← Return to My experience with proton beam therapy & breast cancer

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@kellyc14

Late to the conversation here, but for members in the future who have the opportunity to visit UTSW in Dallas and interview them as an option, they have a GammaPod machine, which targets the partial breast, not entire. You have to meet certain criteria after a lumpectomy (I don’t know them all, but margins, proportions of tissue removed to remaining tissue are a couple- determined in scan). The big upside is only 5 treatments - long days (you are there for about 4 hours and are hooked to a very awkward contraption, have to be able to lay face down on the table for each session, etc.
Fatigue was still a big factor for me at the end and after. If anyone is considering and in the Dallas area, I would recommend an opinion from them.
(For context, I was DCIS stage 0, and required 2 lumpectomies to remove tissue to clear the margins, ER+)

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Replies to "Late to the conversation here, but for members in the future who have the opportunity to..."

Hi @kellyc14 Kelly, thank you very much for sharing. I am similar. DCIS Stage 0. 2 lumpectomies bcos they didn’t clear margins first time! Did insurance cover the treatments for you? I have really good insurance with Aetna but they still don’t cover proton unless the heart or lungs are in the way. Any info you can share would be greatly appreciated. I start Wednesday with traditional radiation and almost want to hold them to check with the Texas Place you shared.