Has anyone done MammoSite Radiation Therapy?

CaliforniaCloud

Ladies who are considering Mammosite,

Please ask your doctor about the 5 day external radiation.  The protocol for eligibility is almost the same as Mammosite, but you are not required to have a specific clearance or margin around your surgical cavitiy because nothing is surgically inserted into your body.  Just like the Mammosite treatments, radiation treatments are given twice a day for five days.

I did it and, aside for wishing that I put some time between finishing radiation and starting chemo, I found it very easy to do.  I say that I wish I allowed myself more time between radiation and chemo because my RBC were low when I started chemo and they have never recovered (Chemo #4 is Wednesday). 

Also, I experienced radiation recall.  Apparently, the radiation site was still healing with lots of abnormal cells that the chemo attacked and my breast reddened and blistered with the first two chemo treatments.  As my medical oncologist and radiation oncologist predicted, it would settle down with time. 

I think I would have started chemo in better shape if I had waited a few weeks, but I have insurance issues and needed to keep the treatment plan moving as quickly as possible.

Someone once asked why there is not much said about five day external radiation, and another member posted that Mammosite has a large budget for promoting their product.  It also occured to me that since there is no need for a surgical procedure, the breast surgeons may not have as much interest in promoting the treatment--just a thought on my part.

Anyway, if you are interested in five day radiation, but not sure your surgical cavaity will meet the criteria, please ask your docs about the five day external treatment.

Here's wishing you all the best, whatever radiaiton treatment you receive.

Cheers!

Cloud

ggb

Ha!  I"m sitting here topless, its been three weeks since I had my last radiation treatment.    The MammoSite was the best choice for me, as it allowed me to get back in my normal routine quickly.  I had an excellent breast surgeon, with almost no pain on insertion.  Coming out after nine days was a different story...but its over.

After three weeks, this past weekend I have started with intense scalding pain.  Has anyone found anything that will help relieve this?  It is warm to the touch, and prior to getting home from work and stripping down to nothing...it was unbearable. 

I don't believe this is just mammosite...it was happening to my friends during their 33 day treatments as well.

CaliforniaCloud

Gale - I am not sure if this will help because you didn't speak to any skin reaction.  I had similar a sensation after 5-day external radiation.  I was told it was "radiation recall" and it resulted in blistering for my first two chemo sessions.  My breast was plum-colored after the second treatment. 

I was told by the rad onc to use aloe vera gel or aquaphor cream, which did not help one bit.  The medical oncologist told me to use over-the-counter 1% hydrocortisone cream.  I was in a lot of discomfort so I would slather the 1% cream on my breast and cover it with plastic wrap.  I kept it covered night and day for about five days and everything healed nicely.

Be sure to let the rad onc know about the discomfort.  I hope it resolves itself quickly.

Cheers!

Cloud

kdeit

Gale, have you called your doctor?  You may have an infection in the lumpectomy cavity.  Please don't wait any longer to have it checked out.

Hugs,

Karen 

jan777

Hi everyone,

A year ago this week I had MammoSite radiation.  I had my 1 year diagnostic mammogram and I am still cancer free.  I am not taking any of the hormone blockers although my rad onc thought I should but my med onc felt it would be okay if I did not take them.  My breast is still very tender, the mammogram tech told me there is considerable scar tissue inside the breast due to the radiation and it is very common that the breast will be very sensitive.  I am so thankful that my prognosis is good and I pray each of you will have the same blessing.  Thank God for early detection.  My thoughts and prayers are with all of you ladies.

Jan 

kdeit

Congratulations, Jan!!    That's great news about your mammo.  Although I'm sorry that your breast is still sore.  Mine is, too.  In my case, it's not only the scar tissue, it's also because I still have a seroma where the MammoSite balloon was located.  It's slowly going down, but is still there.  However, it's a small price to pay for being cancer-free.  I am taking Femara (after not being able to tolerate the side effects of Arimidex) and am doing OK on it. 

Karen 

Jeanne_D

I would be terrified to do the mammosite rads.  There is no long proof or testing that it works.  And, it doesn't hit your lymph nodes areas.  That would scare me as those cancer cells could be anywhere in your chest.  I do wish you all good luck that have it done!  I pray that it works for you! 

mbsoxr

Had my lumpectomy (left breast) June 24th, and have an appt July 15th to have the mammosite balloon put in....  My rad onc explained everything really well at my appt on July 8th - I will be on antibiotics, the redness I will experience about 3 weeks after, etc,  and I feel really good about this process - had 37 days of the traditional rads to the right breast in 2003.  The only thing I forgot to ask was if I will be affected by the awful fatigue I felt in 2003...  How have you all been affected by the Mammosite?  

Thanks for any responses!

Hugs, Mary 

kdeit

Hi Mary,

I began to feel tired toward the end of the Mammosite week - the following week was worse. If I am recalling correctly, it took maybe 2 or 3 weeks for the fatigue to slowly disappear, but nothing that I couldn't deal with. 

I hope you'll receive more responses, and wish you the very best in your treatment.

Hugs,

Karen

samedaynurseJan

I was extremely tired the last two days of treatment and into the next week but the week after that I went back to work full time doing ten hour shifts in the Recovery Room, so the fatigue was very short lived....I too have a seroma which is slowly decreasing in size and tenderness which is resolving. My first mammogram came back magnificently normal . Im taking Arimidex with no problems thus far.

