← Return to Esophageal Radiation Burn after breast cancer radiation

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@californiazebra

Hi again @mir123, when I read that the surgeon said he can't remove something, I again wonder if a different more experienced surgeon could? Maybe they'll all say the same thing and then you'll know for sure, but I remember when my dog had a big chest tumor and one vet told me he couldn't remove it due to location and that she might bleed to death. Then later when my former wonderful talented vet came back to town, she said yes there is more bleeding in that location, but she could remove it no problem. She also advised me it was just an unsightly fatty tumor and didn't need to be removed medically anyway so we let it be and the dog lived to be 16. Some surgeons are more skilled than others. Not sure if you're seeing a breast cancer surgeon or a general surgeon who has less breast cancer experience. Experience is a great predictor of success. The same holds true for cancer/teaching hospitals that draw the best talent and have the most experience with difficult cases vs. a community hospital that often tells you they've never seen that before.

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Replies to "Hi again @mir123, when I read that the surgeon said he can't remove something, I again..."

You are right--experience is important. I've gotten opinions on my situation from Mayo, NYU, UNM, and locally...but since I'm not doing every treatment suggested I'm just limiting options. That is, additional surgery was suggested but I can't manage it physically or emotionally. I'm glad your dog lived a long life! Thanks for writing.