I had all 3, but not in same order. Had mastecomy, chemo then radiation. Was told they're could still be cancer cells hiding they can't see, especially in the scar tissue from surgery. That's what made me decide to have radiation, to put my mind at ease. Radiation isn't all that bad, I didn't blister was just in some pain from burns. But they're are creams to help with that.

I am resistant about doing anti-hormone therapy for a similar reason -- if they've already killed my cancer, why do I need more (expensive and potentially permanently harmful) treatments? The answer I've gotten is that they know that the treatments they've prescribed don't guarantee you are cancer free. Maybe you can go back to your skin cancer doctor and get a recommendation (for or against radiation) based on YOUR history and pathology and not on statistical info for all BC patients.

My oncologist was rude enough to tell me if I didn't do the full radiation and other suggested treatments, and the cancer comes back in a few years, it will be because I didn't follow his recommendations. He was surprised when I told him if the cancer returns it will be a hard sell to get me to do chemo again because it only damaged my body the first time.

I think it's a personal decision and you have to do what's right for you. On my journey I had a very aggressive stage 3 cancer that was her2 positive. My tumor was the size of my cyst. There s a picure of it in my pins. After chemo there were absolutely no signs of it on my mri's ultra sounds anywhere but my cancer team strongly suggested the surgery so I agree and when I woke up from the lumpectomy my surgeon said I'm sorry but there's cancer in the margins.

I also am stage 2, will be post 6 chemo treatments an axillary lymph node dissection. Fir one positive node and radiation recommendations since " in one area my margin was " close" . I do not want the radiation