Question:
Breast lumps

Hi: Anyone else discover breast lumps shortly after WLS? Do radiation and/or chemotherapy interfere with weight loss? Grace    — Grace H. (posted on November 26, 2002)

November 26, 2002
I sincerely hope your question does not mean that your doctor has told you that you have breast cancer, Grace. Perhaps, (I hope) you are jumping the gun a little bit on the chemotherapy and radiation part of the question (?). Unfortunately, I can, however, answer all of your questions. My plastic surgeon found lumps...two...about 16 months after my rny when I was having a breast lift. He removed the most suspicious looking of the lumps and sent it for biopsy. Although he told me about it (on Christmas eve, no less), we both sort of forgot about it for two weeks until the results came back. I was sure it would be nothing! I was wrong. I had breast cancer. A modified radical mastectomy and reconstruction soon followed, and my life was changed dramatically and irreversibly from that point forward. Fat and calories were no longer my biggest problem. I stopped focusing on weight loss and clothing size and began focusing on health. Cancer patients follow very strict diets, and although my diet is different from a weight loss diet, it is in some ways more restrictive and more severe. My attention is on preventing a reocurrence of my cancer, and diet and exercise are the most successful ways of doing that. There is much information available on the net, through cancer support groups, through the holistic community, and even through the western medicine community. You have to find the diet that resonates for you. Although I have recently begun to add some (very small quantities) of dairy products back into my diet, basically, vegan or macrobiotic diets are the most highly recommended. It's funny, but when you are motivated through cancer to really watch what you are eating, it is much easier than when you are trying to lose weight. Basically, cancer patients must avoid all sugar. Cancer feeds on sugar. Carbohydrates are sugar, so that means you'll have to avoid fruit and starch too. That leaves, pretty much, vegetables and protein. I don't know how difficult this would have been to stick to before my wls...the good news is that it is not difficult for me to stick to this diet now. And, I continued to lose weight for another six moths or so. I had no chemotherapy...and no radiation. I was very lucky. I am on hormone therapy only, and, yes...I did gain five pounds from the tamoxifen, which my oncologist says is typical. I do know people who have gained weight from chemotherapy drugs. There are so many different kinds of chemotherapy drugs, however, I wouldn't worry about this until you find out whether, and what kind of chemo your oncologist is going to prescribe. I also know people who have lost weight on chemo. I think that most everyone loses weight while on radiation. I will pray that you don't need either chemo or radiation. Please visit this web site patientsnci.com as soon as possible, and look into case histories and success in reversing cancer through diet and exercise before you have surgery. If I had known then what I know now, I never would have had surgery. Please try diet first. It works. Your doctors will put alot of pressure on you to have surgery immediately. That's all they know. However, Doctors or chinese medicine, and doctors all over Europe and many holistic practicioners here, try diet and exercise first...with a very high success rate. Good luck. You'll be in my prayers.
   — Anne G.

November 26, 2002
I also hope you don't have cancer, Grace (I think we've emailed before -- I hope you're hanging in there!). But if you do have it, I must respectfully disagree with the previous poster on two points. One, the theory that sugar causes, or feeds, cancer, was discredited long ago. There are plenty of good reasons to keep sugar to a minimum in anyone's diet, but that's not one of them. Two, dietary changes may be a good idea as a general part of cancer treatment and recovery, but they are certainly not a substitute for timely surgical removal of an operable, cancerous tumor.<P>As someone who was diagnosed with cancer two months after WLS, and who is now six months out from WLS (having been treated surgically and with radiation for the cancer), let me say that you will be so glad you had the WLS. It's such a positive thing in your life and you will be so glad you did it before you found out about cancer. WLS has already made you healthier than you would've been without it, and that can only increase your chances of successful cancer treatment. If you do have to do cancer treatment, let your doctors know of your concerns about your WLS and weight loss. Ask them specifically what to anticipate in terms of side effects -- including impact on your weight loss. Even if your treatments slow down or stop your loss for awhile, you'll pick it back up again when you're feeling better. Good luck to you!
   — Suzy C.

November 26, 2002
Suzy - I would have to agree with you. I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins' lymphoma (Stage 3/high grade - large cell lymphoma) back in 1995 and there was never any indication that my diet was the cause of my cancer nor a change in it would be the cure for the cancer. There were several people in my Wellness Connection support group - with darker prognoses than mine (I was given a 35% survival rate after 5 years) - that went the holistic or macrobiotic route and took all of these roots and herbs. And, if they believe in them, than maybe it did so them some good or at least prolonged their lives. <p> But that wasn't for me. I went with the conventional chemotherapy treatment for my NHL. This was because I had complete and utter faith in my oncologist - Dr. Kevin Fox from the Hospital of the University of PA. <p> Grace - I see from your profile that you are from Philly. Dr. Fox is the Director of Rena Rowan Breast Center. Please call and make an appointment (1-800-789-PENN) and have him check things out...JR
   — John Rushton

November 26, 2002
Hi Guys: I am the original poster. Thank you all so much for sharing your stories. You are all true survivors and have such positive attitudes. I can see why you were able to beat this disease. The funny thing is, I only scheduled an appointment with my gyn, who I had not seen in 9 years, because I was having WLS, and wanted to be healty in all other ways. A small spot was discovered on mammogram, and the doctor discovered another two lumps. If I had gone on as before WLS, and not consulted with a gyn, this may not have been discovered until it was very far along. Someone must have been watching over me. I have to have an ultrasound now before the 3 biopsies, but it could have been so much worse. Thank you all again. You are certainly special people. Love Grace
   — Grace H.