Which treatment?

Hello welcome to the site! I am concious that you are struggling with your decision making - can I say - as someone who is five years on from you with spread of her origional Breast Cancer I would say take all the treatment that you can! If there are any stray cells anywhere you will be zapping them to bits with chemo! There Ive said it - Im not wanting to scare you at all but I just think you wouldnt like to be where I am now and if the chemo increases your chances I say take the chemo - I was given a less than 2% chance of mine returning but here we are - and now I am so glad I had the chemo!! As I say i really am not trying to scare you - but they cant be 100% sure all of the time and chemo isnt forever just a few months. I wish you luck with your treatments etc - send me a PM anytime. Best wishes, Jools x x

Hi Louise
I have ovarian, not breast cancer, but I do agree with Jools - take all the treatment you're offered! 4% odds are much better than 8% and you would never forgive yourself if you refused chemo and later on regretted it. On a lighter note - I'm having chemo at the moment and so far it really hasn't been as bad as I feared. Best of luck and please let us know what you decide. Very best wishes and a big hug. Kate xxx

Hi Louise,
I just wanted to say I totally agree with Jools, if it increases your chances I strongly suggest you go for it, what's a few months more treatment in the view of your life. I too had a similar choice to make, I was on a trial and on the second part of treatment after surgery I was randomised to 30 weeks instead of 20 weeks more chemo and two more strong drugs added in. I could have pulled out of the trial anytime I wished but I trusted that the people who trialled these drugs and all the research was saying that they might of thought this extra treatment could prevent reaccurance, so I trusted them and had the extra. There were times when I could have so pulled out but I stuck through it and now I'm glad and hope those extra months helped in the long run. I hope you make the right decision.
All the best,
Katie.

Hi Louise
I was diagnosed with BC and the first step of my treatment was a double masectomy and imm recon. I chose to have a double masectomy even though the tumour was only in one breast( cos of family history) and lo and behold when they carried out pathology on the breast tissue they discovered a small tumour in my other breast-thank god I went for a double masectomy.
I am about to start chemo followed by hormone therapy. I have been offered Radiotherapy if I want it on the axilla of the breast they thought was clear. My docs and even my husband dont feel its necessary as there is only a slim chance that the cancer will have spread to the axilla( it was aslow growing tumour)However I know that I need to take ALL there is to reduce my chances of a recurrance of the cancer.
Each of us has to make that decision for ourselves and I agree with what has already been said. One thing I am learning is to follow my gut instinct and in my case that is to take all I can.This is only one small chapter in our lives and I see this as a time out period.
I wish you well in whatever you decide
best wishes Jules x

Hi Louise,

I also would strongly advise including the Chemo, as everyone has already said, 'take it all'. If I were in your place and did not take all that was offered me I would forever be wondering should I have done it what If??????????????????????. Put your mind at rest, ths same as already has been said, what is a few months out of a year and a little discomfort if you can honestly say to yourself 'well, I have done all I can'. I have just had my op, a modified radical mastectomy with C/A also chest area nodes removed too;prev to that I had six months of Chem and now am awaiting my Radiotherapy to start, go for it.

Best Wishes and good luck in making your decision.

Emma. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hello! This is my first try at replying, so I hope it works!

I have just finished chemo after them finding tumours in both breasts. The chemo has reduced the tumours by 75% and, as the Oncologist said, "It is no longer life threatening".

I was worried about chemo and looked into all the side-effects. However, it was not nearly as bad as we had anticipated. It really wasn't! I found that I got to know my body and, by taking the anti-sickness drugs at the right time, I could avoid being sick. I did get various side-effects, but they were more than manageable. I got very tired and rested most afternoons, but other than this I was able to carry on life as normal.

If I hadn't had the chemo first, they think the operation could have sprad the cancer as the tumour was so large. Now that the tumours are greatly reduced, I will have bi-lateral mastectomy on Monday 11th August. This will later be followed by radiotherapy.

It seems to have been a long journey (I was diagnosed at the end of last October) but I know that at the end of this journey I will have done all I can. I have to leave the rest to God!

Please go with your gut feeling. I have found it is the only way to have peace. You know yourself better than anyone else does!