Ah, one of those catch twenty-two's or 'your done if you do' 'your done if you don't'
Quite a sensitive question on a site like this and am not surprised that you will get a mixed reaction on such an emotional charged subject!!! Considering cancer research is on-going and continually working to understand the underlying biology of this disease in which they are making real progress and introducing better and more powerful drugs with less harsh side-effects and more women are now 'breast aware' EARLY!! detection is the front line!! I know what line i would choose!!!
Thanks for connecting, Karen - I'm on the fence on this. Having been through three surgeries, reconstruction, chemo, radiation, pneumonia, and two kinds of hormone drugs, plus now osteopenia from the drugs - I know what breast cancer treatment is like. And I'm not sure I wouldn't rather track a tumor very closely for awhile, seeing if it continued to grow or perhaps did NOT continue to grow, before I rushed into more treatment. Because the effects of treatment can be long-lasting (permanent, they now think, with Arimidex and bone loss), and difficult. But then, the effects of metastatic cancer can be... well, death. Whew. How lucky do you feel, eh? Thanks again, Karen- PJH
Hi J.P
Am sorry to hear you have been through so much and of course you have every right to give your opinion!! I can truly understand why you are on the 'FENCE' on this.
A couple of months ago i would have happily joined you!!! I had more trouble coming to terms with the treatment, than the actual 'cancer' The mere mention of the word 'chemo' send me into a state of distress and panic! I was diagnoised in July, this yr so its still pretty fresh in my mind and i do feel they moved at one hundred mls per hr in their treatment plan for me and i had know time to really think any of it through, as 'EARLY-DETECTION' and 'TREATMENT' were the tools of survival in this disease.
I wanted to wait till christmas was over before starting my chemo as i already had four lumptectomies in such a short time only to find out that i now need a mastectomy!
I started my chemo last tuesday when actually attending my pre-assessment. My onocologist was taking no chances and decided to go ahead that day incase i never came back!! 'TO WAIT AND SEE' at the moment is not a wise choice but it must remain a personel one and respected!
Take care J.P
Karen, I SO remember everything going at a mile a minute, having to make these lightning-quick decisions, for which you're totally unprepared... only with the hindsight of being 7 years past treatment would I even consider being able to take a "wait and see" approach. And, if confronted with a recurrence, I'm not really sure I would... it's just a really interesting puzzle, I think. I'm sending you good karma, and hopes that your chemo goes well, the mastectomy goes well (reconstruction?), and your cancer journey is UNEVENTFUL and fruitful. Good luck - PJH
Six years ago I had a lumpectomy for DCIS followed by radiation and tamoxifen. This years mammogram showed a questionable area near the previous surgery and a biopsy confirmed that inspite of the treatment, cancer cells survived. Since I had the maximum radiation my surgeon is recommending a mastectomy and reconstruction.
I asked the quesion, what if we just leave it alone? He said at 61 I was too young to consider that. If I was 80 or 90 it would be an option. Then he said he only knew of one case in Australia that survived this w/o treatment.
I have to admit that I am weighing the option of just watching it, but I am sure that the doctors and my family will try to talk me out of it. We are praying about the decision.
I am the author of Dear God, They Say It's Cancer A Companion Guide For Women On The Breast Cancer Journey, the book I wish I had during my first bout with breast cancer. Now, I find that I am again in need of my own book...
Oh my, Janet... For you, the time to make this amazing decision is NOW. I'm glad you have some spiritual help. I'd think the whole thing would be easier, though, if you had a doctor that bought in... But I imagine there aren't many doctors out there who'd agree to NOT "fixing" something that they think is fixable under their ministrations. Wow... I wish you all the best, and I'm sending you positive energy as you figure out what to do with this. I wonder if it would help to email the fellows who did the study? Bet you could find them by Googling... Best of luck, Janet- PJH
Thank you. That's a good idea about trying to find the authors. Our consultation appt is tomorrow so I'll see what I can find.
It's also going to be hard to get my family to "buy into it" too because we all know of women who didn't have the mastectomy and died...one of my daughter's best friend's mother!
You are right. Without God as my strength I could never know what to do .
I'll keep you posted on what we decide.
