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		|  10-25-2007, 09:34 AM | #1 |  
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				Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Shingle Springs, CA - near Sacramento 
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				radiation question - how was it set up for you?
			 
 Hello again amazing group,
 I was just wondering - when my mother had radiation years ago and then when I did earlier this year, a mold was made of our upper body to ensure that we would be in the same position each time.  When my mother in law had hers 2 yrs. ago and now my cousin who is currently going through treatment,  neither had a mold made - just laid on the table in the same position.  Just wondering why some do this and some do not - seems more likely to be precise with a mold.
 
 thanks - have a great day!
 
 Donna
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		|  10-25-2007, 09:39 AM | #2 |  
	| Guest | In my center, they place tattoos in strategic places where the beam is directed.  In this way, the techs know if you are in the correct position each time. |  
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		|  10-25-2007, 09:57 AM | #3 |  
	| Senior Member 
				 
				Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Shingle Springs, CA - near Sacramento 
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				still got tatoos, but mold too
			 
 Hi Grace,
 Yep, my mother and I still got the tatoos as did my mother in law and cousin - but we still had the mold.
 
 Donna
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		|  10-25-2007, 10:50 AM | #4 |  
	| Senior Member 
				 
				Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Michigan 
					Posts: 230
				 
		 
		 
		
		 
		
		
	
		
	
	 | Tattoos and molds. 
				__________________Mary
 
 
 Diagnosed 11/04 @39yrs. young
 Stage IIB
 2.5 cm, ER/PR- Her+++, grade 3
 Partial Mast., 1/3 pos. node
 1/05 full node dissection
 4 A/C 4 Taxol DD, Herceptin 1 yr.
 30X rads.
 BRCA Negative
 NED
 
 Hope is the thing with feathers
 That perches in the soul,
 And sings the tune without the words,
 And never stops at all  -Emily Dickinson
 
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		|  10-25-2007, 10:54 AM | #5 |  
	| Senior Member 
				 
				Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: I live in Christmas, MI - located on the shores of Lake Superior. 
					Posts: 606
				 
		 
		 
		
		 
		
		
	
		
	
	 | I had only tatoos for my bone met.  For my stereotactic to my brain I had a full blown halo screwed into my head.  No molds so far. 
				__________________Barb
 
 10/03 Radical Mastectomy 3 cm tumor - 1/17 Nodes Stage II B, Her 2 +++ ER-/PR- 11/03 4 AC 4 Taxol 12/05 Stage IV - Lung met , Bone mets - Carbo, Taxotere, Herceptin 9/06 - 2 cm brain tumor 10/06 - Tumor removal surgery - Herceptin Halted 12/06 gamma knife tumor base.1/07 Navelbine/Herceptin 4/07 Rads to R femur 5/07 Stereotactic - new 2 cm brain tumor 4/07 Start Xeloda 5/07 Tykerb added 7/07 Brain MRI clean 10/07 .055 cm brain met found. 12/07 Stereotactic -1 cm brain tumor Start Tykerb 11/07 Abraxane/Herceptin 5/08 Cisplatin, Gemcitabine/Herceptin 6/08 Stereotactic to 1cm 9/08 Stereotactic repeat (growth). 11/08 Pet Scan Good but new tiny met on L lung/dead Brain surgery (no cancer cells found/scar tissue) 1/09 Chemo restarted 2/09 Pet Scan Bad - R larger very active/active L active lymph nodes both sides of chest MRI- mets slight increase 2/09 Start Doxil/Tykerb Treatment
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		|  10-25-2007, 11:14 AM | #6 |  
	| Senior Member 
				 
				Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: WHITESTOWN IN 
					Posts: 148
				 
		 
		 
		
		 
		
		
