Radiation Treatments and MC

rivendweller · Post by **rivendweller** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:42 pm

Hi, All:

I'm new here. Recently diagnosed with LC. I've had D for about ten months now. Had breast cancer last year (stage one, thank goodness). Lumpectomy, then radiation treatments for one month. No chemo. The surgeon removed the lymph nodes under my arm pit. Question: could the radiation and/or the removal of the lymph glands have caused the onset on this condition? It started just a couple of months after the radiation treatments.

I'm still reeling from the diagnosis, and do not know about my food intolerances yet. *sigh* Guess I'll have to start with the usual suspects: gluten, lactose, yadda, yadda.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Margaret

JLH · Post by **JLH** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:47 pm

By under the arm pit, do you mean sentinel node biopsy?

I had chemo and radiation many, many years before before MC. Lumpectomy also.

KYKatie · Post by **KYKatie** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:41 pm

Hi Margaret! Welcome to the board. You will find lots of helpful information here. There is life after an MC diagnosis, although it can seem overwhelming at first. Hang in there!

If you have been taking any meds, esp non sterodial anti-inflammatory drugs (advil, aleve, etc) since your surgery that could have caused the MC. That happened to me when I took a prescription NSAID for TMJ. Now I can't take any NSAID's at all. I always heard about stomach bleeding as a major side effect of NSAID's; never heard about anything like MC.

Katie

Post by **tex** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 8:39 pm

Hi Margaret,

Welcome to the board. Radiation commonly causes what is known as radiation colitis, so I see no reason why it could not also cause LC. Of course, presumably, radiation colitis typically occurs when the intestine itself is "in the line of fire" of the radiation treatment.

Also, the antibiotics commonly used during and after surgery can cause LC, as well.

Good luck with your treatment program - I hope that you can find the answers you need, here. Again, welcome aboard, and please feel free to ask anything.

Tex (Wayne)

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 8:50 am

I agree with everyone above. Antibiotics, NSAID pain killers, not to mention the stress of the surgery and radiation, could all have contributed to your MC. The question is, did you have an asymptomatic case brewing before? Any IBS-like symptoms? If it's early, hopefully you can manage it with diet pretty quickly. One of my best friends had stage 2/3 BC, and her new prevention diet is very similar to mine. No dairy, no soy, low sugar, no artifical sweeteners. The main difference is I eat a lot of meat (she limits red meat and pork), and she still eats some gluten.

rivendweller · Post by **rivendweller** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 10:26 am

Thanks everyone for your responses! Very helpful. @ Joan, yes, sentinel node biopsy. I was thinking "lymph nodes," then "lymphcytic colitis," hummmm.

Well, here's hoping I can manage this condition. Glad I found this forum. You guys are very upbeat!

Margaret