Radiation after surgery

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cindycflynn
cindycflynn Member Posts: 1,132 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
For those of you that have had radiation after a lumpectomy, how long after the surgery did you start your radiation treatments?

My mom is trying to make plans to be down here toward the end of my treatment and I have no idea at this point what to tell her. My surgery was October 12th and I don't get to see my medical oncologist until November 10th. I HATE the waiting!!

Thanks,
Cindy

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  • Tux
    Tux Member Posts: 544
    #2
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    I started rads 3 weeks & 1
    I started rads 3 weeks & 1 day after lumpectomey. I did not see a medical onc. until after rads. They really "rushed" me because I am a teacher & they wanted to get as much as possible done before school started. I am glad it happened so quickly. I hardly had time to think & I got it over with.

    Good luck in your treatment.
  • AnneFrank
    AnneFrank Member Posts: 5
    #3
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    Radiation after surgery
    Hi Cindy,

    My lumpectomy was Oct 5th. I saw my radiation oncologist on Oct 23rd. In order to have more time to heal I won't go back until 11 Nov for the measurement appt. Then maybe by the week before Thanksgiving I will start the radiation. I agree with you about the waiting. From the urgency of needing a 2nd mammagram, to the ultra sound, biopsy then the diagnosis...surgery and now things feel like they have slowed down. Uncertainty is hard too.

    I wish you well.
  • AnneFrank
    AnneFrank Member Posts: 5
    #4
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    Tux said:

    I started rads 3 weeks & 1
    I started rads 3 weeks & 1 day after lumpectomey. I did not see a medical onc. until after rads. They really "rushed" me because I am a teacher & they wanted to get as much as possible done before school started. I am glad it happened so quickly. I hardly had time to think & I got it over with.

    Good luck in your treatment.

    How many treatments did you
    How many treatments did you have?
  • DebbyM
    DebbyM Member Posts: 3,289 Member
    #5
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    AnneFrank said:

    Radiation after surgery
    Hi Cindy,

    My lumpectomy was Oct 5th. I saw my radiation oncologist on Oct 23rd. In order to have more time to heal I won't go back until 11 Nov for the measurement appt. Then maybe by the week before Thanksgiving I will start the radiation. I agree with you about the waiting. From the urgency of needing a 2nd mammagram, to the ultra sound, biopsy then the diagnosis...surgery and now things feel like they have slowed down. Uncertainty is hard too.

    I wish you well.

    I think the "norm" for
    I think the "norm" for waiting after a lumpectomy is about 6 weeks. They want to give you time to heal. Just give yourself time to heal before rads. Consider it a mini vacation, as when you start rads, it is everyday for weeks and weeks. So, enjoy your free days now. Good luck!
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #6
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    Rads
    Cindy,

    You're seeing your Medical oncologist before the radiation oncologist....correct? Have they mentioned chemo to you? The MEDICAL oncologist is for chemotherapy treatment...RADIATION oncologist is for the rads...In my case, after my lumpectomy in May, I saw my Medical onco who laid out the odds of a reccurence with and without chemo.....it was a no brainer for me...I had the chemo....then started radiation one month later..... As a rule of thumb, usually radiation is started 6 weeks after surgery, so that your incision heals well enough to withstand the radiation.

    The waiting is awful.....I wish now, that I had kept a "waiting journal.".......to see exactly how much of my life in the past 7 months have been spent waiting..waiting for test results, waiting for doctor appointments......waiting in waiting rooms....on and on and on.

    I wish you the absolute best.........
  • tgf
    tgf Member Posts: 950 Member
    #7
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    MAJW said:

    Rads
    Cindy,

    You're seeing your Medical oncologist before the radiation oncologist....correct? Have they mentioned chemo to you? The MEDICAL oncologist is for chemotherapy treatment...RADIATION oncologist is for the rads...In my case, after my lumpectomy in May, I saw my Medical onco who laid out the odds of a reccurence with and without chemo.....it was a no brainer for me...I had the chemo....then started radiation one month later..... As a rule of thumb, usually radiation is started 6 weeks after surgery, so that your incision heals well enough to withstand the radiation.

    The waiting is awful.....I wish now, that I had kept a "waiting journal.".......to see exactly how much of my life in the past 7 months have been spent waiting..waiting for test results, waiting for doctor appointments......waiting in waiting rooms....on and on and on.

    I wish you the absolute best.........

    Same as MAJW
    I also had a lumpectomy ... then saw the medical oncologist who is the one who reviewed the pathology reports following the surgery ... and he is the one who set the treatment plan for me. Chemo first ... then a short break ... then I saw the radiation oncologist to set the radiation treatment plan. The waiting is rough ... but once you see the medical oncologist ... you will have a better idea of what is ahead for you as far as treatment goes.

    hugs.
    teena
  • Kylez
    Kylez Member Posts: 3,761 Member
    #8
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    MAJW said:

    Rads
    Cindy,

    You're seeing your Medical oncologist before the radiation oncologist....correct? Have they mentioned chemo to you? The MEDICAL oncologist is for chemotherapy treatment...RADIATION oncologist is for the rads...In my case, after my lumpectomy in May, I saw my Medical onco who laid out the odds of a reccurence with and without chemo.....it was a no brainer for me...I had the chemo....then started radiation one month later..... As a rule of thumb, usually radiation is started 6 weeks after surgery, so that your incision heals well enough to withstand the radiation.