Jeanne.....mammosite has been under study for longer than five years now with excellent statistics....there is a website loaded with 5+ year survivors....you need to have very specific qualifications to have mammosite radiation, among them are negative nodes, small tumor and the proper location.....I felt very confident in my decision after doing my research both as a patient and a healthcare professional....I think those of us who have completed mammosite did indeed make a good decision for us .

jan

Susie09

I had a friend that had the Mammosite Rads and her cancer came back in 3 years and she died as a result of it, because it came  back outside of her tumor site.  The Mammosite does NOT radiate your lymph nodes or any other breast tissue, just the tumor site.  And, it is a clinical trial.  There is NO long term survival or recurrence stats.  That is what most people are in, a clinical trial.  So, please, before you do it, consider the risk you are taking.  Good luck to all of you that still do it.

My friend is dead because of Mammosite Radiation.............

kdeit

(((((Susie)))))

I'm so very sorry about your friend.  It is understandable that you feel as you do about Mammosite.

My radiation oncologist told me that he waited until the procedure had been out and studied for more than 10 years before deciding to offer Mammosite to his patients.  I had no sentinel node involvement, and felt that (for me) it was the right protocol.  I have just passed my one-year mark, with no recurrance.  I go to my breast care doctor every six months for a mammogram and sonogram, and an MRI every year.  Also blood work and a chest X-ray every six months. 

Unfortunately, there is always the possibility that the cancer will return, no matter what type of treatment we choose.  I'm so sorry that your friends came back.

Hugs,

Karen 

RN_ocn

There are specific qualifications for a person to get mammosite radiation. It is NOT a clinical trial. It is currently an approved form of treatment. Mammosite is used for early stage, lymph node negative cancers. It is currently only offered for low to mid grade tumors. It is important to know that even with external beam radiation ( standard therapy) the physician can choose not to treat your lymph nodes. If sentinal biopsy was negative, the cancer is believed to not have started spreading to other areas, and the lymph nodes could be spared. Even with all of the research we sometimes still lose our friends to cancer, the best way to fight that is to keep hope and to educate ourselves on fact based information..... Mammosite has been proven to be an effective treatment choice for many women.

Susie09.... I am sorry for your loss.

cancergrl

5 days ago I completed my radiation treatment with the Contura balloon (see Senorx website for description).  The protocol is similar to Mammosite with twice daily treatments.  My balloon was put in under general anesthesia and removed by the rad-onc after my last treatment.  I took antibiotics as well as a pain pill every night to help me sleep.  My incisions have healed well  but my breast is pretty sore and lumpy (most likely seromas).  I have mild redness but no sensation of burning.  A bit of itching.  I don't know if I would choose this treatment again, although never having had external radiation I don't have anything to compare it to.  It sounds like many women have long-lasting seroma issues and I'm not too happy about that.  I disagree with my surgeon who told me "you won't even know it's there" when I mentioned my concern about seroma development. I was pretty fatigued during the entire week of treatment and am just now feeling like I'm getting my energy back..  Just to note:  I had pretty bad nausea thorughout my treatment.  The rad-onc team attributed it to the antibiotics...  I have an appointment with the oncologist in a couple of days to discuss further treatment.   

tisha22

hi girls jan777 why the difference in opinion re hormone blockers from docs i am supposed to be taking tamoxifin however very nervous or just very stupid not real sure if i am more afraid of side effects of meds or more cancer i just finished mammosite tx in july09

tisha22

im not sure how to reply to a specific persons comments help please anyone

kdeit

Hi Tisha,

You can either post to the thread, as you did above, or click onto the person's name at the left of their post.  When you do that, it takes you to their bio page, and if they have enabled private messages, you can click onto that (at the right hand side) and send a private message.

I'm not Jan, but normally, if your tumor is estrogen positive, and you are pre-menopausal, your med onc will put you on Tamoxifen.  If you are post menopausal, then probably on one of the aromatase inhibitors (like Arimidex, Femara, etc.).

I'm not on Tamoxifen, so can't give you any personal information about its side effects, but if you do a search on "Tamoxifen" you will find lots and lots of discussions about it..

Hugs,

Karen 

jan777

Hi Tisha,

    When I saw my med onc last year after my mammosite treatment we discussed the pros and cons of tamoxifin.  He asked if  there had been any other times that I required a second mammogram since beginning my mammograms.  I had not.  My mammograms had never shown anything that was suspicious.  I had a hysterectomy in 1997 and had been taking Premarin until the day I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My cancer was stage 0, DCIS , and found at the early stage.  Taking all of this under consideration the med. onc. said that he thought it would be okay for me to not take the hormone blockers and continue my diagnostic mammos 2x a year and see my onc every six months.  It was a year this past June since I completed mammosite therapy. My only complaint is the tenderness and swelling that I still have but it is well worth it to be cancer free.  Every person has different circumstances and I pray that you will make the right decision for yourself.  I am standing on a scripture, Nahum 1:9 This affliction shall not rise up a second time. 

God Bless You

Jan 

tisha22

jan  great scripture thanks i needed that .scripture is the only thing that has got me thru this storm and i have been struggling whether or not to take tamo. no matter what HE IS IN CONTROL which is why im so unsure if i need pills but then again the Lord gave us minds to use and make informative decisions i just cant seem to decide i probally need to increase my faith in a huge way  tisha

Sunone

bumping this thread

donna1228

I completed MammoSite radiation treatments last month for stage zero breast cancer.  I found the insertion of the catheter to be minimally uncomfortable.  If you use a sturdy sports bra or breast cancer bra to hold it firmly in place, it is not painful.  The point of insertion did bleed a bit throughout the week.  The five-day process was easy to manage and, in fact, I continued to work in between the appointments.  Pulling the catheter out was more uncomfortable that inserting it.  It left a scar about 3/4" long.  The aftereffect was radiation burns to my skin, which I successfully treated with medication that the oncologist recommended.  Following the lumpectomy and the MammoSite treatments, my follow-up mammogram was clear.