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Radiation Therapy for breast cancer: What was your experience?
Breast Cancer | Last Active: Sep 17 2:21pm | Replies (39)Comment receiving replies
3wks Mon - Fri so in total 15 sessions ... the doctor did mention she might be able to get me into a trail group where they are doing only 1wk 5 sessions ... this sounds like a group I would be most comfortable with but no guarantee I could join this group
Replies to "3wks Mon - Fri so in total 15 sessions ... the doctor did mention she might..."
I had 5 whole breast radiation treatments. The radiologist said that for stage 1 BC with no lymph involvement, 5 treatments is the standard treatment at this hospital. He did say that not every facility offers it, and it’s not wrong to get 15 treatments, just different programs at different facilities.
It was trialed in Europe for years, and in cases where the cancer is early stage, is as effective as 15 treatments. The dosage in each treatment are higher, overall I received about 2/3 of the radiation that I would have in 15 treatments.
My hospital schedules the treatments over 2 weeks, Tues & Thursday week 1, and Mon, Wed & Friday week 2.
I had one day of fatigue, Thur of week 2, by Fri I was fine.
I developed a slight rash, mostly on the upper part of my chest where I probably have some sun damage.
Here’s an article about it … kind of technical, skip those parts & focus on the conclusions!
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30932-6/fulltext
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That trial would probably be some sort of targeted therapy. Targeted therapies are when you get it done but in much fewer treatments. Sometime as few as 5. I am sure that you will do great whatever happens, but I have heard from a few friends that the targeted therapy was easier. Theirs was 2 times per week for 3 weeks. Mine was every day for 6 weeks,
You got his❣️