	
		
	
	 | I had both molds and tats 
				__________________DX IDC AT 42 12/7/06
 2.2CM STAGE I GRADE 2
 NODE NEG
 PARTIAL 12/18/06
 HER2+ /ER+(75%) PR+(5%)
 4 DD AC CHEMO STARTING 1/10/07
 4 DD Taxol Starting 3/5/07
 1year weekly Herceptin starting 3/5/07
 finished 2/18/08
 changed to every 3 weeks 4/23/07
 completed 33 radiation treatments 7/6/07
 TAH and BSO 9/24/07
 start Femarra 10/8/07
 Started Neritinib trial 12/14/09
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		|  10-25-2007, 11:20 AM | #7 |  
	| Senior Member 
				 
				Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Wilmington, Del. 
					Posts: 1,126
				 
		 
		 
		
		 
		
		
	
		
	
	 | Tatoos and molds at Helen Graham Cancer Center in Wilmington, Del. 
				__________________MJO
 
 IDC, Stage I, Grade 2
 Oncotype DX Score 32
 Her2++ E+P+, Node Neg.
 Lumpectomy 11/04/05 Clear Margins
 3 Dose dense AC (Couldn't tolerate 4)
 4 Dose dense Taxol & Herc. (Tolerated well)
 36 weeks Herceptin (Could not complete one year due to decrease in MUGA score)
 2 years of Arimidex, then three years of Femara
 Finished Femara May 2011
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		|  10-25-2007, 02:56 PM | #8 |  
	| Senior Member 
				 
				Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: New Jersey 
					Posts: 3,154
				 
		 
		 
		
		 
		
		
	
		
	
	 | I had both, tatoos and mold.
 Jean
 
				__________________Stage 1, Grade 1, 3/30/05
 Lumpectomy 4/15/05 - 6MM IDC
 Node Neg. (Sentinel node)
 ER+ 90% / PR-, Her2+++ by FISH
 Ki-67 40%
 Arimidex 5/05
 Radiation 32 trt, 5/30/05
 Oncotype DX test 4/17/06, 31% high risk
 TOPO 11 neg. 4/06
 Stopped Arimidex 5/06
 TCH 5/06, 6 treatments
 Herceptin 5/06 - for 1 yr.
 9/06 Completed chemo
 Started Femara Sept. 2006
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		|  10-25-2007, 03:15 PM | #9 |  
	| Senior Member 
				 
				Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Maine 
					Posts: 97
				 
		 
		 
		
		 
		
		
	
		
	
	 | I just had tattoos....no mold.
 Pat
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		|  10-25-2007, 03:35 PM | #10 |  
	| Senior Member 
				 
				Join Date: Jan 2007 
					Posts: 368
				 
		 
		 
		
		 
		
		
	
		
	
	 | Mold, no tattoos. I was marked and remarked daily.Lumpectomy.
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		|  10-25-2007, 04:15 PM | #11 |  
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				Join Date: May 2006 
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				is it mastectomy vs lumpectomy that makes the difference?
			 
 I can't tell from the replies to this post if it's true or not, but I've assumed that molds were for those with breasts.  I got rads at a local cancer center, no mold, post mastectomy.  I know of others who had molds at the same center but they'd had lumpectomies.  It could also be to do with amount of tissue available to shift about, on the chest - whether breasts or just generous amounts of tissue.  I assumed, but never confirmed, that once my tattoos were lined up properly, there wasn't much to move and that's why no mold for me.  If I'd had breasts, they could have shifted with the smallest movement or simply with muscle tightening.  But now I'm curious to know if that was correct reasoning.
 Debbie Laxague
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		|  10-25-2007, 04:52 PM | #12 |  
	| Senior Member 
				 
				Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Maine 
					Posts: 97
				 
		 
		 
		
		 
		
		
	
		
	
	 | That's interesting Debbie. 
 Like I said above I just had tattoos but I didn't have a breast.....just an expander, which didn't move or shift.
 
 Pat
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		|  10-25-2007, 07:50 PM | #13 |  
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				Join Date: Apr 2007 
					Posts: 292
				 
		 
		 
		
		 
		
		
	
		
	
	 | I went for my radiation consult on Wednesday, and they just marked me.  There were black lines, that I washed off.  There are also about 6 pink dots with circular outlines on them, that I was told to NOT wash off.  She said I could let the soap run down while I shower, but not to scrub.  They are already a little faded (from wearing clothes, I think), so I hope they are going to touch them up when needed.  I don't go back until next Thursday, and I just don't see how they are not going to be totally gone by then.
 They said I didn't have to get the tattoos if I didn't want to, and I did see some molds in the room.  I wondered what those were for!  I wonder if I have a mold made if I have to keep the pink dots?!?  Oooo, this is all such a pain in the butkas!
 
