existing cardiomyopathy , treatment decision risks of radiation

thanks TonyaM

I had lumpectomy with clear margins and radiation and the darn thing came back 7yrs later so had to have a mastectomy anyway. I was left with lung scarring from radiation and limited recon options.It was a left mastectomy and my heart seems to be ok after radiation.Good luck with your decisions-it’s not easy.

@Elvena Glad your chat with the rad onc went well & I'm surprised your cardiologist didnt offer any words of wisdom. I guess he knows the heart but not the effect of rad on the heart which is where the rad onc  specializes in. It is so hard as there are always decisions to make along the road. As much as medical professionals are there to guide & give advice & they will often give their opinion on what to do, the ball stops with you. You have to collect as much FACTUAL info as you can & get second opinions if you need & then you have to decide & go with your gut. 
I was lucky in that my surgeon straight out told me what surgery to have. As I was borderline whether to have rad or not, the decision was really up to me.  I questioned my rad onc about treatment & I asked if it was his wife what would he tell her & he said he would tell her to go ahead! That was good enough for me & I dont regret it as I breezed through rad without a hint of redness or other side effects. Good luck  xx

Thanks Anne  Today the leading radiation oncologist and registrar were helpful and informative, Yet I am  still left with difficult decision as margins close 0.04 . 
risk to do nothing  20-30% return
radiation reduces  risk to 5-15%
plus hormone therapy reduces another 5%
I think he is  leaning for me toward mastectomy, rather than radiotherapy but  is happy to do radiotherapy and find least damaging way to do it. 
 I do  travel to melbourne to see my cardiologist soon and will discuss this
 Although I did asked him( by email )when asking for fitness for surgery  a few weeks ago about  the potential effects of radiotherapy  for me and he said this is out of his expertise.

@Elvena How did you go today & was he helpful in answering your concerns? If not, get a second opinion from a specialist in that area. Your local GP may know of a specialist that can answer your question. You are in control of your body so dont do anything you're not happy with. i assume you are under the care of a heart specialist who you deal with as a result of your existing issue so maybe they can offer some help too. xx

Thanks  Anne
 I am seeing him today and will listen , although remain sceptical that he has the knowledge, experience or overlapping expertise with this specialist electrical cardiology area
to provide me with details and a complete risk assessment. I think I need to see a
cardio oncologist!

@Elvena I understand your concern & I would recommend you speak to your rad onc. I havent got a heart condition but following my rad treatment, I make sure I have routine heart/blood tests to ensure everything is OK. I had 3 weeks of rad & as it was on my left side, I had to do DIBH (Deep Inspiration Breath Hold). This means that I had to hold my breath for up to max 25-30 sec while the rad beam was on, to fill my lungs with air which moved my heart away from my chest. This technique saves your heart from the direct radiation beam.  
You do have to consider the risks & decide whats best for you your condition. With all the surgery/treatment you go through with cancer, it is so much a part of playing the odds/percentages/risks & knowing that everyone is different. Let us know what you decide & I would definitely put your question to you radiation oncologist as that is what they are trained to do. Good luck xx