Is Radiotherapy harsher or kinder than chemotherapy?

Hi Neoza 

I had radiotherapy about a month after finishing chemo. Like you, I had EC followed by paclitaxel. I found radiotherapy very easy. The only side effect I had was a minor skin rash on my chest which was easily dealt with by applying hydrocortisone cream which the radiotherapy department prescribed. Hopefully you'll also find it easy.

Hi Neoza, the only side effect I had from radiotherapy was a red boob. It was a little tender but with plenty of moisturiser and aloe Vera gel it helped. I’m now 9 months on and yes boob is still discoloured it’s also nice and firm which is great. The other side is saggy though But it doesn’t bother me. I didn’t really suffer with tiredness from radiotherapy and I had 15 sessions all with additional boosters. I would have my session and then carry on to work after. 
Wishing you all the best. 
Hugs from cuffcake x x x x x

i had about a month break from chemo before radio, while the radio itself is much easier, appts last like 20 mins,

I personally found it more arduous because it was a daily thing. I also had a couple of techs that were clocking paychecks it felt, so was not a great experience because I also had a long commute there and back.a couple of times i had great techs, made the day so much better, i hope yours are good, it seems more the norm i think,

i slept a lot more, went to bed early and drank lots of water, and as cuffcake said, boob discoloured, had a couple of spots that bubbled but didnt break, if it happens don’t pick. and moisturise moisture moisture, some say shower every day but i didnt, maybe why the bubbles didnt pop?

i used aloe gel (be sure it has no alcohol in it) and water based creams, dr gave me a steroid when i had a rash and used it on red spots to ease, now almost three weeks post, am doin ok didnt get the late tiredness maybe because i had early nights, now back to normalish nights.

Thank you, that’s reassuring x

Brilliant! Thank you. I will be travelling far as well.  I haven’t had a schedule yet as my chemo doesn’t finish till beginning of March.  I’m assuming it will every day for so many weeks. If so I might have to book somewhere. Thanks for the tips x

Thank you. Haha I like the thought of potentially having a firmer boob I must say!  Thank you for tips as well. Well done you with the treatment too. 

Well done with your treatment. Thank you for this. Nice to hear from someone who’s had the same treatment xx

we did stay in a hotel for the last two nights to make it less arduous but it was also very cold then, so the last thing we wanted to do was be in the snow driving. drink lots of water the while time, it dehydrates you 

also i put aloe gel on the morning of my appts, they dont want anything put on before appt, and i took small bottle of aloe and slathered at end of session before leaving

Hi Neoza Following lumpectomy I did 12 weekly of paclitaxel, trastuzumab and 20 days (4 weeks) of radiotherapy. For me during the treatment period chemo was hardest. I didn’t have particularly bad side effects but I did slowly become more and more tired and I was exhausted at the end of it. I was working full time throughout too. 3 years on I still am.
I had no problems during radiotherapy at all. I was very tired for a week at the end of it and I had 2 burns which were painful and have left permanent scars. About 2 months after that I developed a side effect called radiation fibrosis. It causes thickening of breast tissue due to internal scarring. 
Now 3 years after treatment and disease free my biggest problems are the scarring leftover from the lumpectomy and tthe radiation fibrosis symptoms. Chemo hasn’t caused long term issues for me so far. 
Hope your treatment goes well. 
Love from the coffee fiend xx

Hi finished my treatment 2 years ago. I didn't have chemo but should have had 3 weeks of radiotherapy but in the end I had it in 5 days. But the positive is that I like mist women have a book that almost looks as good as  pre breast feeding, while the other still hangs south. 

The other thing is thinning hair and no hair under the pits only need to shave under one pit now.