Tracey - do I go ahead with 3rd op or stick to radiotherapy? How do I make this choice?

Hi

I had a lumpectomy to two very small lumps - diagnosed from a mammogram and biopsy .
Thankfully, early stages and removed lymph node showed no cancer.

two weeks After this surgery, I was told I needed another op to remove further tissue. I had hoped after this, just radiotherapy and meds. 

however, consultant now tells me latest path results show part of the clearing margin is not the ideal 2mm. I can have a third op or stick to radiation. 
how do I make this choice? Apparently both options should produce the desired results. 

has anyone been in this position please? 

  • Hiya, my wife went through bc and something that we quickly learned was make the choice you can be more at ease with. If you're swayed to not get the op and the cancer returned, would you be able to live with the "what ifs"? I'm not suggesting there's more chance of it returning without the op, but people tend to blame themselves further down the road if things don't go to plan. You don't want to go there.

    It was like my wife being put on Tamoxifen. It lessens the likelihood of the cancer returning by 2%. I didn't even attempt to sway her either way because only she can decide if being on that drug is worth that 2%. She decided to go on it.

    You're the person that's gonna be on that operating table should you decide to take the op, you're the person that then has to be at peace with each decision you made.

  • Offline in reply to ProfBaw

    Thanks. Yes, I’ve said all this to myself already. Sure, I can go through a third op No one will tell me medically, which is better.

    no one will tell me medically which is better.

    Probably the hardest stage of this process so far because as you say, how will I feel further down the line. i’m told, even with the third surgery, the results may come back that we still need a wide margin. I want to believe the radiotherapy with an extra boost will deal with it.

    I want to believe the radiotherapy with an extra boost will deal with it. Probably because I’d rather just move onwards.

    it’s taken me awhile to get used to ‘handing over to the professionals’ so to speak. Suddenly now finding myself in the driving seat is horrid.

  • Hi I don’t have breast cancer I have non Hodgkin’s lymphoma which affects my lymph nodes so I have experienced radiotherapy chemotherapy and also has a lymph node removed  , If I would have had a choice to have a lymph node removed or have radiotherpy I would have chose to just have the lymph node removed, not because radiotherapy was bad it was just tiring I had 20 rounds of it but I think it must do more damage to your body in the long term- than getting a lymph node removed.

  • Thanks For kindly replying, 

    I should say that I will have radiotherapy regardless. It is planned as a five day course only although an extra boost perhaps because of this. 

    wishing you well x

  • Sorry I misunderstood Trant, so if an extra boost will give the same outcome as the op  you might aswell just go with that if you have to have the radiotherapy anyway, But it’s your desision I wish you luck on whatever you choose to do.