Radiotherapy

Hello MandyJH,  Glad that you are moving along with your treatment.  I will give you my personal experience so this is just my radiation treatment plan.  I had bilateral radiation as had DCIS in the right breast and stage 1 in the left.  My breast surgeon did tell me about the one week radiation but the 10 year data was not in yet only the 5 which he said looked good.  The radiation oncologist said the same but after discussing did the 3 week on both breasts and a boost of 5 on the right tumor bed where DCIS was as one of the margins was not 2mm.  I was concerned about side effects but tolerated radiation really well.  Just a little pink color and sore nipples at the beginning of treatment but went away.  Did have an occasional itching but hydrocortisone did the trick.  Made sure I was very diligent with my skin care and moisturizer was my best friend.  No soap either.  Stand with back to shower too so water just trickles down.  3 weeks after radiation finished I started daily breast massage and did it for a year.  I have a video showing how to do it.  I got the ok from radiation oncologist to do it as he recommended it too but his version was not as good as the one I found on YouTube from s radiation facility.  Here is an excellent article about 3week vs 1 week radiation.  
https://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/accelerated-rads-has-same-effect-as-traditional

I have read about partial breast radiation too but was not a candidate as am small breasted and didn’t qualify as it took up my whole breast anyway.  
Hope this helps.  Either decision should be ok so just talk it over with Dr.

Barbara

Hi, Barbara, thank you for your reply, it has been very helpful, I will definitely go with what the oncologist thinks is the best option for me, I think even after surgery it is only just starting to sink in that I have breast cancer.

Most breast radiotherapy treatment in the UK is 5 days, sometimes with an extra 5 days tumour boost. The protocol changed to this from 15 days 3 or 4 years ago following clinical trials. You receive the same amount of radiotherapy but in larger fractions. Hopeful Barb  is based in the US where protocols may be different. 

I certainly understand what you mean.  
Barbara

Hi.  I’m reading because I will also have radiotherapy.  Just wanted to say I agree it takes awhile to sink in.  I think it really is,y fully hit me when I was sitting in the hospital chemo chair for my first chemotherapy treatment (before surgery for me).  I suddenly became tearful,  it’s such a shock.  But we will come through it and manage the side effects,  best of luck with the radiotherapy.  Would be good to hear how it goes for you.  X

I had stage 3 left breast only and had 10 sessions of radio. 5 to whole area and 5 more specific at tumour bed. The radiotherapy itself was OK. The tiredness hit me a few weeks afterwards. 

The hormone therapy if you have read on here can be a little tricky to get right for some people but don't be afraid to ask to change especially if like me it's for 7 years. 

I too don't think it really hit I had cancer until and I know this is going to sound silly but really wasn't until I was told by oncologist that they felt that had it all. Then it's like why do I feel so crap and have to take medication then... 

Sending best wishes and all the luck in the world. Good luck to both mandyh and ttls 

Thank you, it's such a strange feeling, I am so grateful to have had this caught so early and for the amazing treatment and support I have had from the hospital,  but I just feel like I have no right to mention that I have breast cancer or  feel worried about what the next lot of treatment will be like becasue I have not had to go through half as much as other people therefore if I say or feel anything it's makes me feel like some sort of fraud or that people are looking at me thinking I'm after some sympathy vote and there's nothing wrong with me ....It's a strange feeling but one I'm told is not unusual. x

I had exactly the same issues. It is such a strange feeling.

Hi MandyJH , your diagnosis sounds very similar to mine - you can click on people’s usernames to see their profiles (filling in the profile is not compulsory but useful I think), and what you say about feeling you ‘got off lightly’ compared with some other folk here resonates with me and probably many of us! Think it’s a sort of ‘survivors’ guilt’ type thing. When I was first diagnosed (nearly 5 years ago!) I told everyone around me that I was lucky because it was caught early, small, and very treatable. And I still feel that but would feel much luckier not to have got cancer at all! It’s still daunting to face radiotherapy and years of hormone treatments. 
Re 3 weeks or 1 week, I had 3 weeks and didn’t have a choice as the 1 week regime wasn’t commonplace then. I think in your place I’d go with whatever they suggest as I don’t think it’s cut and dried even now, as to which is best. From what I’ve read here, the 1 week is more intense as the daily doses are higher, but of course 3 weeks means more trips to the hospital. But no harm in querying it if you want to consider alternatives. 
Good luck with it all, this is definitely a great place for support, and there are many of us still rattling around the site many years after ‘active’ treatment. For me it’s a safe place where people ‘get it’ in a way that can be hard to find amongst friends and family who haven’t experienced cancer themselves. 
Love and hugs, HFxx

OMG, the last part of your reply has given me goosebumps,  Thank you ...it is definitely more helpful and supportive on here with people who have the same feelings and emotions to reasure you that we are not alone in all this :-) xx