Blessings, Janet
Janet, when I was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in May, 2011 at age 34 I considered no treatment at all as well. My doctors are very agressive in their treatment and had already decided that I would be having chemo, radiation, and a lumpectomy. The people at my church laid hands on me 2 times and when I had surgery less than 2 weeks later, my tumor was completely gone and all the tissue taken from the biopsy site and 2 lymph nodes were free of cancer cells. God healed me and I will be choosing no further treatment despite my doctors' insistence on radiation treatments! I am not afraid. God is with me. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!
Hi Ashlie,
With my 1st occurence, I had a lumpectomy, radiation, and Tamoxifen and wrote the book, Dear God, They Say It's Cancer a Companion Guide for Women on the Breast Cancer Journey, and thought we were done. Then 6 yrs later, as you see with my 08' post, I had a recurrence in the same spot and did find a dr I loved who did another lumpectomy, but in the process discovered I had been treated 1st time like it was estrogen + when in fact it was -. They didn't check the 1st time, so I realized even more you don't just go with protocol.
Your latest post to me is so encouraging because I'm currently having a 2nd recurrence! Same place, same problem. We just moved to another state and so I've had to find all new drs, but many have been praying for me to have a complete healing this time just like you described. I've noticed that everyone who has prayed for me has prayed specifically for healing. I see the surgeon on July 25, 2011, but I feel your post today, almost 3 years after I wrote the 08' post, is from God. Thank you for being used by Him!
I have decided to have a 3rd lumpectomy whether it's gone or not, but what a miracle if it is!
Thank you, Janet Thompson
Cressida, I know you'll be just as strong as you need to be, should you have a recurrence. But try not to worry about what MIGHT happen. Enjoy what you're experiencing right now: fatigue, sure, but overall good health. The fatigue will fade with time; don't rush it, it DOES take time. And meanwhile, enjoy each day - OK? Happy holidays- PJH
I would absolutely take that chance! I was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in May, 2011 at 34 years old. I had a pet scan, MRI, and 2 chest x-rays which all showed an approximately 6mm mass which remained after the core biopsy. My tumor was 1.1 cm to begin with. When I had surgery 2 weeks later, my tumor was completely gone and all the tissue taken and 2 lymph nodes showed no cancer cells. My doctors have been trying to force me to do radiation treatments. I was healed by God and I will not be doing any further treatments. I feel that nutrition is very important and I will be doing holistic and nutritional therapies to help my body kill cancer by itself without harmful treatments.
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What horrifies me is that no one seems to talk about the possible causal effect of mammograms. The thought that no one talks about it is the thought that is upsetting! Then, of course, when all modern tendencies are aimed at aggressive treatment, and when we all can name people who died or had many recurrences without aggressive treatment, is it possible to do nothing? Is it possible, when time is so of the essence with this nasty metastasizing unknown in our bodies--is it possible to "wait and see?" I cannot imagine it....I hope there are many more studies and lots of reporting--soon! Thanks for this P.J. I think.
Barbara, this piece is purely to make you think. I posited to my breast cancer group yesterday, "Would you wait and see?" NO ONE said yes; though I imagine there are indeed women out there who'd do watchful waiting... I actually think I would. The original study did in fact have some followup about mammograms possibly being the cause, and concluded no, that wasn't it. This is a classic "there's no right answer" situation. Or no answer that's right for everyone, surely. Thanks for reading and commenting - hope htings are well with you and Brooke. PJH
Just got word that the FATHER of one of Brooke's bc survivor friends has now been diagnosed with bc. Having a mastectomy next week. His mother died in her early 40's and they thought it had skipped a generation to his daughter. Oh my....I only post this note because people really need to warn the men in their lives. Brooke doing great--going the shot and Arimidex route.....and on an experimental protocol with something to strengthen bones and stave off bone cancer--so they hope. She's happy to be part of a protocol and hopefully benefit others in the future as so many from the past have benefitted her. Thanks for asking, P.J.--hope all is well with you....
Oh.... my. Just doesn't seem right, a man having a mastectomy. I mean, it seems like, they have prostate, we have breast, can't we keep these cancers where they "belong"? I'm glad Brooke's doing well - tell her I hope the bone strengthener works well for her, because Arimidex is giving me osteoporosis, and the thinking now is that when you get bone loss from an aromatase inhibitor, it's irreversible... So which do we choose? osteoporosis or cancer? The lady or the tiger?
It also occurs to me that these studies described here are all in women over 50....and with all these new pre-menopausal women getting the disease, it makes the whole question so very complicated and confusing. I must confess to worrying.....but the latest quote on my email is: Worrying is like praying for what you don't want. Hold the thought.