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Hi Jean,
My onc initially suggested both chemo and Herceptin. My husband and I exhaustively studied our options. Our decision is mostly swayed by our friend, who is a good general practioner. His wife contracted the same profile breast cancer, small size, early detection, no node, etc. They decided that the best way was to do the mastec. Lumptec always has the possibility that there are some small but undetectable cancer cells straying within the same breast. They also felt strongly, as we do, that both chemo and radiation should be avoided if there are no better options. I am sure that you have read in this forum, and in other discussion panels, that many women still got recurrence in spite of all the chemo they have taken. I am a pharmacist and often handle the chemo agents. We are extremely careful to do the doses in well ventilated hood. They are highly toxic and can cause secondary cancers elsewhere in the body. On radiation, we all know that there is a finite limit any person can withstand the cumulative radiation. Some people have lower threshold limit beyond which the body become defenseless to cancers. Even on mammogram, the physical squeezing could cause the loosening of cancer cells to surrounding area by the physical force. My friend working at Sloan Ketterling did not want mammogram and go directly to mastec after learning her cancer from ultrasound and MRI data. When we told my onc that I did not want chemo and radiation, he readily agreed and felt that it was a rational decision. We did compromise to take Arimidex since its side-effects are minimal and its benefit seems to outweigh the harmfulness.
I hope I have explained my reasoning. I now try hard to strengthen my own body so that my system can fight stray or new cancer cells. I use food supplement and exercise, hoping they will do me good.
Ann
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