Tell me about "boosts" with radiation, please

missrenee
missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
I've had 28 radiation treatments and today I start 7 final treatments of "boosts." All I know is that they specifically target the tumor areas. My IDC was in the lower outer quadrant of my breast and I had 10+ lymph nodes. Right now the machine moves around and hits me in about 8 different places. I am pink, but not bad. However, I do have someone in my left breast with a box of needles that pushes them from the inside out!

How are the boost treatments different from the first 28?

Thanks, girls.

Renee

Comments

  • aisling8
    aisling8 Member Posts: 1,627 Member
    #2
    Well....
    Here's how mine went. I had another "mapping" appointment which involved several cat scans and lots and lots of blue felt tip marking all over me. Finally the rads onc approved whatever needed to be approved and a plastic "cast" kind of thing was made.

    I think I had seven boosts and those sessions are slightly longer than the regular rads because they pull out the plastic placement thing and draw on you each time (I washed it off after each session in their bathroom before I put my clothes back on). The actual zapping targets just that spot and lasts longer.

    The last couple of them started to sting because they had to include the nipple and that got kind of ouchy, but then it was all over. I took them a nice big chocolate cake at my last appointment and we were all happy.

    Best of luck to you, you're almost DONE!!!!

    Victoria
  • Ritzy
    Ritzy Member Posts: 4,381 Member
    #3
    Boosters!
    If you think regular rads are quick, just wait for the boosters. It seemed like I was in that room for one second. lol

    The "boosters" just target the area where your tumor was, not all of the surrounding area and under your arm like with your regular rads. They just want to make sure that any stray cancer cells left over from your surgery are fried right at the incision site.

    I did get darker pink when I had the boosters, but, the good news is that the other area that had been getting rads started clearing up quickly, since it wasn't getting zapped anymore.

    They did mark me again before the boosters, but, it didn't take too long. And, the marks were only to adjust the machine to just the tumor site. It was a one time deal inre to the marking. After that, the computer had the measurements and that was my treatment for the boosters.

    I hope that helped.

    Sue :)
  • Betsy13
    Betsy13 Member Posts: 185
    #4
    I ended up with a blue
    I ended up with a "blue" circle (outline with blue marker) on my boob with X marking the "spot". Had my 5 boosts, no problem. However, for the next 7 days, I got RED. It itched. Hydrocortisone works very well. Then it peeled. Aloe worked for this! It looked really nasty. Now, 7 weeks out, I have a circle where the boosts were that is just a touch darker than my regular skin color. I am assuming that will lighten up with time.

    Hope it helps, Betsy
  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    #5
    Betsy13 said:

    I ended up with a blue
    I ended up with a "blue" circle (outline with blue marker) on my boob with X marking the "spot". Had my 5 boosts, no problem. However, for the next 7 days, I got RED. It itched. Hydrocortisone works very well. Then it peeled. Aloe worked for this! It looked really nasty. Now, 7 weeks out, I have a circle where the boosts were that is just a touch darker than my regular skin color. I am assuming that will lighten up with time.

    Hope it helps, Betsy

    Thanks, ladies
    Had my first boost on Friday. I've been pink for awhile and kind of itchy with needle sticks all over the place. I'm using Eucerin cream and 100% aloe gel which both help. However, I only have 6 more to go, and I CAN DO IT!!!

    Thank you all for the kind advice. It always helps to hear from you who have been there, done that.

    Hugs, Renee
  • Betsy13
    Betsy13 Member Posts: 185
    #6
    missrenee said:

    Thanks, ladies
    Had my first boost on Friday. I've been pink for awhile and kind of itchy with needle sticks all over the place. I'm using Eucerin cream and 100% aloe gel which both help. However, I only have 6 more to go, and I CAN DO IT!!!

    Thank you all for the kind advice. It always helps to hear from you who have been there, done that.

    Hugs, Renee

    for itching...
    Morning Renee,

    I had horrific bouts of itching during and after radiation. My rad. onc. told me to smear it with hydrocortizone, followed by neosporin, then place "Xeroform" on top of this (open it first), and then a non-adherent 3" x 8" dressing on top. Follow this with benedryl and ice. It would take up to an hour to get rid of the itching, but it worked! Hope it doesn't get this bad for you. The doc gave me th xeroform and non-adherent dressing.

    Good luck, Betsy

    Xeroform is a petrolatum dressing.
  • MNLynn
    MNLynn Member Posts: 224
    #7
    missrenee said:

    Thanks, ladies
    Had my first boost on Friday. I've been pink for awhile and kind of itchy with needle sticks all over the place. I'm using Eucerin cream and 100% aloe gel which both help. However, I only have 6 more to go, and I CAN DO IT!!!

    Thank you all for the kind advice. It always helps to hear from you who have been there, done that.

    Hugs, Renee

    I had 27 treatments total -
    I had 27 treatments total - and just the last 2 were "boosts". I didn't really notice any difference from the other treatments (though you are having more "boosts" than I did). I do know that the boosts were a different kind of x-ray . . . now I don't remember the what the different names were for the x-rays.

    Hope things go well for you - getting close to the end of treatments!!! YAY!!!!

