Mastectomy without radiotherapy

Hi .

I had a mastectomy in may of this year .I opted for that .I am glad I did because I had a small tumor and a lot of dcis . Everything got all in one go.I know it's a pain and a lot of worry .But was the best outcome for me .No radiotherapy no chemo.I declined  the onco dx test because I have a fatty liver and I read it can make it worse 

just on tablets for 7 years.The decision is yours . Everyone has a different journey I am 68 yrs of age so I know where you are  coming from .A big hug sent to you . Good luck . Sorry can't help wit you with the radiotherapy thing ️️

Thank you for that, very helpful. I keep coming back to mastectomy then I get scared things coming back. Yesterday someone advised to have radiotherapy with mastectomy just in case and I felt back to square one.

I assume you could have had a lumpectomy instead, so did you go through a lot of indecision and turmoil before deciding? 

No I used to work for the NHS so I decided a long time ago that I was ever in that position I would opt for that .I didn't know that if you had a mastectomy you wouldn't need radiotherapy .I no lymph node involvement  so no radiotherapy.U am a very positive person 

Thanks again. I am node negative as well. 

The surgeon would prefer me to have a re excision but will do a mastectomy upon request. Everyone around me is against mastectomy as they feel it's using a hammer to crack a nut. 

Hi ArtyAnne , sorry you are having this dilemma. I can only speak from my own experience - I  had wide local excision/ lumpectomy and node sampling, followed by hormone treatment and radiotherapy. I didn’t question the treatment plan initially as my mind was in a spin but did ask at my oncologist appointment (6 weeks after my op) whether I could have avoided radiotherapy if I’d had a mastectomy. He said that yes, in my particular case the outcome would statistically be the same from a mastectomy without rads or a lumpectomy plus radiation. But that in my case a mastectomy would be classed as over treatment. In retrospect I would have liked the choice. I can’t know for sure but I think I’d have chosen the mastectomy in order to avoid the radiotherapy and also might have felt more peace of mind that most of the breast tissue was removed. But….. each case is different so you need to know from the medics, whether you would still be recommended to have rads even if you have a mastectomy. 
Re risks of radiotherapy….. I’m not a medic but there definitely are known risks, which you can research on reputable sites such as this one, not a random Google search as I’m sure you’re aware! The treatments we get all carry risks and it’s a horrible choice really. Having said that, I’ve taken all treatment offered, had 3 weeks of rads as that was the standard at that time. I’m still popping the hormone blockers (Anastrozole) as although I don’t love the side effects, I’m hoping it’s keeping the beast away! I’d have had chemo if it had been recommended but it wasn’t. 
Good luck with your decision, it’s a tricky one and I think you need to know specifically whether rads would still be on the cards with or without the mastectomy, before deciding which feels best for you. 
Love and hugs, HFxx

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Thank you, so helpful. Did you have a single mastectomy and any reconstruction? 

I also have lung nodules (non cancerous so far) and my mother had leukemia so reasons why I am worried about radiotherapy in case it triggers something off 

Hi, sorry you are having this dilemma.  I had three areas close together so had 5cms and sentinel node removed.  I had a second operation because the margins weren’t clear.  I asked the surgeon if my chances of the cancer returning were better if I had a mastectomy and he said no.  The only risk was having further surgery.  The radiotherapy just ensures no cancer cells have been missed.  I have no issues at all having further surgery or radiotherapy.  Things have advanced so much nowadays.  Best wishes for whatever decision you make.  

Hi ArtyAnne , no I didn’t have the option of a mastectomy and had already had the lumpectomy before I saw the oncologist. When I asked at that appointment he simply said it would be regarded as over treatment in my particular case. So I had the 3 weeks radiotherapy and am on hormone blockers (Anastrozole). Xx