Treating breast cancer: Sarah's story

In the last decade, breast cancer treatment has improved - mastectomies are no longer routine, and women are surviving breast cancer for longer in increasing numbers. But how much of a choice do women really have in their treatment and in dealing with the side effects of orthodox treatment?

Sarah's story
In May last year, Sarah Haynes (41), a speech therapist and mother of nine-year-old Phoebe, discovered a lump in her left breast. It was malignant. Reeling from the shock of the diagnosis, Sarah, who lives in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, was immediately hurled into a roller coaster ride of treatments. These included a lumpectomy, followed by radiotherapy and a distressing few weeks on hormone therapy. A year later she is back to normal, and has had time to reflect.

'After hearing that she has breast cancer, a woman has only two choices - either to take the orthodox route suggested by the consultant, or take the route of alternative therapies. For me that wasn't a choice. I just wanted to get the tumour out even if it meant losing a breast.

'I wanted every cell zapped'
'The surgeon said that as the lump had been found very early, I would not need a mastectomy. He said he would remove the lump and surrounding area of tissue and take the lymph glands from under the arm followed by a course of radiotherapy. He said I might need hormone therapy, depending on the type of tumour it was. Within a week I had had the lumpectomy.

My surgeon assumed this was what I would want and didn't present it as a choice. After the surgery I went to see the oncologist and he was fantastic. He explained everything to me. He said I wouldn't need chemo but I would need radiotherapy. Because I had an oestrogen receptive tumour he also recommended hormone treatment. I had a long discussion with him and he said some women refuse radiotherapy, but I wanted to give myself the best chance. I wanted to make sure that every cancer cell was zapped.

It's very hard to get to grips with what's going on as you are in shock for such a long time. It's important to feel you have some control over what is happening to you. In my case, the medical staff discussed everything with me.

Another way of feeling less powerless was to find ways to complement the orthodox treatments. I went to see a homeopath, who gave me several remedies which boosted my immune system and stopped me feeling so tired. Aloe vera gel significantly reduced the redness of the skin after radiotherapy and homeopathic remedies stopped my panic attacks.