Radiation Booster.......

ashly1959

This week I'll finish 27 treatments of radiation. On Monday I'll begin my first of seven booster. I would like to hear some experiences of anyone going or had finish radiation booster.
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1 stage bc. 8mm tumor.lumpectomy.negative snb.Estrogen and progesterone positive. Her2 negative.

mcgaffey

Kim, I had 5 the end of May. My skin held up very well. That is when I had some burn on the area of the boost. It continued to get red after it was over and now almost 2 months out you wouldn't know I had radiation treatments except for one vein in my chest region that now shows and didn't before.

L8895

Kim - I just had my first boost today. They added an extension to the machine which focused the treatment directly over my incision. The angle seemed quite different (more right above me) and they only did it from that one angle, not the 2 like I had been getting. The zap was 20 seconds instead of 15. I felt a little light headed when I left, but that could have been mental rather than physical. My boob feels a little sore, and heavy again. I get 6 more, and then will be DONE a week from Friday.
Are you taking hormone therapy too?
-Linda

ashly1959

Hi L8895,

Thanks so much for your respond. Yes, I'm going on hormone therapy as soon as I finish the radiation treatments..

raspberry

I found out recently that the true site of where the tumour bed is no longer known after oncoplasty surgery, which is what most of us have. Surgical techniques move the flesh around so the booster is only aimed at the scar, without knowing where the bed truly was? 

This disturbs me and I am glad I refused boosts, especially since my Radiation Oncologist claims she didn't even prescribe this, but then she looked at her computer and admitted that she had. She should not have combined it with the 3 grays a day she wanted to prescribe too. 

I have refused both because I just don't trust her anymore. And also the improvement in my recurrence rate is too small to warrant the side effects.