DCIS, single mastectomy, no hormonal blocking therapy

Dear SunshineViolet​ 

@Arpie is right - you need to discuss the matter first with your oncologist. Cancers vary a lot, so do treatments, depending on your cancer type, age, health etc. While you may possibly be advised that hormonal therapy may not make much difference, it's always wise to get electrical advice from an electrician, not a plumber! Both very skilled, but different trades. Treatments also change over time - when I started hormonal therapy (and I had no radiation) it was intravenous and five years was the standard recommendation. Four years in, there was sufficient evidence to say that ten years gave a better result. That was a decade ago and there will be more information/research to factor into a decision now. 

The efficacy of any treatment is sometimes hard to measure. I remain NED (no evidence of disease) 14 years after diagnosis. Did my ten years on Letrozole work? Maybe. I don't know. I'm not sure that anyone can say that with absolute certainty. My oncologist had no doubts about recommending it. I might have had the same result with no treatment. But like Arpie, I know that if I hadn't had the treatment, and my cancer had recurred, I would have deeply regretted my decision not to have it. Treatment is full of decisions - it doesn't make life any easier, but a strong sense that you won't regret a decision, based on the full information available to you and irrespective of the end result, is a good indicator of your feelings and personal preferences. Good luck and best wishes. 

 

So sorry to see you joining us here SunshineViolet​ xx. I hope you are recovering well from your surgery xx

It would be best if you discussed this with your Onc - specially as your surgeon & GP have said you'll not receive it! It isn't really their area of expertise!

Have you actually SEEN an Oncologist yet?  They should be able to give you statistics on 'how much benefit' you will receive by either HAVING AI (Aromatase Inhibitors/Hormone Suppression) or NOT having AI!  Also, ask them for a printed copy of both.  

Can you advise if your DCIS was 'invasive' or not?  And was it Hormone Positive? (Estrogen and Progesterone Positive?) 

Will you be having reconstruction further down the line?  If 'yes' - you could join the Private Reconstruction Group here:https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/closedgroup/choosing-breast-reconstruction

If not, you can join the 'Flat Chat' Private Group here:
Group: Flat Chat - no breast reconstruction | BCNA Online Network

Both groups will have information that may help you into the future.

I had a lumpectomy for Invasive Lobular Cancer (2 spots) and following surgery, I went on to have radiation and Hormone Suppression (for 7 years) and was lucky enough to bypass chemo.  (I was on HRT about 10 years earlier & had had a BC scare where I was called back for more intensive scans in Newcastle ... so I stopped it back then too!)

Following my surgery & radiation, I was actually offered a 'clinical trial' of NOT having Hormone Suppression - but I wanted to throw the bus at it, as I'd had friends who'd progressed to Metastatic after a number of years, so I chose to do the hormone suppression.

Take care & wishing you all the best.