    The waiting is awful.....I wish now, that I had kept a "waiting journal.".......to see exactly how much of my life in the past 7 months have been spent waiting..waiting for test results, waiting for doctor appointments......waiting in waiting rooms....on and on and on.

    I wish you the absolute best.........

    I started rads 6 weeks after
    I started rads 6 weeks after my lumpectomy. I met before my surgery with my oncologist and my rads oncologist to discuss my treatment, pending the pathology report after my surgery. Nothing changed after the surgery, so, after my lumpectomy, I had radiation treatments. Your rads oncologist is for your radiation and can also order other tests for you. Your oncologist is the one that follows you for the rest of your life inre to tests also, hormone therapy and any new treatments that come along.

    Your pathology report, like I said, that you get after your surgery, will determine what treatments you will have. Your oncologist will go over it with you. Be sure and get a copy of it for your own records. Good luck!
  • cindycflynn
    cindycflynn Member Posts: 1,132 Member
    #9
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    MAJW said:

    Rads
    Cindy,

    You're seeing your Medical oncologist before the radiation oncologist....correct? Have they mentioned chemo to you? The MEDICAL oncologist is for chemotherapy treatment...RADIATION oncologist is for the rads...In my case, after my lumpectomy in May, I saw my Medical onco who laid out the odds of a reccurence with and without chemo.....it was a no brainer for me...I had the chemo....then started radiation one month later..... As a rule of thumb, usually radiation is started 6 weeks after surgery, so that your incision heals well enough to withstand the radiation.

    The waiting is awful.....I wish now, that I had kept a "waiting journal.".......to see exactly how much of my life in the past 7 months have been spent waiting..waiting for test results, waiting for doctor appointments......waiting in waiting rooms....on and on and on.

    I wish you the absolute best.........

    Thanks!
    Yes, I'm seeing the medical oncologist first. My surgeon told me that she'll likely order the Oncotype DX since my margins were clear and my node was negative. My understanding from my surgeon (the only doctor I've seen so far in my treatment) is that the medical oncologist will coordinate with the radiation oncologist.

    If I do need chemo, I'm not sure if they'll want to do that before rads or after. It sounds like those on these boards have had it done in either order. I'm not sure what determines which order is best.

    I did try calling my surgeon's office to see if he could at least order the Oncotype DX himself so that I wouldn't have to wait even longer for those results to get some answers!!!

    Sing along with me - "The waiting is the hardest part!!!"
  • MAJW
    MAJW Member Posts: 2,510 Member
    #10
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    cindycflynn said:

    Thanks!
    Yes, I'm seeing the medical oncologist first. My surgeon told me that she'll likely order the Oncotype DX since my margins were clear and my node was negative. My understanding from my surgeon (the only doctor I've seen so far in my treatment) is that the medical oncologist will coordinate with the radiation oncologist.

    If I do need chemo, I'm not sure if they'll want to do that before rads or after. It sounds like those on these boards have had it done in either order. I'm not sure what determines which order is best.

    I did try calling my surgeon's office to see if he could at least order the Oncotype DX himself so that I wouldn't have to wait even longer for those results to get some answers!!!

    Sing along with me - "The waiting is the hardest part!!!"

    SINGING.......
    Cindy.....When chemo is done BEFORE surgery, it is usually to shrink a large tumor and make it's removal easier.....Otherwise, chemo follows surgery, then rads start anywhere from 3-5 weeks afterwards....depending on how fast your body recovers from the chemo..I finished chemo on August 17 and started rads on Sept.15.... I too, thankfully had clean margins and NO Lymph node involvment.... "the waiting is the hardest part"...sung in my finest (yeah right!) voice....tee hee
    Again, best wishes
    Nancy.
  • Kristin N
    Kristin N Member Posts: 1,968 Member
    #11
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    cindycflynn said:

    Thanks!
    Yes, I'm seeing the medical oncologist first. My surgeon told me that she'll likely order the Oncotype DX since my margins were clear and my node was negative. My understanding from my surgeon (the only doctor I've seen so far in my treatment) is that the medical oncologist will coordinate with the radiation oncologist.

    If I do need chemo, I'm not sure if they'll want to do that before rads or after. It sounds like those on these boards have had it done in either order. I'm not sure what determines which order is best.

    I did try calling my surgeon's office to see if he could at least order the Oncotype DX himself so that I wouldn't have to wait even longer for those results to get some answers!!!

    Sing along with me - "The waiting is the hardest part!!!"

    Cindy
    Your oncologist and your rads oncologist will certainly work together to form your treatment plan. It is all contingent upon your path report after your surgery. Yes, waiting is a hard part, but, it is so much a part of the treatment. Try to not let it upset you. Best of luck to you!

    Kristin ♥
  • cats_toy
    cats_toy Member Posts: 1,462 Member
    #12
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    timeframes
    The timeframes to wait for either the chemo, or if you are not having chemo, rads, is at least four weeks after surgery. I know my mom waited four weeks from surgery for her radiation, she did not need chemo. I waited four weeks after surgery for chemo, then after chemo was finished another four weeks before rads. This is for the body to get the healing pretty much done before starting another treatment.
    Good luck with whichever way you go.
    Cat

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