Radiation Therapy - Yes or No?

Hi - my mother has just had surgery for DCIS with an excision of a 7cm
area in one breast. It is rated as 'high grade' with necrosis and mitosis.
She is 63 years old with a family history (mother died of breast cancer).
The cancer was removed without evidence of invasion and with good margin.
The doctor recommends radiation therapy for a course of 5 days per week for
5 weeks. However there is some controversy here about the necessity of
radiation therapy in this situation and of course she would like to avoid it
if possible, We see studies supporting the idea of having this therapy but
wonder if anyone has advice or can recommend a link supporting the idea of
*not* going ahead with this therapy with these risk factors.

Thanks for any help

John Wilson wrote:
> Hi - my mother has just had surgery for DCIS with an excision of a 7cm
> area in one breast. It is rated as 'high grade' with necrosis and mitosis.
> She is 63 years old with a family history (mother died of breast cancer).
> The cancer was removed without evidence of invasion and with good margin.
> The doctor recommends radiation therapy for a course of 5 days per week for
> 5 weeks. However there is some controversy here about the necessity of
> radiation therapy in this situation and of course she would like to avoid it
> if possible, We see studies supporting the idea of having this therapy but
> wonder if anyone has advice or can recommend a link supporting the idea of
> *not* going ahead with this therapy with these risk factors.
>
> Thanks for any help
>
>

See the recent thread "Breast Cancer Treatment Options" for some
negative evidence.

The study under discussion does weaken the case for radiotherapy in her
situation, but I wouldn't see it as in any way conclusive. You might
want bring it to the attention of her doctor and see what he says.


Tim Jackson

"Tim Jackson" <tim@tim-jackson.co.uk> wrote in message
news:45426ecf$0$8733$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
> John Wilson wrote:
>> Hi - my mother has just had surgery for DCIS with an excision of a
>> 7cm area in one breast. It is rated as 'high grade' with necrosis and
>> mitosis. She is 63 years old with a family history (mother died of breast
>> cancer). The cancer was removed without evidence of invasion and with
>> good margin. The doctor recommends radiation therapy for a course of 5
>> days per week for 5 weeks. However there is some controversy here about
>> the necessity of radiation therapy in this situation and of course she
>> would like to avoid it if possible, We see studies supporting the idea of
>> having this therapy but wonder if anyone has advice or can recommend a
>> link supporting the idea of *not* going ahead with this therapy with
>> these risk factors.
>>
>> Thanks for any help
>
> See the recent thread "Breast Cancer Treatment Options" for some negative
> evidence.
>
> The study under discussion does weaken the case for radiotherapy in her
> situation, but I wouldn't see it as in any way conclusive. You might want
> bring it to the attention of her doctor and see what he says.
>
>
> Tim Jackson

Thanks Tim - will review that thread now

"Tim Jackson" <tim@tim-jackson.co.uk> wrote in message
news:45426ecf$0$8733$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
> John Wilson wrote:
>> Hi - my mother has just had surgery for DCIS with an excision of a
>> 7cm area in one breast. It is rated as 'high grade' with necrosis and
>> mitosis. She is 63 years old with a family history (mother died of breast
>> cancer). The cancer was removed without evidence of invasion and with
>> good margin. The doctor recommends radiation therapy for a course of 5
>> days per week for 5 weeks. However there is some controversy here about
>> the necessity of radiation therapy in this situation and of course she
>> would like to avoid it if possible, We see studies supporting the idea of
>> having this therapy but wonder if anyone has advice or can recommend a
>> link supporting the idea of *not* going ahead with this therapy with
>> these risk factors.
>>
>> Thanks for any help
>
> See the recent thread "Breast Cancer Treatment Options" for some negative
> evidence.
>
> The study under discussion does weaken the case for radiotherapy in her
> situation, but I wouldn't see it as in any way conclusive. You might want
> bring it to the attention of her doctor and see what he says.
>
>
> Tim Jackson

Thanks again, Tim for an informative thread/article. Just wanted to ask
also is there any other news group that you can recommend might be
worthwhile posting to?

