Radiation to Regional Lymph Nodes
Hi there! I was diagnosed with stage 2a IDC and one sentinel node removed was positive. I will be undergoing radiation to my regional lymph nodes. Should I be concerned about any side effects other than lymphadema? Please let me know if you have undergone radiation to regional lymph nodes and how you are doing. Thanks in advance!
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Hi @hollye , I had a similar diagnosis and had radiation to my regional lymph nodes. All radiation has the possibility of side effects but this treatment increases the total dose and widens the radiation field. I would ask the RO for a detailed description of the planned radiation field so that if you have existing problems with an organ which could be affected such as your heart, lungs or esophagus you can consult with your doctor first.
I was one of the 1/10,000 who had a serious reaction to radiation. Most people do fine but it turned out that unbeknownst to me I had occult ILD where my lungs were already damaged by gastric acid. My medical record showed an upper GI bleed, Barrett's esophagus and surgery for a thyroid goiter. I ended up with pulmonary fibrosis, esophageal dysplasia, rapid thyroid regrowth deviating my trachea, breast LE and bracheal plexus damage. Some of this (dysplasia and thyroid enlargement) could be fixed by surgery but I just have to live with the rest. One good SE is that I have no hair on my right armpit.
Most people seem to do fine since they don't have these underlying health conditions. By doing regional radiation I avoided chemo which has the possibility of different side effects. I probably would have had SEs from WBR on its own. I still think it is a good option for most people but check things out first. Cancer treatment is toxic so there is always the possibility of damage to other tissue. In spite of what happened I would do the RLNR if I didn't have those other health issues. All the best.
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Oh, Maggie, I am sorry to hear about your serious reaction to radiation. Thanks for letting me know about this. I hope you are doing okay now and I appreciate your advice.
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