Hi Sis,
I just had bilateral DIEP flap reconstruction. I had mastectomy on left side a year ago. I had 5 + nodes, so did elect radiation. It really fried the crap out of me (I was doing chemo concurrently). My rad onc did tell me that if you have 4 or more + nodes, rads is still indicated with mastectomy. They did my chest wall, axillary area and my supraclavicular nodes- 20-30% chance cancer there because of all my + nodes. There are risks to radiation. You may limit your reconstruction options- as implants have a high failure rate with irradiated issue. I wanted to do everything possible to beat this crap.
My PS wanted to wait until my red skin resolved. It took 5 months. My skin looked great, but he was shocked at how much scar tissue I had underneath. He scraped it all off. My new breast looks great and has healed nicely. I guess I am not totally out of the woods yet, but it has healed faster than the immediate/prophylactic/non-irradiated side. PS is not worried.
It is nice you are helping your sis. Maybe larger tumors that are close to the chest wall are in the "you need radiation" zone. Maybe get a second opinion from another rad onc.
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Are we there yet?
Dx 10/05 IDC, multi-focal, triple +, 5 nodes+
MRM, 4 DD A/C, 12 weekly taxol + herceptin
rads concurrent with taxol/herceptin
finished herceptin 01/08
ooph, Arimidex, bilateral DIEP reconstruction
NED
Univ. of WA, Seattle vaccine trial '07
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