    ♥ Lynn ♥
  • jamiegww
    jamiegww Member Posts: 384
    #8
    Last 5 of 30 rads were boosters.
    For me, the boosters were only along my mastectomy scar. I don't know why my rad techs seemed so stressed about my lines washing off between treatments. I already had five tats from the first mapping and since my lines weren't staying for the boosters, they gave me five or six more tats just for those five days of boosters. Before resorting to more tats, they put wide tape on the lines to keep them from washing off but my skin is a mess where the tape was. I'm a little surprised they didn't know better than to put tape on skin that had been radiated 25 times already. Even with the tats, they still used a template to redraw the lines. I'm so glad to be finished and nobody had better come near me with a marker any time soon. Congrats, Renee, on your impending Rad Grad status!
  • GayleMc
    GayleMc Member Posts: 311 Member
    #9
    jamiegww said:

    Last 5 of 30 rads were boosters.
    For me, the boosters were only along my mastectomy scar. I don't know why my rad techs seemed so stressed about my lines washing off between treatments. I already had five tats from the first mapping and since my lines weren't staying for the boosters, they gave me five or six more tats just for those five days of boosters. Before resorting to more tats, they put wide tape on the lines to keep them from washing off but my skin is a mess where the tape was. I'm a little surprised they didn't know better than to put tape on skin that had been radiated 25 times already. Even with the tats, they still used a template to redraw the lines. I'm so glad to be finished and nobody had better come near me with a marker any time soon. Congrats, Renee, on your impending Rad Grad status!

    I had the exact situation.
    I had the exact situation. The ink markers wouldn't stay on, so they taped over them. Then the tech wanted the tape off and took a good portion of skin. That was very raw and tender, worse than any pain I had from the radiation as I was taking real care to keep my skin in good condition. I had also been radiated 25 times. I would have rather had the tatoos. Oh well, I guess since it doesn't hurt them they forget. Take care.
  • KayNYC
    KayNYC Member Posts: 495 Member
    #10
    boosts
    My last five treatments were the boosts. They are aimed at at the incision area only. They took no time at all to do but they caused redness, swelling and itching at the site.Hydrocortisone and 100% Aloe worked well. During the boosts, the rest of the breast began to heal. The skin peeled afterward. They had to put an occlusive type dressing, that they use on IV sites, instead of tape to keep the marks and little blue bulls eye marker in place. It lasted the whole week without falling off ( lasting through daily showers). At the end of treatment they offered to remove the dressing and I refused, stating my preferene to remove it myself(I have very sensitive skin).With plenty of dove soap and warm water, I finally got it off without further injury to my skin.
    Congratulations on getting to the finish line.
    Hugs, K
  • missrenee
    missrenee Member Posts: 2,136 Member
    #11
    KayNYC said:

    boosts
    My last five treatments were the boosts. They are aimed at at the incision area only. They took no time at all to do but they caused redness, swelling and itching at the site.Hydrocortisone and 100% Aloe worked well. During the boosts, the rest of the breast began to heal. The skin peeled afterward. They had to put an occlusive type dressing, that they use on IV sites, instead of tape to keep the marks and little blue bulls eye marker in place. It lasted the whole week without falling off ( lasting through daily showers). At the end of treatment they offered to remove the dressing and I refused, stating my preferene to remove it myself(I have very sensitive skin).With plenty of dove soap and warm water, I finally got it off without further injury to my skin.
    Congratulations on getting to the finish line.
    Hugs, K

    Thank you all for the great tips
    Had boost #3 today--2 more left. My entire breast is still pinkish red, but no peeling (yet). I'm slathering on the cream and aloe. My onc. also told me about the Hydrocortisone for the itching--which has been pretty minimal.

    I see the finish line--and it's a beautiful site.

    Hugs and prayers to all,
    Renee
  • June Bugs
    June Bugs Member Posts: 167
    #12
    missrenee said:

    Thanks, ladies
    Had my first boost on Friday. I've been pink for awhile and kind of itchy with needle sticks all over the place. I'm using Eucerin cream and 100% aloe gel which both help. However, I only have 6 more to go, and I CAN DO IT!!!

    Thank you all for the kind advice. It always helps to hear from you who have been there, done that.

    Hugs, Renee

    It sounds like I will do ok

    It sounds like I will do ok with these boosters from all of your posts.  I haven't tried the aloe gel, but, I am going to get some.

    Thanks,

    June

  • desertgirl947
    desertgirl947 Member Posts: 653 Member
    #13
    June Bugs said:

    It sounds like I will do ok

    It sounds like I will do ok with these boosters from all of your posts.  I haven't tried the aloe gel, but, I am going to get some.

    Thanks,

    June

    If you are doing all right

    If you are doing all right with regular radiation,  you will do all right with boosts.  I had mine last fall.

    I used Miaderm, but I know there are other creams people use to try to ward of burns or at least minimize them.  It is a good idea to keep using he cream for awhile after finishing radiation.

    Boosts go quickly compared to regular radiation.

  • DianeBC
    DianeBC Member Posts: 3,881 Member
    #14
    desertgirl947 said:

    If you are doing all right

    If you are doing all right with regular radiation,  you will do all right with boosts.  I had mine last fall.

    I used Miaderm, but I know there are other creams people use to try to ward of burns or at least minimize them.  It is a good idea to keep using he cream for awhile after finishing radiation.

    Boosts go quickly compared to regular radiation.

    Boosters go very fast.  You

    Boosters go very fast.  You just get on the table and then you're done.  If you aren't burnt now, you won't be any worse.

    Good luck!

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