Starting Radiation January, 2022

Hello all,

I am lined up for 6 weeks of radiation and wondering if skipping is a course of action anyone takes? 0/8 nodes. I see some of you have less weeks of radiation here and I don't understand this. I am lined up for 30 rounds of radiation. (5 weeks + 1 week of boosts to the area where the tumor was).

Oncotype is only 18, so no chemo. Low risk. It was left breast quadrantectomy for a 2.7cm tumor, negative margins. The first radiologist misdiagnosed the size to 4.7 so more tissue was taken the necessary. Also, more nodes obviously. He took 3 fat pockets that lit up from the dye, not knowing there were multiple nodes inside each pocket because he said they were so small. My bad for having small nodes. Everyone says missing 8 nodes is a non-issue. Shoulder shrug.

I am wavering because of the left-breast (breathing technique assists with heart not being hit with radiation but it is still terrifying). I am concerned about my lymph nodes though she says they will not be radiated. Will they be ok? I don't even know how may I have left. To me, if later my heart and lungs don't function properly and I have lymphedema, is that a good quality of life? What are the risks really?? Any advice there? I don't want to back out of something that can save my life and keep a cell from traveling around, but I have a 20% of recurrence now and radiation takes it to 8%. I'm only 50 so they say I cannot skip it. Anyone out there skip it?? I am supposed to start tomorrow so please help!!

Hi. I am not very well versed in radiation yet as I am still in the chemo stage. However, I was originally scheduled for 4 weeks of rads from my biopsy. Then, when they found one positive node, it was changed to 6 weeks including lymph nodes. I am pretty certain that unless you have a positive node, lymph nodes are not included.

I would not skip radiation. Reducing your risk from 20% to 8% is a big reduction. If you had a lumpectomy, radiation is the standard course of treatment. Fortunately, you were able to bypass chemo. Perhaps you can have a further discussion with the radio onc so you can understand why they are recommending 6 weeks. But, I personally would not consider skipping radiation. You want to throw everything you can at this. Not regret it at a later time.

What is your schedule? I am concerned about and entire 5 weeks and a 5 day boost afterward. I am low risk and no nodes.

Hi all, I've undergone radiation three times, at a practice I love, so I thought I'd share.

In 2018 I had breast area/chest wall radiation to the rt side, 30+ 5 boosts.

My RO and her practice are great. It's a quick swipe in, change, and then they get us on the table pretty fast. In those first few weeks it was rough because it was hard to position myself in the mold and lift my arm up after lymph nodes were removed. I did the breath holds too, but those were okay. I remember most days the positions/treatments were quick, but one day they just couldn't position me right, and I almost ended up missing my son's preschool graduation. I was so distressed and in tears, and the techs kept apologizing. I should have just scheduled later in the day, but I was so scared and overwhelmed at the time, I didn't think of it. Obviously there was just a lot going on. I applied aloe regularly immediately after treatment and aquaphor later in the day. My skin turned red, then a brown/grey. The underbreast and underarm area chaffed badly, and I had to apply silvadine toward the end. Now the skin looks normal.

Last year I was diagnosed with the metastasis. 15 treatments to my hip and sacrum. Super easy. You swipe, positioning is easy, zap, and go. Mostly my skin was fine, but there was chafing and peeling at the groin, so I applied silvadine there.

This year, another met, to the femur. 13 treatments, finished last week. Again, super easy. Swipe, position, zap, go.

My treatment room ceiling is lit with images of palm trees and blue skies. How about yours?

Hi Caligirl555,

The down from 20 to 8% would make me do the radiation, but that is my own opinion. I'm 57 and have followed the protocols put in place for my treatment. I did have a bit of a change when surgery occurred and I ended up with two kinds of breast cancer, one that responds to chemo, one that doesn't. According to my docs I am NED right now and would love to stay that way, so radiation was going to be done.

I was told that radiation can "splash", so it sounds like this is what will happen with yours. They aren't being targeted, but they will most likely get hit. I have to have radiation all the way up to my clavicle on the left and have been told that I may have some splash to my throat area. I have had 5 treatments so far, had 21 nodes removed under my left arm and am not having any side effects because of it if that helps you feel better at all. I've had zero lymphedema, knock on wood, since my surgery in December.

Had #16 today, the last of the whole-breast radiation. Tomorrow is my first of 4 boosts. So far the breast is pink and a little tender but 99% of the time I forget about it.

I got a MyChart notification this afternoon and logged in to discover that the RO's office has scheduled a 3-month follow up for me in June, again without asking me about the date/time or mentioning anything about the need for a follow-up to me. Really, really not impressed. The communication in this office really sucks.

Wow, fantastic stuff, Jen2957! Both on being done early and your contributions with the Mepital film! Congratulations.

I had my first boost this morning and being able to see what was going on instead of being face down was quite a revelation. I was finally able to pair up the noises the table made with the sensations it induced and see how it actually was moving when that happened and it didn't match up to my imagination at all! For a change I felt like the techs actually explained everything quite well to me and I understood what was going on. 3 more to go.

Hi everyone,

My wife finished her 25th and final radiation session last Wednesday. It was a slog, but we got to the finish line. There were times when we were just running on fumes, but for those of you who are still going through it, keep at it, you'll get there soon enough!

One thing my wife was not prepared for was the fatigue and pain *after* radiation was finished. Her skin was mostly fine until about session 20, and it systematically got worse from 21-25. It's worse now than it has ever been, and that's with a week off. The radiation oncologist said that this is normal--she finished on Feb 16 and he said that she can expect side effects for about a month.

I hope and pray that this really does the trick for us. I hope that for each of you as well. Much love and stay strong!!!

HI all, hope you're doing well.

My 13 treatments to my femur ended 2.5 weeks ago. My skin looked totally fine. Then a week later I noticed sensitivity at the back of the leg. Totally forgot to apply any aloe or aquaphor at the back! You'd think I would've gotten the hang of things.

So the back of the thigh is dark red and irritated now, and sitting is sometimes painful. Mostly it's sitting on a toilet seat that is uncomfortable, and I've taken to putting a tissue paper down. It's so funny how the radiation side effects can show up a week or two later. I'm pretty tired these days too.

Anyway, make sure to check your skin at the back of your treatment area too. Wishing you all good health.

My skin started peeling about a week after I finished and is still ongoing. I wonder how long it will take for the skin to fade back to its normal shade.

Congrats to everyone who is finishing up!

Jen2957 - thank for ringing it for me!!!!!

So I just finished my 20 rounds of rads last week and I'm finally done with 9 months of this nightmare. Despite being finished, I've felt worse in the last two weeks then I have in months. I know they say that we will feel fatigued, but this is definitely different. I’m sore and achy all over, plus I’ve been needing my nausea meds again. So weird, bc I feel like it’s chemo side effects hitting me. Some days I think it’s bc I overdo it at work, but this took me out all day in a Sunday after a relaxing weekend. I literally woke up, napped and repeated multiple times yesterday. I’m also getting cruddy sleep bc the radiation burn pain wakes me in the night if it rubs.

My RadOnc follow up isn’t for 6 weeks. Does that sound on track with the rest of you? Seemed long to me. Thanks and be well yall

Congratulations Gamzu710! Yay!! You're done with this part of the journey! I feel the same way about never being done with BC, but it's a step in the treatment plan that gets you a little bit further away from where you started with it. Please keep us updated as you get further away from this with any side effects, I'm hoping you have none from radiation.

I'm going for BBQ #12 this afternoon. Two cancels due to weather, but according to our weather report, I'm good for the next 9 treatment days. My treatment center doesn't do the bell thing. I wish it did because I'd ring that sucker!