Is radiation necessary after chemo?

Yes.
If you've had a lumpectomy, then radiation is considered a standard part of your treatment plan.

Chemo and radiation have two different purposes: Chemo is to kill any cancer cells that may have escaped from the breast and gone on a little trip through your bloodstream. Radiation is to kill any microscopic cancer cells in the breast that the surgeon may not have been able to see.

Radiation is also sometimes used after mastectomy, though I don't know as much about those situations.

Hope that helps,

Traci

Radiation
Boy, you really hope that chemo has gotten every nasty cell -but it doesn't always. That's why radiation is another line of defense. It is to zap every cell that may still survive after a lumpectomy or mastectomy and chemo. In a small per cent of cases, cancer even survives after these treatments! Many of us take AIs to have an ongoing defense against new cancer growth. xoxoxo Lynn

SIROD said:

Chemo and radiation do different jobs
Chemotherapy is to wipe out cells that are floating around in your blood or lymph and this is a systemic treatment. Radiation is to take care of where the cancer was or is and wipe out the cancer. It is a localized treatment.

You should have both to give yourself the best odds.

Doris

I didn't have chemo, but, I
I didn't have chemo, but, I was told that rads were necessary after a lumpectomy and sometimes a mastectomy to kill any cancer cells left behind by surgery. Apparently, during surgery, the cancer cells can become "irritated" and just hide and that is why the rads are so important.

Rague said:

IF chemo 'killed' everything -
Then that would be a cure - it isn't! THe different types (IBC/IDC/ILC/DCIS/LCIS/rarer forms) are different. ER/PR/Her2 status is different for each of us as is Stage/grade/etc.

Very simplistically as it was explained to me for me - chemo (A/C) neo-adjuvant to try to get it to shrink and form margins so surgeon had a chance of getting it. Then surgery to remove all that surgeon could find. Then another chemo to attack any that was 'floating' around in the lymph system or anywhere. Then rads to re-hit the direct area effected 'just in case'.

Only you can decide what you want to do.

Winyan - The Power Within

Susan

Rads kill stray cancer cells
Rads kill stray cancer cells left from the scalpel. If your onco suggests it as part of your treatment, I hope you will go ahead with them. They aren't easy, but, you can do it.


Hugs, Noel

CypressCynthia said:

Just wanted to share my
Just wanted to share my little sister's story... She thought radiation was overkill after chemo and hormone therapy cuz she was just stage one. She had a recurrence 5 years later and had radiation and is now on hormone therapy for life.

Just saying what everyone
Just saying what everyone else wrote, and, that is that rads kill any leftover cancer cells that are lurking around. Whether you do or not is up to you. Even rads won't guarantee that the cancer won't come back, nothing will unfortunately.

Good luck in your decision,


Megan

Ctine70 said:

Thank you all
I am going to have the radiation was just confused on why it was necessary but all you clear that up for me.
Thank you so much
Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!
Hugs
Christine

Wishing you good luck with
Wishing you good luck with rads Christine. When do you start?

Hugs, Jan

desertgirl947 said:

Follow Up to My Earlier Comments
Yesterday an older friend of mine was talking to me about radiation. Her daughter was one of my best friends, and she succumbed to cancer two years ago this past November. Anyhow, she said to me she has wondered why it was that radiation therapy was never an option suggested to her daughter when she first began her battle. (Her husband has said the same thing.) Val had only one breast removed. She had chemo. That was it. A few years later, the cancer returned -- initially to her bones.

I realize things change over the years, even as far as what DRs do and what they recommend. From what my surgeon was saying today when I mentioned the same thing to him, different DRs have different ideas as to what to do. My friend went to a different hospital, one with a reputable reputation [sounds redundant, doesn't it?] in cancer treatments.

I say this to say that there are many good reasons to go through with the "complete" program, even if its purpose is preventative.

e

Wishing you good luck
Wishing you good luck too!


Leeza

How are you doing? 

How are you doing?  (((hugs)))

Great question
We were advised that it's a numbers game. If you are reading this because you are worried, ask about 5 and 10 year survival rates with and without treatment.

Why is it beneficial? According to our specialist, survival rates increase with treatment. For us, it was about 17% increase of survival.

The way I think about it is that there's no guaranteed way to find cancer, especially in small quantities (as should be after surgery). The chemotherapy is a broad spectrum treatment to treat any cancers that may have spread to other parts of the body.

Radiotherapy provides extra treatment in the affected area. If it started there once, it could start there again. Not all chemotherapy works, so, this is approaching the problem from a different angle to increase chances.

There is also hormone treatment for breast cancer. This is because oestrogen is linked with breast cancer. Hormone replacement suppresses oestrogen. As an interesting tidbit, check breast cancer rates in 3rd world countries where birth rates are higher. The rates of breast cancer are significantly lower.

If you've developed cancer once, it can happen again. Vigilance is essential for the rest of your life. This is why survival rates are usually only talked about for 5 and 10 years. If you survive that long, your original cancer was cured. However, it's no guarantee it won't happen again.

You have good reason to ask and to be nervous. I wish anyone with cancer the best of luck. With a good attitude, it can bring people together.

Gillyv, she explained it very well. I had a lumpectomy and will have radiation. If you feel that you should have it, talk to your oncologist. Mine as triple negative, also. If they recommend radiation, go ahead and have it. They know what they are doing. Best wishes to you!