Hi all I’m looking for advice - I’m SPMS and was diagnosed with breast cancer two weeks ago. I had a lumpectomy 10 days ago and thankfully no cancer was found in the nodes - they took 4 nodes as well as breast lump to send to lab.
My question to you all concerns treatment for cancer and how it might affect my MS. Eventhough I’m SPMS I take Gilenya.
I’m meeting with an oncologist on Tuesday to discuss treatment but am getting the impression that they might hold back on cancer treatment due to MS.
They had told me previously that when a lump is removed - malignant of benign - it’s always followed by a course of radiotherapy or chemo but they seem to think that they don’t want to cause my ms symptoms to worsen.
Does anybody have any experience regarding any of the above - has anybody received such treatments and if so how did MS react?
I would appreciate any information PLEASE
Marie xx
I have no idea about this but you should ask your oncologist to talk things over with your neuro and agree together what is the best for you. Also get in touch with your neuro and ask him to talk to your oncologist. I can understand that your oncologist won’t necessarily know how the proposed treatment is likely to affect your MS, but if your two specialists talk to each other and work together you are much more likely to get the best treatment, taking into consideration all relevant factors.
I have had two specialists treating me talk to each other, but I had to ask one of them to go talk to the other, it didn’t just happen.
Best wishes.
Hi all,
thanks for input - thats the problem Mitzi - getting docs to talk to each other from different departments or even different hospitals. I will have to try when I meet oncologist tomorrow ={
Marie x
This is such a personal issue… you need a frank and open discussion, if you feel strong enough to ask that is,… May be identify what the risks are if you don’t have the follow up radio or chemo therapy. Perhaps think about the consequences of treatment versus a ms flair up or further degeneration of your symptoms, could you cope (radio therapy versus chemo, they have different affects on the body) which of the 2 are you more concerned about, could you get another lump, will you have another relapse.
If getting each provision to talk to each other is as you say problematic, put the questions forward sepeartely but share the responses yourself at any follow up appointments, if it can be arranged that way… Unfortunately, as we all know on this forum how 1 person may react to something either emotionally, medically or in terms of treatment is so variable. So how does what I have posted help you, it may not but I have had cancer and at the time various options put before me, some less invasive some more radical. I chose after considering lots of things what I thought was best for me and my young family at the time and also my own mental state. Not sure if this helps or not but just wanted to share my eperience. Sorry if I have been to direct Lou x
Sending you a warm hug hun
(((((((((((hug))))))))
luv Pollyxx