HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Mixed Recurrence Outcomes When Radiation Is Added to Excision for DCIS

Becky · 05-13-2011, 02:43 PM

Dear Hopeful

This was a great article, especially for me since I had an unradiated but surgically removed dcis 81 months ago. I had always been concerned about not getting radiation since radiation decreased the recurrence rate. This article puts my mind more at ease since I am so far out at this point.

Some thoughts are that radiation may cause other breast cell changes that cause this phenomenon or that some low grade dcis (like mine was) just don't really respond to the radiation and those cells change due to the radiation. Perhaps low grade dcis that is unradiated but a cell or more are left behind are actually taken care of by the body - we have read articles here on this site that some dcis just disappear without treatment (I think it was a study done in the Netherlands). After all, radiation does cause cancer - please don't misconstrue that one should not get radiation, it is a life saving treatment. I guess the bottom line is that more needs to be learned about what treatment each tumor or dcis really needs. We have all debated this same question with chemotherapy or Herceptin therapy and now the same question is true for dcis radiation therapy as well.

As Jean says, everyday we are a little bit closer. Thanks for posting this Hopeful as it personally pertained to me.

05-13-2011, 02:43 PM	#2
Becky Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Stockton, NJ Posts: 4,179	Re: Mixed Recurrence Outcomes When Radiation Is Added to Excision for DCIS Dear Hopeful This was a great article, especially for me since I had an unradiated but surgically removed dcis 81 months ago. I had always been concerned about not getting radiation since radiation decreased the recurrence rate. This article puts my mind more at ease since I am so far out at this point. Some thoughts are that radiation may cause other breast cell changes that cause this phenomenon or that some low grade dcis (like mine was) just don't really respond to the radiation and those cells change due to the radiation. Perhaps low grade dcis that is unradiated but a cell or more are left behind are actually taken care of by the body - we have read articles here on this site that some dcis just disappear without treatment (I think it was a study done in the Netherlands). After all, radiation does cause cancer - please don't misconstrue that one should not get radiation, it is a life saving treatment. I guess the bottom line is that more needs to be learned about what treatment each tumor or dcis really needs. We have all debated this same question with chemotherapy or Herceptin therapy and now the same question is true for dcis radiation therapy as well. As Jean says, everyday we are a little bit closer. Thanks for posting this Hopeful as it personally pertained to me. __________________ Kind regards Becky Found lump via BSE Diagnosed 8/04 at age 45 1.9cm tumor, ER+PR-, Her2 3+(rt side) 2 micromets to sentinel node Stage 2A left 3mm DCIS - low grade ER+PR+Her2 neg lumpectomies 9/7/04 4DD AC followed by 4 DD taxol Used Leukine instead of Neulasta 35 rads on right side only 4/05 started Tamoxifen Started Herceptin 4 months after last Taxol due to trial results and 2005 ASCO meeting & recommendations Oophorectomy 8/05 Started Arimidex 9/05 Finished Herceptin (16 months) 9/06 Arimidex Only Prolia every 6 months for osteopenia NED 18 years! Said Christopher Robin to Pooh: "You must remember this: You're braver than you believe and stronger than you seem and smarter than you think"