Re: further question about radiation tx for thyroid cancer

[Guest guest]

maybe doctors are not familiar with the use of radioactive isotopes and breastfeeding. she may want to search it with your help and present to doctors after she finds out what they are planning of injecting her with.

kathy dounoulis

From: Dee Kassing

Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2011 7:34 AM

To:

Subject: further question about radiation tx for thyroid cancer

Hello, Ladies.

I have written a couple weeks ago with a question on behalf of the mother who is pregnant but will have radiation treatment for thyroid cancer (gland was surgically removed during the pregnancy). We got those questions answered.

But her plan was to get the treatment 3 months after the birth, so she could breastfeed her baby for those three months. She breastfed her first much longer, but wants this baby to have some of the benefits of breastmilk. However, now her doctor is telling her she has to stop all breastfeeding for 3 months before she gets treated. She (and I!) are wondering why. She isn't getting answers from the doctor. I know that the woman I knew years ago breastfed right up until she was injected with the radioactive material and kept pumping to protect the supply until the radiation had decayed.

Any ideas as to why this mother might be getting told that she has to stop breastfeeding 3 months before getting treated? While she wants her baby to be breastfed for a while, she also recognizes the risk with delaying treatment too long. She was diagnosed and then discovered she was pregnant, so even breastfeeding for 3 months would mean delaying this radiation treatment for a year past original dx, and an additional three months if she follows the directive not to nurse for 3 months yet still wants to give her baby breastmilk.

Dee Kassing

Dee Kassing

[Guest guest]

Is

the radiation to ablate the thyroid or to kill the cancer cells? In cases with

hyperactive thyroid mother can choose to have surgery to remove the thyroid

rather than the radioactive material to ablate it non-surgically and continue

breastfeeding. With some kinds of cancer they surgically remove and do not use

radiation. Perhaps she should at least seek a second opinion.

I

have worked with a mother with a history years prior to giving birth of thyroid

removal and radiation treatments to the area post-surgery. With the first

pregnancy she had insufficient milk supply, but with the second we used

domperidone (before FDA warning) and goat’s rue and she initiated a

complete milk supply.

Judy

Judith

L. Gutowski, BA, IBCLC, RLC

135 McGrath Lane

P Box 1

Hannastown, PA 15635-0001

Cell

Phone

Fax

[Guest guest]

Dee,You should try writing to Tom Hale.  I remember him saying something about having to wean to protect the breasts from radiation as the milk would contain radioactive molecules and put the breast at risk for breast cancer. But, that was a long time ago and maybe my memory does not serve me right.  I guess it also depends which product the mother will be exposed to. From what I know, from my sister’s experience, it some type of radioactive Iodine.  But  you need the exact name as the half-life differs from one type to the other. Ghislaine Reid, BA (Translation 1981), LLL (1990), IBCLC(2002)Montreal, Quebec, Canada De : [mailto: ] De la part de Dee KassingEnvoyé : 9 novembre 2011 00:35À : Objet : further question about radiation tx for thyroid cancer Hello, Ladies. I have written a couple weeks ago with a question on behalf of the mother who is pregnant but will have radiation treatment for thyroid cancer (gland was surgically removed during the pregnancy). We got those questions answered. But her plan was to get the treatment 3 months after the birth, so she could breastfeed her baby for those three months. She breastfed her first much longer, but wants this baby to have some of the benefits of breastmilk. However, now her doctor is telling her she has to stop all breastfeeding for 3 months before she gets treated. She (and I!) are wondering why. She isn't getting answers from the doctor. I know that the woman I knew years ago breastfed right up until she was injected with the radioactive material and kept pumping to protect the supply until the radiation had decayed. Any ideas as to why this mother might be getting told that she has to stop breastfeeding 3 months before getting treated? While she wants her baby to be breastfed for a while, she also recognizes the risk with delaying treatment too long. She was diagnosed and then discovered she was pregnant, so even breastfeeding for 3 months would mean delaying this radiation treatment for a year past original dx, and an additional three months if she follows the directive not to nurse for 3 months yet still wants to give her baby breastmilk. Dee Kassing Dee Kassing

[Guest guest]

