Tx plan

Hello , 

I am not sure if you will see this message before your appointment.  It might be worthwhile asking your consultant if you fit the criteria to have TARGIT IORT (Intra-Operative Radiotherapy Treatment). 

This is a combined treatment consisting of operation of lumpectomy followed directly with the Radiotherapy treatment.  Thats it - operation and radiotherapy finished.

There are limited hospitals that do this treatment and I believe you are to only have 'one' lump.

This treatment is available on the NHS however many Consultants do seem to tell the patients about this treatment at all (which is wrong, they are by law supposed to tell us of every type of treatment available - whether suitable or not).

With the current situation - it would be worth asking the question, this would save you time, mental stress, travelling, etc.

Here is a link to the website:

https://www.targit.org.uk

Hoping all goes well tomorrow - it might be worth phoning first to make sure the appointment is going ahead, I believe a lot of appointments have been cancelled - so might be worth checking - you don't want to put yourself in any unnecessary situations.

Keep Safe xxx 

Hi , interesting suggestion from WhatHappened, definitely worth asking. I didn’t know anything about the targit method until after I’d had my op, so too late by then. 

Re timing of rads, it seems to vary a lot, from previous threads. In my case I was initially told 6 weeks after (I had lumpectomy, wide local excision and sentinel node sampling), but it was actually 10-11 weeks after in the end. No one seemed concerned that it was a longer gap and I was actually glad that I had more time to heal. I had also already started on hormone therapy by then which was sort of reassuring. That started from my first oncology appointment, 6 weeks after the op. Waiting for that appointment seemed endless, as do all the ‘waiting in limbo ‘ stages.

Wishing you well, and sending love and hugs. Let us know what happens at your consultation. Take care and stay safe, HFxx

Thank you for reply’s.

I have not long got back.

I will ring Nurse later re Radiotherapy at same time as Op.

Does anybody know any disadvantages? And I am in Northamptonshire.

Happy feet , your time frame sounds very similar as to what I am expecting.

 Now been told ER pos Her2 neg.from my understanding this is at the better end of things. 20mm.

Hi , glad that’s done, hopefully someone will pop in re targit rads who knows more. Your results sound very like mine - er positive, Her2 negative, and yes regarded as good because very treatable. Hope you feel a bit relieved to have one box ticked. Love and hugs, HFxx

Hi Thank you so much.  Your little bit at the end I Haven’t cried yet? Can’t?.

Hi , well it’s not compulsory and I haven’t actually cried that much myself! But I think it’s important to feel that you can cry if you want/ need to, and that you don’t feel you have to be ‘brave’. I’m the worst for trying to protect my nearest and dearest by ‘putting on a brave face’. But on the other hand, certainly in the early days of my own diagnosis, I felt that if I really started crying I’d never stop. So maybe you haven’t cried because it’s too much to let go at the moment? It’s a lot to process and I think we all deal with it in our own way and at our own pace. I seem to remember feeling quite numb to start with. And overwhelmed. But somehow once things started happening it was easier to have something tangible to focus on. 

Hope you are able to keep busy, hopefully doing some nice things, while you’re in this pre treatment phase. Love and hugs, HFxx

, I hope all went well.  A few things I didn't think of till HappyFeet1 mentioned them.  A lot of us, including myself, whilst surgery is being arranged and in many cases now, maybe postponed given the current situation - I was put on "Letrozole" (due to age, menopausal), if 'not reached menopause' most women are prescribed Tamoxifen.

These drugs are mainly given 'after' operation and is continued to be take for between 5 and 10 years. (I think many now it is for 5 years) with the belief they stop/help prevent BC from returning.

This is said some women are given this mediation 'before' operation with a view to the medication 'shrinking' the BC, this can be done for a variety of reasons; including the BC/area being to large, along with circumstances relating to delays whilst arranging operation (that was me, looking outside the box).  If this treatment is given, then you would need to have a 'ultra sound' to locate the BC - then a 'clip' is inserted into the BC.  This is done so that once the letrozole is started should the BC shrink the 'marker' shows where it is/was. This medication gives you as the patient peace of mind knowing that whilst awaiting treatment - you have actually started treatment.  

I can't see any disadvantages with regards to combined TARGIT IORT... apart from....
1). That 'it is not routinely offered to patients that fit the criteria.
2). If you fit the criteria dependant on where you live you may have to travel a distance to a Hospital that does treatment.

I had this treatment at a time just before it was available on the NHS - I can honestly say at this moment in time 'I have no regrets whatsoever, only praise'.  I just wished everyone that is suitable for this treatment was given the chance to have it..... One operation, all done - no waiting for healing to start 'daily' radiotherapy treatment, lasting 3 to 4 weeks, travelling back and forth.

Letrozole, is an aromatase inhibitor which is used in the treatment of hormonally-responsive breast cancer.  It is worth enquiring dependant on your age, if you could be given this treatment 'whilst waiting' for your operation.

I hope this all makes sense, my brain and mind don't want to work - feeling tired and needing sleep.

xxxx