Is it ok to wait 8 weeks after chemo to start radiation?

Sunflower64

hi girls,

my last chemo was october 22nd. i had to have a re excision on november 12th to make sure my margins were clean.  i will not start my radiation until december 14th almost 8 weeks after my chemo ended and about 4-5 weeks after my surgery.   i have read that starting radiation 8 weeks or later decreases your survival rate and increases your recurrance risk.  i am so upset over this.  neither my surgeon or my oncologist told me to schedule earlier.  i called my onco today and she said that is fine to wait. also, i will only be given 4 days of radiation next week, and only 4 days the following 2 weeks because of the holidays. i will not be getting 5 consecutive days. is 5 consecutive days very important?  i have been on top of my treatment since this all started making sure everything is done and I'm really upset. i wasn't aware that it should of started sooner. has anyone waited 8 weeks after chemo to start radiation? please help, diane

concernedsis

Diane please try not to worry. Sis did her chemo preop x 5 months, had surgery in September then had drains for a month, tissue expanders filled, simulation etc - she started rads yesterday - so almost 11 weeks - all agreed it was fine. Her onc had her start her tamoxifen b4 rads. Sis's tumor was 6cm and she is stage 3. The docs know what they are doing - 4 days instead of 5 is common during holidays. Hang in there!!

Leah_S

I waited almost 9 weeks, so I sure hope it's OK.

Actually, my med onc said to wait 4-8 weeks after chemo. Due to upgrading of the facility where I had the rads it was 9 weeks.

Leah

SoCalSue

I did not have chemo but It was three months before my radiation started after my lumpectomy and reexcision.   My Onc said that nothing bad was going to happen during that time.  I was really glad to have that time to heal because I had a tough time with radiation(I'm a readhead)  I was two weeks into my treatment on Labor Day so I had only four days that week.  I finished Oct 2 and took Femara for just 16 days and have not started Tamoxifen yet.  I am sure that nothing bad is going right now either. 

My very elderly mother went into the hospital with a GI bleed during my waiting time and I was able to give her my full attention.  Somtimes the unexpected works works out for the best.

All the best to you.

Sue

Sunflower64

thanks sue,

that really helped.

diane

1rarebird

I am  waiting at present to start radiation after finishing the Taxotere and Carboplatin chemo 4 weeks ago.  (Still getting Herceptin for another 7 months.)  My rad onc is more concerned with how well my blood counts have recovered than how long we have to wait.  My blood's oxygen carrying capacity (function of hemoglobin, red blood cell numbers, etc.) is still only about 50 % of what it was pre-chemo. He said that the blood needs sufficient oxygen content in order for the ionization process caused by the radiiation to work properly so the cancer cells' DNA is adequately damaged.  So, I guess waiting is a good thing at times.

bird

1rarebird

Well, it looks like it will take me 8 weeks from the end of chemo to start my radiation therapy. Today I was given an appointment for 2 weeks from now to start.  We wanted to start earlier but my red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, etc. were decimated so badly by the chemo that it is taking longer than we'd hoped for them to rebound.  Anyway, my doctors did not want to give me Procrit and said they are happy with rate of my recovery, albeit slowly.  So, it looks like 8 weeks is OK to wait, at least in my case.

bird

weety

Bird, I am still anemic from my TCH treatments as well.  How high did they wait for your numbers (hemoglobin) to get before they gave you the okay for radiation?