of her shoulder but they were able to remove the scar tissue from that. My band teacher did not have many side effects.

If you're looking for support groups... My brother is a liver cancer survivor and he has met a lot of great people through the Lance Armstrong Foundation... he found their experiences inspiring during the times when he was feeling down. I have done work with the Koman Foundation... they are some great ladies, too.

[RenDuran]

My MIL went through the same treatment plan that you're going to have. She did very well on it. She's at the point now where she only goes in for annual checkups!

Good luck! I'm sure you'll do fine and soon you'll be helping those newbies!

[pdrlkr]

Lots of :pixie: :pixie: is on the way!

[WDWFanatic]

Well I guess I put the cart before the horse this time...

I heard back from my doctor and they cannot get all the dcis I will end up needing a masectomy. So yeah no radiation, but many options to look at now.

If anyone has gone though this and would like to send me a private message I would appreciate it. Not really a family friendly topic ;).

Thank you all for the prayers and pixie dust. Keep it coming!

hmmm, I think I may need a recovery trip to the mouse:mickey:.

[Not2Loud]

Below is what my MIL responded when I asked her. She is a nurse and 12 year breast cancer survivor. Hope it helps.

"What size was the tumor and why did it require 2 surgeries? Breast Cancer is very mobile, Radiation therapy concentrates on the site of origin. Chemotherapy covers all body systems. No one can guarantee that it has not moved from the tumor site passing through the lymph system into other organs. You have one chance to beat cancer the first time. I would throw ev erything at it. If it comes back it is much harder to manage.

Tamoxifen has been a good work horse if the tumor is Estrogen positive, it does have some undesirable S/E. However Arimedex is also a good alternative. Not everyone experiences all or any of the S/E's.

I took Tamoxifen for 7 years and then switched to Arimedex for the last 5 years."

[castlegirl]

I sent you a private message:thumbsup: