Reducing Radiation Treatments

marywest

I just want to throw this out there. I was to have 12 weeks of radiation, (every day except weekends) After surgery my doctor said, ask your radiologist if they can double the dose and be finished with radiation in 6 weeks instead of 12. The chemo worked very effectively on me, they took out 20 lymphnodes, and removed the tumor (huge 5 cm), she said all the tissue looked great and cancer free. When I asked to have the radiation reduced and double up on the dose, he looked over my chart and said yes!!!. It would never of crossed my mind to ask, honestly I had no clue they could do that. It saved me six extra weeks of radiation. Of coarse that was for my situation only. Anyway just wanted to share that in case it is available for someone else.

Kylez

Why 12?
I am so happy that they could do that for you. I have never heard of anyone having 12 weeks of rads all at once. That seems almost inhumane. Why 12 weeks?

KYLEZ ♥

marywest

Kylez said:

Why 12?
I am so happy that they could do that for you. I have never heard of anyone having 12 weeks of rads all at once. That seems almost inhumane. Why 12 weeks?

KYLEZ ♥

12 weeks
I was a stage 4 and the tumor was huge. I went through six months of chemo, in fact it was mentioned a few times if I would live. well I am alive. I dont' know why 12 weeks but thats what they had set up for me. I was very thankful not to go the whole 12 weeks, my skin would of been charred! After six weeks of treatment my skin was barely pink. Back to the question why 12 weeks, I dont' know, wonder if its because I was in adavanced stage.

TraciInLA

Kylez said:

Why 12?
I am so happy that they could do that for you. I have never heard of anyone having 12 weeks of rads all at once. That seems almost inhumane. Why 12 weeks?

KYLEZ ♥

Radiation to one breast or both?
Are you doing radiation to both breasts? I'm wondering if maybe you were scheduled to have radiation first to one breast for 6 weeks then the other for 6 weeks?

Before I met with the radiation oncologist, my medical oncologist was certain that they couldn't do radiation to both breasts at the same time, so I was also looking at 12 weeks. The radiation oncologist, however, immediately dismissed that and said there was no problem at all doing both breasts at the same time, which is what I'm doing now.

Traci

marywest

TraciInLA said:

Radiation to one breast or both?
Are you doing radiation to both breasts? I'm wondering if maybe you were scheduled to have radiation first to one breast for 6 weeks then the other for 6 weeks?

Before I met with the radiation oncologist, my medical oncologist was certain that they couldn't do radiation to both breasts at the same time, so I was also looking at 12 weeks. The radiation oncologist, however, immediately dismissed that and said there was no problem at all doing both breasts at the same time, which is what I'm doing now.

Traci

TracilnLA
No I only had one breast that needed radiation. Hmmm I just thought going the twelve weeks was the norm, but then again I didnt' have anyone to talk to and what the doctors ordered I did. I am wondering if they said I needed 12 weeks was due to the fact I was stage 4, dont' know, but its over.

Kylez

marywest said:

TracilnLA
No I only had one breast that needed radiation. Hmmm I just thought going the twelve weeks was the norm, but then again I didnt' have anyone to talk to and what the doctors ordered I did. I am wondering if they said I needed 12 weeks was due to the fact I was stage 4, dont' know, but its over.

Mary?
I read your expressions page and you said the rads oncologist wanted to give you 6 weeks of rads, but after you asked if they could reduce it, he did reduce it to 3 weeks. So, I am confused ?????? Was it 6 weeks and reduced to 3 like you wrote on your expressions page instead of what you wrote here about 12 and reduced to 6???? Sorry, but that just confused me as I have never heard of anyone having or being told to take 12 weeks of rads all at once.

KYLEZ ♥

marywest

Kylez said:

Mary?
I read your expressions page and you said the rads oncologist wanted to give you 6 weeks of rads, but after you asked if they could reduce it, he did reduce it to 3 weeks. So, I am confused ?????? Was it 6 weeks and reduced to 3 like you wrote on your expressions page instead of what you wrote here about 12 and reduced to 6???? Sorry, but that just confused me as I have never heard of anyone having or being told to take 12 weeks of rads all at once.

KYLEZ ♥

KYLEZ
I swear I dont' have chemo brain anymore, would love to blame it on something, i am totaly wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!! I went thru 3 weeks of radiation, thank God for my daughter sitting here next to me, she is my brain. I was to go through 6weeks then reduced to three. Thankyou so much for imforming me. I need to correct the above. Your awsome

susie09

marywest said:

KYLEZ
I swear I dont' have chemo brain anymore, would love to blame it on something, i am totaly wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!! I went thru 3 weeks of radiation, thank God for my daughter sitting here next to me, she is my brain. I was to go through 6weeks then reduced to three. Thankyou so much for imforming me. I need to correct the above. Your awsome

I was wondering why someone
I was wondering why someone would have to have 12 weeks of rads all at once. So, it was 6 weeks? Chemo brain is bad, isn't it? Although, you can blame any goof ups on it. LOL Wishing you good health!

♠♣ Susie ♠♣

New Flower

susie09 said:

I was wondering why someone
I was wondering why someone would have to have 12 weeks of rads all at once. So, it was 6 weeks? Chemo brain is bad, isn't it? Although, you can blame any goof ups on it. LOL Wishing you good health!

♠♣ Susie ♠♣

I had 8 weeks
I had 8 weeks and was told that 8 is a norm.
I had Stage IIIC.
I could not imagine having double dose/increase radiation to reduce number of treatments. Probably second opinion could be helpful.
Good luck.

DianeBC

New Flower said:

I had 8 weeks
I had 8 weeks and was told that 8 is a norm.
I had Stage IIIC.
I could not imagine having double dose/increase radiation to reduce number of treatments. Probably second opinion could be helpful.
Good luck.

I had almost 8 weeks of
I had almost 8 weeks of rads, and, I think that is the most I have heard of. But, I see now that you are all done with your treatments. Glad you got thru the 3 weeks of rads and are living a healthy life now!

Hugs, Diane ♥

marywest

DianeBC said:

I had almost 8 weeks of
I had almost 8 weeks of rads, and, I think that is the most I have heard of. But, I see now that you are all done with your treatments. Glad you got thru the 3 weeks of rads and are living a healthy life now!

Hugs, Diane ♥

chemo and radiation
I am blessed that I am healthy, however I am dealing with alot of pain and weakness, the chemo destroyed my nerve endings and left me almost disabled. The neurologist said it happens to about one out of a hundred. He said it could take up to 2 to 3 years to recover and then we wont' know how much I get back. Getting back is being able to walk without falling. Oh well I am thankful the chemo destroyed the cancer.

susie09

marywest said:

chemo and radiation
I am blessed that I am healthy, however I am dealing with alot of pain and weakness, the chemo destroyed my nerve endings and left me almost disabled. The neurologist said it happens to about one out of a hundred. He said it could take up to 2 to 3 years to recover and then we wont' know how much I get back. Getting back is being able to walk without falling. Oh well I am thankful the chemo destroyed the cancer.

I am so sorry about the pain
I am so sorry about the pain and weakness Marywest. Isn't there something they can give you to help it, to help you feel better? I know my rads oncologist said it could take up to a year to get over the exhaustion that I still have from the radiation. But, like you, at least it killed any stray cancer cells, so, it is worth it.




♠♣ Susie ♠♣

marywest

susie09 said:

I am so sorry about the pain
I am so sorry about the pain and weakness Marywest. Isn't there something they can give you to help it, to help you feel better? I know my rads oncologist said it could take up to a year to get over the exhaustion that I still have from the radiation. But, like you, at least it killed any stray cancer cells, so, it is worth it.




♠♣ Susie ♠♣

Hi susie
I am seeing a pain doctor once a month, she put me on a very high dose of pain meds, within the last six months, the pain has decreased by half, I also went to water therapy for several weeks. I had no strenght to even lift my leg, and being in the water was like a peice of heaven, I was able to move and that really helped. I am slowly getting stronger, havent fell for a month. The neurologist said to be patient, nerve damage is slow to heal. I cant complain at all, I am grateful for chemo, it does kill cancer. My mind wants to run but my body can't. Its so weird about exhaustion, I expect more out of myself, I expect that I should be all healed up and ready to go and i can't. I am going on 8 months since radiation and I still have guilt trips about not being up to par. I love this site, when I can help someone else it keeps my mind off of me.

marywest

marywest said:

Hi susie
I am seeing a pain doctor once a month, she put me on a very high dose of pain meds, within the last six months, the pain has decreased by half, I also went to water therapy for several weeks. I had no strenght to even lift my leg, and being in the water was like a peice of heaven, I was able to move and that really helped. I am slowly getting stronger, havent fell for a month. The neurologist said to be patient, nerve damage is slow to heal. I cant complain at all, I am grateful for chemo, it does kill cancer. My mind wants to run but my body can't. Its so weird about exhaustion, I expect more out of myself, I expect that I should be all healed up and ready to go and i can't. I am going on 8 months since radiation and I still have guilt trips about not being up to par. I love this site, when I can help someone else it keeps my mind off of me.

Honestly it would never of crossed my mind to ask to have it reduced. having a double dose was nothing, you dont' even know it. the only reason I was able to was because the tissue around the tumor was clean of cancer, and all 20 lymph nodes were clean. Two nodes did have cancer and chemo destroyed it. It was my surgeon who suggested i ask the radiologist to reduce treatments and double up on it. Three weeks and I was finished, I did not have to endure burned skin. In fact when I asked the radiologist about reducing it, he looked surprised and had never been asked that question. He checked my records thoroughly and said yes. If the cancer had spread anywhere else then of coarse there was no way. I really wanted to bring this to others attention, it could be available for others, its awsome if that can happen for you.