How To Decide Next Steps After Lumpectomy.

Do you always have to have radiation with invasive lobular carcinoma?
First stage, 1cm tumour, no lymph nodes involved. Hormon positive, HER2-.
Non hereditary cancer.
Oncotype 24, and I am 49 years old

I would hate to pronounce a never or an always on any treatment. Especially since treatments become more individual and more tailored all the time. Because of your age, I would think that some real thought should be given to preventing recurrence. You have many years to live with the results. Do you have an appointment to discuss treatment options yet.

Yes, I already spoke with the radiologist. She said it was needed.
I only asked because there are similar cases where no radiation nor chemo is needed.

@ngguil4d, any update? How are you doing with decision-making?

My breast surgeon recommended radiation therapy for 5 days a week for 4 weeks following my lumpectomy. She took into consideration the size and type of cancer that I had. I just followed her advice.

If you trust your doctor that is the best way to go. They really do take a lot of things into account when they make recommendations. How are you feeling now? Are yo7 finished with radiation?

Your case seems similar to mine, I’ll be 68 in a few weeks. I was diagnosed a little over 3 years ago. I am very grateful that my Ob/GYN found a small lump in my right breast during a routine breast exam. I had surgery to remove the lump and it was cancer. I was at an early stage 2, and very lucky that only the sentinel lymph node showed cancerous cells. I am so grateful that I maintained my regular visits with my gynecologist, and that the cancer was caught at an early stage.

My treatment was surgery to remove the tumor, and enough lymph nodes to determine that it had not spread very far in my lymph system. Following surgery, I was given the choice of radiation for 5 days a week lasting about 4 1/2 weeks, or Chemo. I choose the radiation option. It was kinda grueling going to radiation every day, I became pretty run down and tired: but I am grateful that at nearly 3 years out from diagnosis and treatment, I am still cancer free. I’m not fond of the meds we need to take following treatment (anastrozole, Tomoxifin, Exemestane, etc.). But even the nasty side effects of those meds are much better than cancer itself. Good Luck to you ngguil4d! We’re all rooting for you!

Yes - After seeing my MO on July 29th everything was so much clearer. Wish I had been able to see her a few weeks ago. I might have lost less sleep - LOL. I am on my 2nd day of 3 weeks / 5 days a week of whole breast radiation therapy and that will be it. No endocrine therapy. My tumor was less than 5 mm. If it had been greater than 5 mm she would have recommended the endocrine therapy. This was based on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network which is made up of 31 leading cancer centers including Mayo, Sloan Kettering, Johns Hopkins and more. Had I been over 70 years they would not have recommended the radiation either. They are doing a test study now for women 50 - 69 years to see if radiation is needed with Stage 1, Grade 1, less than 5 mm, no lymph node involvement. I found the NCCN site has a lot of information although to get to it you have to sign up which I did as a cancer patient.

I am glad you got the information you needed from your doctor. Be sure and allow yourself to rest if you start feeling the fatigue. How are you doing with treatment?

So far no problems. I was given some stretching exercises to do to keep my chest area from getting stiff. I have also started using Aquaphor to help the skin.