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A MyBCTeam Member asked a question 💭
Middletown, NJ
October 18
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A MyBCTeam Member

Sorry to hear you are going through breast cancer for a 2nd time. I had my second case of breast cancer appear in 2024. Considering it is your 2nd time with breast cancer and you are having a lumpectomy instead of a mastectomy it seems logical to me to have your entire breast area radiated if that is what your doctor is suggesting.

I had a double mastectomy with my 1st round of breast cancer and was told I didn't need radiation that time. For the 2nd round of breast cancer I had a pseudo lumpectomy which removed the tumors and breast tissue that still remained in my upper chest by my clavicle. They also removed a chunk of my chest muscle, 2 cancerous lymph nodes from my chest, and 14 cancerous lymph nodes from my armpit. I ended up having 8 rounds of chemo and 20 sessions of radiation to my chest, armpit, and neck with the last 4 sessions being an extra strength boost.

When you have a lumpectomy instead of mastectomy it's more likely that there were cancer cells that were left behind which is why most lumpectomy patients end up having radiation. When you have a mastectomy in many cases radiation is avoided. Talk to your doctor and ask what they recommend is your best option to kill off your cancer and keep it from returning for round 3. Good luck ❤️

October 18
MyBCTeam

Great question! The choice between whole breast radiation and partial (localized) breast radiation depends on several personal factors. Here's a quick breakdown:

Whole Breast Radiation
- Treats the entire breast
- More common after lumpectomy
- Typically more sessions

Partial/Localized Radiation
- Targets only the area where Show Full Answer

Great question! The choice between whole breast radiation and partial (localized) breast radiation depends on several personal factors. Here's a quick breakdown:

Whole Breast Radiation
- Treats the entire breast
- More common after lumpectomy
- Typically more sessions

Partial/Localized Radiation
- Targets only the area where the tumor was removed
- Fewer sessions in some cases
- Not suitable for everyone One important thing to know about left breast radiation specifically — the heart sits closer to the treatment area on the left side. This is something worth discussing carefully with your radiation oncologist, as they can use special techniques to help protect the heart during treatment.

Your care team will recommend the best approach based on your tumor size, location, lymph node involvement, and overall health. Don't hesitate to ask them to walk through the pros and cons of each option for your specific situation.

October 18

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