Prevention information and radiation

Yesterday Jason and I met with a radiologist to help us decide whether or not I will need radiation treatment following chemotherapy. As mentioned in my previous post, radiation is recommended if the tumor is bigger than five cm with more than four cancerous lymph nodes involved. Long story short, this radiologist recommended radiation for me (and for anyone with any lymph node involvement at all, per two new comprehensive studies). More on radiation later.

The most interesting part of the two-hour consult was not that recommendation, however, but the doctor’s wealth of information regarding diet and lifestyle for women with triple negative tumors (like me). Only 15 percent of breast cancer patients have these types of tumors, which are not fueled by estrogen. Most of the things you hear on the news and in magazines about breast cancer pertain to the 85 percent of women with estrogen positive tumors. While estrogen fueled tumors can sometimes be attributed to things such as having children later in life, taking estrogen supplements or not breastfeeding, tumors such as mine just seem to happen for no reason other than a freak mutation. The doctor also said that the tumor had probably been growing for 10 to 15 years.

There are a few crucial things that have been proven to help kill these cancer cells and keep them from returning. The first, of course, is chemotherapy. Apparently going through chemo is pretty crucial for women with triple negative tumors, since any of these fast-growing, aggressive rouge cells that may have been floating around after the mastectomy respond particularly well to chemo. This was good to hear, since at times I have wondered if I really needed to be going through all this. Also, a low-fat diet (less than 32 grams a day) has been proven to keep triple negative tumors at bay. Bye bye, Starbucks scones (sniff). High doses of Vitamin D are also very important. Apparently, virtually NO ONE in the Pacific Northwest has enough Vitamin D in our bodies, since we get it from mainly from sunlight. Did you know our region has one of the highest rates of breast cancer AND multiple sclerosis, both which have been linked to low levels of Vitamin D? Even when it is sunny here, we don’t get much D since we are far from the equator. The radiologist suggested trips to southern California and spending 20 minutes in the sun before applying sunscreen each day. I asked if Hawaii would work, and he said absolutely! Thirty minutes of Hawaiian sun gives your body 20,000 units of Vitamin D, which is stored in the body and is beneficial for months. Isn’t that enough reason to go? Most people taking Vitamin D supplements get only 1,000 units a day, which still is rarely enough. At my next blood draw, I am getting my Vitamin D levels measured so I can make sure I am getting plenty. Vitamin D is also important in the prevention of other types of cancer, so men should take note as well!

We also discussed breast cancer screening methods for younger women. For those with dense breast tissue, mammograms are NOT ENOUGH! I am the perfect example. I had a mammogram one month before I found this tumor myself. Typical mammograms just can’t see through dense tissue, and the health care community has not done anything yet to respond to this issue. So ladies, it is up to us to watch out for our own care. A DIGITAL mammogram is better than conventional mammograms at picking up problems, so ask for that when before you schedule your appointment. And if the mammogram sees anything worth looking at twice, don’t settle for a just a follow-up mammogram. Demand an MRI, which uses magnetic imaging to see even the smallest beginnings of a tumor. They’re expensive, though, and it’s likely your health care provider will try and talk you out of it. So throw a fit. Cry if you must. Act paranoid and unstable so that the doctor’s only choice is to schedule an MRI, lest you start stalking him at his home. Offer to pay for it yourself. This is your life. I was called back for a second look at my right breast one year ago, and had only a second mammogram. The results showed that the suspicious area was only a shadow on the film. Well, tat “suspicious area” was in the exact same place as the tumor that I found a year later. I try not to think about where I would be today if I had known what I know now and insisted on an MRI. I’m pretty sure I would have ended up having only a lumpectomy and no chemo. It’s difficult to look back at that time, because this cancer would have been caught early had more detailed screening methods been used.

Regular breast exams by someone who performs them more than 10 times a day is critical as well. Experienced doctors know what to look for and know what cancer feels like. Do your homework and make sure your care provider is experienced.

So, back to the radiation issue. I will be undergoing radiation once the chemo is complete in July. Studies show that there is a 22 percent chance of recurrence in the chest wall. Radiation that is administered well can take that number down to two percent. It will likely start three weeks after my last chemo session. I’ll be getting treatment five days a week for six and a half weeks. Each session lasts only about 10 minutes and side effects are minimal (some fatigue and a sunburn on the treatment area). A CT scan is performed first to plan the radiation field.

That’s the latest. I start my second round of chemo treatment on Tuesday the 21st. Here’s hoping the worst is behind me!