Weighing up the increased risk of Lymphoedema after radiotherapy

Hi ATuran I think lymphedema can also occur as a result of surgery as well as radiotherapy.  I don't know if your chances of getting lymphedema are higher if you have surgery and radiotherapy so might be an idea to ask the medical team that question.

I have very mild lymphedema which isn't causing me any problems and is slowly improving.  I'm also relatively young being early 50's so given the choice again I would still have radiotherapy.  Given what you think your mother's life expectancy is I can definitely see why you might decide against it.  If that was my life expectancy too then I wouldn't have had radiotherapy not only because of the lymphedema but because of the other side effects some now gone and some slowly improving.

Hope you reach a decision you feel comfortable with.

Hi there, I also hold POA for my mum who has Alzheimer's. I understand how tricky it can be making medical decisions. I always start from the position of... What would mum do if she was in her right mind? Doesn't always help though. I've recently had chemo, single mastectomy, radiotherapy for breast cancer. Still having drug treatments etc. Just developed lymphoedema. Totally gutted. Unexpected. Well to me anyway. In my left arm. Been given a compression sleeve and glove. It's mild. But I'm really fed up about it. Still coming to terms with it, reading about it, trying to learn how to manage it. Is it the end of the world? No. Would I have the various treatments again. Yes. Now then... Would I make the same decisions for my mum given her age and condition? What a decision. There is no right and wrong. I wouldn't not have the radiotherapy because of the risk of lymphedema... She may not get it. I'd cross my fingers and hope. She may well not, most don't. My thought would be how necessary is the radiotherapy, would she cooperate with the treatment. Would it prolong her life. Would it effect her quality of life? I think quality of life is important here. It's a tricky one. That's probably not helped at all, sorry. I was trying to be supportive. You are not alone. Good luck with your decision. Which ever way you go is the right one for you and mum.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply, much appreciated.

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. We’ve taken the decision not to have radio therapy for exactly the reason you describe - what decision would she have made. She opted not to have radiotherapy 12 years ago when she had a mastectomy. Wasn’t involved in this decision previously but I feel she declined for the same reasons.

I’m sorry to hear you have lymphoedema after all you’ve been through. Thanks for your kind words, they really did help.

All the very best with your recovery.

Thank you. Good luck as you negotiate the cancer journey with your mum. She's lucky to have you. You've made the right decision.  Take care.