Should my Dad choose to have radiotherapy?

He was diagnosed with Male Breast Cancer 4 weeks ago. He has had successful surgery to remove breast tissue and lymph glands. He is taking hormone tablets. He is 89 years old, and he has been told he can get radiotherapy if he wants it. He is quite well at the moment, but radiotherapy, for 4 or 5 weeks, could make him ill. But it could stop the cancer coming back. He doesn't know what to do. Do you have any advice?

My Dad had the same thing - full mastectomy & lymph glands removed. He then had chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy. It wasn't plesant for him, or us watching & knowing there was hardly anything we could do - but as of the 1st December it's 7 years since the op & he's all clear.

It was right for him - Dad did what the hospital advised after a little time out to think as there's so little data on breast cancer in males. The more he finds out, the more he questions things before agreeing.

If your Dad has any concerns, tell him to discuss it with the professionals, it might also be worth having a chat with the family to help weigh things up in his own mind.

I hope all goes well for him & if you want anyone with an ear to listen who knows what you're going through - give me a shout.

This is a very personal decision. Some may feel he is 89 why
go through such an ordeal. Others may feel that it may help him live another 20 years.

Well the radiotherapy is not as hard on the body as chemo so it is the lesser of two evils
It is really down to him in conjunction with the medical people
Does an 89 year old need to go through more treatment , and if he does what are the statistics on how much it will increase chance of living any longer than without it
Glad the surgery was successful , hope he is feeling better

Since he is doing well, it might be worth it. But I can understand his apprehension. Would the radiotherapy make him so sick that it would be the end.

He might want to consider going on a specialized cancer diet. There are some schools of thought that suggest that some of what we eat feeds cancer, so we eliminate those foods. Likewise, some of what we eat can actually stop cancer, so we increase these foods.

Whether you or he believes this, you might just want to consider doing some research on this. Not necessarily instead of radiotherapy, but maybe with it. It might help him through it and come out even better and healthier on the other side. It helps a person to feel more in control of their health.

Whatever you do, best of luck to both of you!

Yes radiation therapy can stop the cancer if there were any left over cancerous cells the surgeon missed. It will also kill the good cells though. It will make him tired and crabby. And cause damage to his skin.

He is older and if they took the tumro out and he is doing quite well. I woudln't do it.

The radiation oncologist needs to sit down with both of you to discuss this. I'd ask about the potential for it affecting the bones in his chest and spine, as radiation can affect bone.
If your dad decides to go for it, it will probably cause pretty severe fatigue, and can also cause nausea. Nausea will affect his food and fluid intake, and he needs all the nutrition he can get in order to fight whatever cancer may be left in his system.
Radiotherapy has come a long way in just the last few years, with new machines that can target the area more precisely and the depth of the treated area. People are far less likely to suffer radiation burns. Of course, if the hospital in question has older equipment, I'd take him elsewhere.