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Is Radiation Advisable After Lumpectomy?
Question: After having Lumpectomy "Mucinous Carcinoma" (small lump) in right breast removed, all tests were good news, Lympnodes clean, CT Scan, Bone Scan Clean, Chest xray clean. Docs say next is 6 weeks of High Intensity Radiation followed by Hormone Blocker. Why do I need Radiation if Hormone blocker stops cancer from feeding and growing. To much radiation is not good for system and in some cases can cause more cancer down the line.
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Brief Answer:
it is required
Detailed Answer:
Hi
I understand your concerns.
It is good that the disease was early stage and hormone sensitive in you. Chances of cure are excellent.
However, as only lumpectomy and not mastectomy has been done in you, radiotherapy is a must. This is because many studies with thousands of women done world over has shown that lumpectomy gives equal results as mastectomy only if it is followed by radiation. This is despite hormone therapy.
So I think you can't forego radiotherapy. Nowadays techniques have improved and chance of second cancer is quite low. Benefits outweigh the risks.
Hope this helps. I will be available to answer follow up queries.
Regards
it is required
Detailed Answer:
Hi
I understand your concerns.
It is good that the disease was early stage and hormone sensitive in you. Chances of cure are excellent.
However, as only lumpectomy and not mastectomy has been done in you, radiotherapy is a must. This is because many studies with thousands of women done world over has shown that lumpectomy gives equal results as mastectomy only if it is followed by radiation. This is despite hormone therapy.
So I think you can't forego radiotherapy. Nowadays techniques have improved and chance of second cancer is quite low. Benefits outweigh the risks.
Hope this helps. I will be available to answer follow up queries.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Why couldn't I just take the Hormone Blocker and keep getting checked every 3 months, since all my tests were very good.
I've talked to a lady at work that had a Mastectomy in one of her breasts back in 2000 and the doc did not order radiation and 15 years later she is still clean.
I've talked to a lady at work that had a Mastectomy in one of her breasts back in 2000 and the doc did not order radiation and 15 years later she is still clean.
Brief Answer:
This is to prevent recurrence in breast
Detailed Answer:
Chances of recurrence inside the breast is much higher if lumpectomy is not followed by radiation.
On the other hand, in mastectomy the entire breast is removed, so no possibility of inside breast recurrence. Hence after mastectomy radiation not required (unless very large tumor or nodes involved) but after lumpectomy always required.
This has been endorsed by all guidelines like NCCN (USA), ESMO (Europe) and NICE (UK).
This is to prevent recurrence in breast
Detailed Answer:
Chances of recurrence inside the breast is much higher if lumpectomy is not followed by radiation.
On the other hand, in mastectomy the entire breast is removed, so no possibility of inside breast recurrence. Hence after mastectomy radiation not required (unless very large tumor or nodes involved) but after lumpectomy always required.
This has been endorsed by all guidelines like NCCN (USA), ESMO (Europe) and NICE (UK).
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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