I was going to say the same thing. When it comes to radioactive Iodine the breasts have to completely stop producing milk prior to treatment because of the increased risk of breast cancer. I had a mom I worked with years ago who got the dx with thyroid cancer when her daughter was 11 months old. Doctor gave her a month to wean and make sure her breasts were no longer producing milk. Unfortunately when you've been lactating that long there was no way she would be able to completely stop production in such a short time. I advised her with a weaning plan and then have the doctor give her medication to dry up her milk prior to the procedure. I had another mom with Graves Disease that opted to refuse the radioactive iodine (she was dx when her daughter was about 6 months). She waited till her daughter was almost two before having surgery. There was some confusion at the time of her surgery about if the Iodine she was given prior to removal of her thyroid gland was radioactive. In the end it wasn't and she temporarily weaned for two or three weeks and they returned to nursing after surgery. I need to check up on her since it has been a year. I did a lot of research on thyroid issues at this time and called LCs and my support in LLL and in these cases it was the best course of action I could find. There may be new research now, but I remember having a hard time finding even the tiniest bit of information to help these moms. Anyway, I hope maybe this helps. LLL, IBCLCSent via BlackBerry from T-MobileSender: Date: Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:01:02 -0500To: < >ReplyTo: Subject: RE: further question about radiation tx for thyroid cancerDee,You should try writing to Tom Hale.  I remember him saying something about having to wean to protect the breasts from radiation as the milk would contain radioactive molecules and put the breast at risk for breast cancer. But, that was a long time ago and maybe my memory does not serve me right.  I guess it also depends which product the mother will be exposed to. From what I know, from my sister’s experience, it some type of radioactive Iodine.  But  you need the exact name as the half-life differs from one type to the other. Ghislaine Reid, BA (Translation 1981), LLL (1990), IBCLC(2002)Montreal, Quebec, Canada De : [mailto: ] De la part de Dee KassingEnvoyé : 9 novembre 2011 00:35À : Objet : further question about radiation tx for thyroid cancer Hello, Ladies. I have written a couple weeks ago with a question on behalf of the mother who is pregnant but will have radiation treatment for thyroid cancer (gland was surgically removed during the pregnancy). We got those questions answered. But her plan was to get the treatment 3 months after the birth, so she could breastfeed her baby for those three months. She breastfed her first much longer, but wants this baby to have some of the benefits of breastmilk. However, now her doctor is telling her she has to stop all breastfeeding for 3 months before she gets treated. She (and I!) are wondering why. She isn't getting answers from the doctor. I know that the woman I knew years ago breastfed right up until she was injected with the radioactive material and kept pumping to protect the supply until the radiation had decayed. Any ideas as to why this mother might be getting told that she has to stop breastfeeding 3 months before getting treated? While she wants her baby to be breastfed for a while, she also recognizes the risk with delaying treatment too long. She was diagnosed and then discovered she was pregnant, so even breastfeeding for 3 months would mean delaying this radiation treatment for a year past original dx, and an additional three months if she follows the directive not to nurse for 3 months yet still wants to give her baby breastmilk. Dee Kassing Dee Kassing

[Guest guest]

Waiting three months after cessation of breastfeeding is actually the correct

treatment. I had the surgery when my daughter was one but have waited on the

radiation until we are finished having children, as it can seriously damage your

fertility. This is one of those isotopes that has a very sad ending for

breastfeeding. I was devastated when I received by thyroid cancer diagnosis

because I knew what it meant for breastfeeding. Thankfully I found an oncologist

who was willing to wait on the radiation.

Benz, MA, CLC, LCCE, IBCLC

[Guest guest]

They would have done the radiation to destroy the gland, which is cancerous, back when they discovered the cancer, but they discovered she was pregnant at the same time. So, she couldn't do the radiation then. They surgically removed the thyroid gland, but it is felt that it isn't possible to be sure they got all the cancer when surgically removing the gland, so they also treat with radiation to be sure any lurking cancer cells are destroyed.

Dee Kassing

Subject: Re: further question about radiation tx for thyroid cancerTo: Date: Wednesday, November 9, 2011, 6:28 AM

Is the radiation to ablate the thyroid or to kill the cancer cells? In cases with hyperactive thyroid mother can choose to have surgery to remove the thyroid rather than the radioactive material to ablate it non-surgically and continue breastfeeding. With some kinds of cancer they surgically remove and do not use radiation. Perhaps she should at least seek a second opinion.

I have worked with a mother with a history years prior to giving birth of thyroid removal and radiation treatments to the area post-surgery. With the first pregnancy she had insufficient milk supply, but with the second we used domperidone (before FDA warning) and goat’s rue and she initiated a complete milk supply.

Judy

Judith L. Gutowski, BA, IBCLC, RLC

135 McGrath Lane

P Box 1

Hannastown, PA 15635-0001

Cell Phone

Fax

[Guest guest]

The mother has been asking and asking, yet can't get anyone to tell her what radioactive element will be used. It really would be helpful to have this information so we could get a clearer answer about everything else. Why do medical people have to be so unhelpful? Would it really take more than 3 seconds to just tell her the name of the radioactive material?

Dee Kassing

Subject: RE: further question about radiation tx for thyroid cancerTo: Date: Wednesday, November 9, 2011, 7:01 AM

Dee,

You should try writing to Tom Hale. I remember him saying something about having to wean to protect the breasts from radiation as the milk would contain radioactive molecules and put the breast at risk for breast cancer. But, that was a long time ago and maybe my memory does not serve me right. I guess it also depends which product the mother will be exposed to. From what I know, from my sister’s experience, it some type of radioactive Iodine. But you need the exact name as the half-life differs from one type to the other.

