NanaQueen, good morning, I’m currently doing radiotherapy. Not sure whether you wanted something specific or just general expectations.
I arrive at my appointment, I am offered a gown to change into. In the session, I lay on the radiotherapy machine, the radiographer makes sure I’m positioned correctly. I m encouraged not to move once being positioned . As the cancer was on my left breast, I have been doing deep inspiration breath hold technique to reduce the impact of radiation on my heart.
The radiotherapy session takes about 30 minutes and I am left on my own in the room. The radiographer speaks through a speaker.
Impact on the breast: my left breast has become darker, this may not be your case. Dr said this will fade out gradually after I finish the treatment.
Side effects: I have been feeling exhausted after each treatment. Then again, we are all different, it may not be the case for you.
You may be advised to use the same body cream and not to change to a new one during treatment to reduce irritation on the skin. Was advised to moisturise twice a day.
there are several different fractionations depending on size of tumour, grade , position, lumpectomy or mastectomy and age of patient. Your oncologist will take all this into consideration to decide how many treatments you will have. Common variants are 5 treatments in one week, or 15 treatments over 3 weeks. Sometimes an extra 3 or 5 treatments are added just to the tumour bed. This is called a boost.
You will be told at your first meeting with the radiation oncologist how many treatments you are going to have as the treatment is personalised to you.
If you have any specific questions I’m happy to help as I used to be a radiotherapy radiographer.
i had 15 radiotherapy sessions so it took 3 weeks as they don’t do it on a weeeknd.
my skin went darker, and my skin broke under my boob but I was given cream to rub in daily during Radiotherapy and then a different cream for the broken area.
tiredness was the main thing but all in all, it was a doddle
