Radiation choices?

bejuce · 09-05-2009, 12:44 PM

Hi everyone,

I'm about to start radiation next week (28 treatments) and I'm feeling a bit lost. Lost because contrary to chemo, I feel that I have not been presented with any choices. For example, I don't even know if there are different types of treatments (besides the different number of treatments). Is there any choice as to intensities and parameters of that sort? Besides coverage area, what questions should I be asking?

I feel that radiation is much more transparent than chemo and even surgery and would like to be more informed about it.

So to those of you out there who have been through it or are going through it, I would love to hear your input and experiences.

Thanks so much!!

Cannon · 09-05-2009, 06:18 PM

So interesting that you asked this question. I totally did not care by the time I got to my radiation - but you are right, they don't tend to give you a lot of information about radiation.

My impression was that the onc radiologist had his plan, and that was that. There are newer types of treatments where radiation "seeds" are implanted and also I believe tests of fewer hits of radiation. I'm not sure if the "seeds" are or have to be done at time of surgery, and it may be that with a bil mast, there is not much choice.

Interested to hear from others - and of course, you can always ask your rad onc - are there any choices?

Rebecca

Ruth · 09-06-2009, 06:04 AM

I did have choices that I remember and since you and I had about the same number of positive nodes it maybe something that is discussed. Granted this was more than 5 years ago but maybe something is the same. He went over the area that he said had to be radiated and then we got into the "extra" boosts that he personally wanted to zap me with. Higher on the collarbone and lower down my chest. These extra boosts were only 3. He went over the possible side effects of these extra areas but when I asked him if he was me what would he do. He said without hesitation doing the extra boosts due to the lymphatic involvement. Also, he felt my skin would hold up really well and that helped in the decision.
Good luck!
Hugs ~ Ruth

Becky · 09-06-2009, 05:28 PM

Dear Marcia

High five to you for even thinking about this very important question. Like most, I though radiation was a standard, calculated thing and I think, for the most part, it probably is.

Tomorrow is my 5 year cancersary so I figure I must have done some things right but for radiation - I think I really dropped the ball (Herceptin wasn't available then and I was spending so much of my energy trying to obtain it, I dropped the ball on rads thinking it was all just standard protocol). You see, on my non cancerous side, I was diagnosed with a tiny, low grade DCIS of which I was told I did not need rads on that side. The jury is really out on that decision but I never investigated rads as I had on everything else (AND I did get 16 months of Herceptin (starting 4 months after chemo was done and 2 months after rads was done) so I think that's why all is still well with me.

Ask, ask, ask questions on rads. Will the rad field encompass the lymph node area?
Will you get a boost to the tumor bed and lymph node bed? How many whole chest wall rad sessions will you get and how many boosts? What will happen if your skin does not hold up? What pre or post creams etc will you need to have on hand?

What other organs or "parts" will be in the rad field (so if your ribs hurt in the first year you don't freak).

You are smarter than you think - trust that, you are to ask about rads (which I do think is pretty standardly calculated for each of us).

Cheers to you and have a nice Labor Day!