Ghislaine Reid, BA (Translation 1981), LLL (1990), IBCLC(2002)

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

De : [mailto: ] De la part de Dee KassingEnvoyé : 9 novembre 2011 00:35À : Objet : further question about radiation tx for thyroid cancer

Hello, Ladies.

I have written a couple weeks ago with a question on behalf of the mother who is pregnant but will have radiation treatment for thyroid cancer (gland was surgically removed during the pregnancy). We got those questions answered.

But her plan was to get the treatment 3 months after the birth, so she could breastfeed her baby for those three months. She breastfed her first much longer, but wants this baby to have some of the benefits of breastmilk. However, now her doctor is telling her she has to stop all breastfeeding for 3 months before she gets treated. She (and I!) are wondering why. She isn't getting answers from the doctor. I know that the woman I knew years ago breastfed right up until she was injected with the radioactive material and kept pumping to protect the supply until the radiation had decayed.

Any ideas as to why this mother might be getting told that she has to stop breastfeeding 3 months before getting treated? While she wants her baby to be breastfed for a while, she also recognizes the risk with delaying treatment too long. She was diagnosed and then discovered she was pregnant, so even breastfeeding for 3 months would mean delaying this radiation treatment for a year past original dx, and an additional three months if she follows the directive not to nurse for 3 months yet still wants to give her baby breastmilk.

Dee Kassing

Dee Kassing

[Guest guest]

There is no way to protect the breasts from the radioactive iodine that one is given in 1 dose after thyroid cancer surgery but at least the risk of later breast cancer is very low, unlike the risk of pancreatic cancer. It's taken in liquid form all at one time and the whole body is exposed to it. The person has to be in isolation for several days-not even a cat or dog is allowed in the room, and urine/stool has to be specially double bagged.

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/radioactive-iodine

Women who developed hypothyroidism as a result of their treatment for hyperthyroidism did not have an increased risk of developing breast cancer

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3358416

Gail Neuman RNC BSN CPHW, Notary Public

certified in high risk OB

childbirth/lactation educator & student nurse practitioner

NRP, AHA BLS for Healthcare & Heartsaver Family/Friends instructor

Perinatal Nurse Associates

Baby Your Way Midwifery Associates

801 N. Tustin Ave., Suite 305

Santa Ana, CA 92705

[Guest guest]

Hi, Everyone. Thanks to all who offered suggestions about why the mother shouldn't breastfeed for 3 months before starting her radiation treatment. She called today and I shared your ideas. She said that she spoke with the nurse and the nurse told her that many mothers actually don't come back for the radiation treatment because they choose to breastfeed for a year. And they *refuse* (the word the mother used) to tell her what radioactive material they will use for her treatment. How can they do that and *why* would they do that??!!

I had called the Infant Risk Center previously, but they can't give me any information without knowing exactly what radioactive isotope will be used, and we can't find that out, so that's another dead end.

The mother has decided to breastfeed for 6 months, pump during those 6 months to stockpile frozen milk, and then at 6 months start solids and give the baby her freezer stash of breastmilk. At six months she will stop breastfeeding so that she can begin treatment at least 3 months later (depending on how long it takes her to comfortably wean).

Dee Kassing

[Guest guest]

I just went through a radioactive thyroid exam/tratment with a mom I know (no cancer diagnosis, her thyroid just stopped working).  Her kid is 18 months (and still nurses quite frequently).  I bet the logic is simiar though .... The Breastfeeding Answer Book said to give it time for the breast to involute to pre-breastfeeding size, lactating glands absorb more radiation and there are risk factors there, including increased cancer risk?  It made sense to me, even though it is not what we'd want for a mother/baby pair.

xo

Deirdre

www.BreastfeedingArts.com

Sent from my Android

 

Hello, Ladies.

    I have written a couple weeks ago with a question on behalf of the mother who is pregnant but will have radiation treatment for thyroid cancer (gland was surgically removed during the pregnancy).  We got those questions answered.

   But her plan was to get the treatment 3 months after the birth, so she could breastfeed her baby for those three months.  She breastfed her first much longer, but wants this baby to have some of the benefits of breastmilk.  However, now her doctor is telling her she has to stop all breastfeeding for 3 months before she gets treated.  She (and I!) are wondering why.  She isn't getting answers from the doctor.  I know that the woman I knew years ago breastfed right up until she was injected with the radioactive material and kept pumping to protect the supply until the radiation had decayed. 

    Any ideas as to why this mother might be getting told that she has to stop breastfeeding 3 months before getting treated?  While she wants her baby to be breastfed for a while, she also recognizes the risk with delaying treatment too long.  She was diagnosed and then discovered she was pregnant, so even breastfeeding for 3 months would mean delaying this radiation treatment for a year past original dx, and an additional three months if she follows the directive not to nurse for 3 months yet still wants to give her baby breastmilk.

    Dee Kassing

    Dee Kassing