Treatment Decisions

Question

Hello, My name is Cherie.I was recently diagnosed with ER+ breast cancer, it really shook be to the core, and what a roller coaster ride it has been, (Not a fun one!).&nbsp;I am finding it more difficult dealing with the decisions on treatment than the actual cancer diagnosis. I had a lumpectomy with 2 lymph nodes removed (luckily found nothing) 5 weeks ago and another surgery last Thursday to remove a little more margin. I have my first appointment with a Oncologist next Thursday. I have been reading and listening to everything I can get my hands on, which is a bit overwhelming at times. Latest research with radiation therapy states that it does not reduce the risk of distance recurrence. In regards to Hormone blockers, I have watched my mother-in-law suffer for 4 years with the side effects, she has decided not to continue with it, she would rather live a well life and be monitored. The treatment scares me more than the cancer!I am going to see an Integrative Oncologist that works along side medical Oncologist, my feelings atm are, I don’t really want to go down the path of the radiation and blockers.I’m interested to know if anyone else feels the way I do, and if anyone has refused Radiation, and/or blockers?

afraser · Answer

It’s hard to balance but while you can get support from how other people cope, you can also get firm ideas about side effects that may never happen to you. I did the full 10 years on blockers (letrozole) and yes, I did get some side effects but none of the aches, joint pain and menopausal symptoms that others experience. Depending on what is recommended it may be worth giving any treatment a shot. You can always stop if the side effects are too limiting (and may not wait for four years). Best wishes for whatever treatment you undertake.&nbsp;

blossom1961 · Answer

@Cheek2123 Sometimes it is best not to read about all the treatments and their side effects. Firstly, everyone’s cancer is different and requires different types of treatment. I am led by the medical team on this. Secondly, everyone reacts so very different to treatment and if you do not tolerate something, it can be changed. Ring the BCNA helpline just to have a chat to someone. Talking things over with someone who is not involved but who has been in a similar situation, often sets our minds at ease so we can move on. Take big breaths, calm yourself, then get on that helpline phone. This is not a fun ride but we do come to the end. My eighteen months of treatment went really fast. Sending big hugs

mareealso · Answer

Hi Cherie, Sorry to see you have joined the club. I did not do Radiation but the swing side of that is I had a mastectomy and chemotherapy. Regards the Hormone blockers, no one really knows how your body will react or the side effects. I have been on an Aromatasr inhibitor for less than a year and it did take a couple of months for aches to settle but I am okay now. I do have tendon issues developing but will see what happens as time passes. You will really need to have a good talk to your oncology team and discuss tumour size and staging to determine the best way forward for you.. wishing you the best! Kind Regards Maree

katie46 · Answer

Hi @Cheek2123, I found this part of the process the most overwhelming, not really knowing what type of treatment I was facing into. As it turned out I ended up having chemo, radiation, hormone blockers and another CDK inhibitor treatment called abemaciclib. I've taken the view the whole way to do whatever my oncologist recommends, and hopefully it won't come back, if it does, then I've tried everything.

Hopefully, once your oncologist has given you a treatment plan it will make the decision easier.

I'm feeling ok on the hormone blockers, and after a bit of tinkering, the abemaciclib seems ok as well.

All the best with your journey.

flclover · Answer

Hello, I shared your fears of treatment because it also scared me more than the cancer itself. I refused chemo as my cancer was stage and grade 1, and I wasn’t given a good enough reason to do it. I was also meant to not need radiation, but my first surgeon did a sloppy job on my DMX and so I ended up having radiation on both sides, double whammy. I was also on hormone blockers for 3 years (I tried all 3) and ended up coming off them early due to really nasty side effects, some of which can creep up on you silently. I didn’t feel the 4% they were helping was worth all that damage to my body and mind. I’m not happy about having had all that treatment but the radiation went ok, and I’m now trying to detox as much as I can from it all and I use natural means to get my body back in shape and as strong as possible. I figure that’s my best tool in making sure I don’t suffer long term from side effects and also avoiding a recurrence. I think an integrative oncologist is a fantastic idea.

This is just me, and what I’ve chosen for myself. Lots of women would disagree, but I stand by my choices and believe we have more options than just conventional medicine (I’m not talking about just ‘herbs’, it takes a lot more than that to have a strong immune system that would fight off rogue cells successfully in future to avoid them becoming cancer again). I’m looking at the root causes and working on those, in addition to helping build my body back after all that harsh treatment and surgeries it went through.

Good luck on whatever decision you make, you know your body best and I’m sure you’ll be ok in the end 🌸.

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