"John Wilson" <xxjanitor@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:4542963c$0$15890$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.a u...
>
> "Tim Jackson" <tim@tim-jackson.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:45426ecf$0$8733$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
>> John Wilson wrote:
>>> Hi - my mother has just had surgery for DCIS with an excision of a
>>> 7cm area in one breast. It is rated as 'high grade' with necrosis and
>>> mitosis. She is 63 years old with a family history (mother died of
>>> breast cancer). The cancer was removed without evidence of invasion and
>>> with good margin. The doctor recommends radiation therapy for a course
>>> of 5 days per week for 5 weeks. However there is some controversy here
>>> about the necessity of radiation therapy in this situation and of course
>>> she would like to avoid it if possible, We see studies supporting the
>>> idea of having this therapy but wonder if anyone has advice or can
>>> recommend a link supporting the idea of *not* going ahead with this
>>> therapy with these risk factors.
>>>
>>> Thanks for any help
>>
>> See the recent thread "Breast Cancer Treatment Options" for some negative
>> evidence.
>>
>> The study under discussion does weaken the case for radiotherapy in her
>> situation, but I wouldn't see it as in any way conclusive. You might
>> want bring it to the attention of her doctor and see what he says.
>>
>>
>> Tim Jackson
>
> Thanks again, Tim for an informative thread/article. Just wanted to ask
> also is there any other news group that you can recommend might be
> worthwhile posting to?
>
Not a news group, but I have found some useful information on a bulletin
board, http://bca.ns.ca/forum/, run by Breast Cancer Action of Nova Scotia.
I think Tim's suggestions are likely to be more helpful, but it wouldn't
hurt to see what you get there.

"Sandy L" <hlmssl@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:fjz0h.794$zf.497@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink .net...
> "John Wilson" <xxjanitor@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:4542963c$0$15890$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.a u...
>>
>> "Tim Jackson" <tim@tim-jackson.co.uk> wrote in message
>> news:45426ecf$0$8733$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader02.plus.net...
>>> John Wilson wrote:
>>>> Hi - my mother has just had surgery for DCIS with an excision of a
>>>> 7cm area in one breast. It is rated as 'high grade' with necrosis and
>>>> mitosis. She is 63 years old with a family history (mother died of
>>>> breast cancer). The cancer was removed without evidence of invasion and
>>>> with good margin. The doctor recommends radiation therapy for a course
>>>> of 5 days per week for 5 weeks. However there is some controversy here
>>>> about the necessity of radiation therapy in this situation and of
>>>> course she would like to avoid it if possible, We see studies
>>>> supporting the idea of having this therapy but wonder if anyone has
>>>> advice or can recommend a link supporting the idea of *not* going ahead
>>>> with this therapy with these risk factors.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for any help
>>>
>>> See the recent thread "Breast Cancer Treatment Options" for some
>>> negative evidence.
>>>
>>> The study under discussion does weaken the case for radiotherapy in her
>>> situation, but I wouldn't see it as in any way conclusive. You might
>>> want bring it to the attention of her doctor and see what he says.
>>>
>>>
>>> Tim Jackson
>>
>> Thanks again, Tim for an informative thread/article. Just wanted to ask
>> also is there any other news group that you can recommend might be
>> worthwhile posting to?
>>
> Not a news group, but I have found some useful information on a bulletin
> board, http://bca.ns.ca/forum/, run by Breast Cancer Action of Nova
> Scotia. I think Tim's suggestions are likely to be more helpful, but it
> wouldn't hurt to see what you get there.
>
Thanks Sandy - have found some useful info there

John,

I had basically the same diagnosis as your mother back in July 2005 ---
DCIS with high grade cells and they were ER, PR negative. I had a wide
excision followed by six weeks of radiation. I am 62.

My mammogram in January 2006 was said to be clear, but the one in June
2006 showed more DCIS --- the radiation did not help me, I guess. I had
an open biopsy in the summer of 2006 and even more DCIS was found, so I
finally had a simple mastectomy in September 2006. More DCIS was found
in the removed breast.

If I ever get DCIS in the other breast, I will have the mastectomy and
not try to go the conservative surgery route. It didn't seem to work
for me. This was my experience -- it may be different for your mother.
BTW, I did not have a difficult time with the radiation at all, but of
course, I don't know if any long term damage was done and now I can no
longer have radiation on that side..........Sue