 Love to all,
 
				__________________ 
				Krista 
Diagnosed 3/29/2007 @ age 34 
Stage 1, Node Neg. (SNB), Grade 2, 1.4 cm. IDC 
ER/PR 90%+ HER2 + 
6 TCH started 5/25/2007, ended after #5 due to steroid "reactions" and neuropathy in feet and hands 
BUT--#6 CH w/o Taxotere 
Begin Herceptin alone 9/28/2007 
30 rads completed 12/19/2007 
Finish Herceptin 5/9/2008 
Stopped Tamoxifen early--HATED it. 
Married 17 years 
13-year old son 
3 embies on ice (from 1999) 
GA, USA
 
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		|  10-25-2007, 08:27 PM | #14 |  
	| Senior Member 
				 
				Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Alexandria, VA 
					Posts: 1,055
				 
		 
		 
		
		 
		
		
	
		
	
	 | Lumpy with tats only. They also utilized that high tech tool often, I think they call it a sharpie marker. Nice to know they're moving away from tats, I still like to wear tank tops. Now if they were brown instead of blue they might look like a beauty mark, Bev |  
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		|  10-25-2007, 09:13 PM | #15 |  
	| Senior Member 
				 
				Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Houston, Texas 
					Posts: 624
				 
		 
		 
		
		 
		
		
	
		
	
	 | I just got through with whole brain radiation, which I am sure has its differences.  I had a mesh mold and tatoos on the mold. |  
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		|  10-25-2007, 09:47 PM | #16 |  
	| Senior Member 
				 
				Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Mountains of Virginia 
					Posts: 2,267
				 
		 
		 
		
		 
		
		
	
		
	
	 | Just had tats, but had no breast. 
				__________________Rhonda (Sassy)
dx age 45
DX 2/15/05 Stage IIb (at surgery)restaged IIIa
Left mast .9cm tumor 5 of 14 nodes
Triple Positive 
4 DD A/C
12 Taxol/Herceptin
33Rads
Strange infect mast site one year aft surg, hosp 1 wk
Herceptin for total of 18 months
Lupron Monthly 4 yrs
Neurontin for aches, pains and hot flashes(It works!)
Ovaries removed 11/09 stop Lupron and Neurontin
Arimidex 6 yrs (tried Femara, no SE improvement)
Tried Exemestane-hips got so bad could hardly walk
Back to Arimidex for year seven
Zometa 2X Annual for 7years, Lasix
Stop Arimidex 5/13
Stop Zometa 7/13-Bi-lateral Stress Fractures in Femurs from Zometa 
5/14 Start Tamoxifen
3/15 Stem cell transplant to stimulate femur bone growth/healing
5/15 Complete fracture of right femur/Titanium rods both femurs
9/16 Start Evista stopTamoxifen
 3/17 Stop Evista--unwelcome side effects!
 NED and no meds.......
14  YEARS NED! |  
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		|  10-26-2007, 04:52 AM | #17 |  
	| Senior Member 
				 
				Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Sheboygan, WI 
					Posts: 2,582
				 
		 
		 
		
		 
		
		
	
		
	
	 | Tattoos (and not the pink ribbon on my foot either   ) and no mold.
  
Mary Jo
				__________________ "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10 Dx. 6/24/05 age 45 Right Breast IDC ER/PR. Neg., - Her2+++ RB Mast. - 7/28/05 - 4 cm. tumor Margins clear - 1 microscopic cell 1 sent. node No Vasucular Invasion 4 DD A/C - 4 DD Taxol & Herceptin 1 full year of Herceptin received every 3 weeks 28 rads prophylactic Mast. 3/2/06 17 Years NED <>< Romans 8:28 
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