Radiation x-ray's frequency ??

Jaimieh

How often did you get x-rays while going thru radiation ?  I just started today and they mentioned that they want to do them twice a week.  When I meet with the radiation oncologist he said periodically and the tech today said twice a week.  That seems like a LOT of x-rays to me.  

How many times were you x-rayed while going thru radiation treatment ??

GraceB1

Every time  And they usually ended up moving the table a tad each time.

MsPharoah

Hi,
I was XRayed 1Xweek just to confirm my position.    I think daily or 2X week is too much unless your situation is unusual.  I would ask.  Find out why so many XRays   good luck!

MsP

Jaimieh

Thanks MsP.

TB90

Hi Jaimieh:  You may not like this response.  My RO explained that the amount of radiation from the xrays is a drop in the ocean compared to what we receive through rads.  The xrays are to ensure that we are positioned correctly each time so that our heart, lungs, etc are not getting zapped.  I would be very careful about refusing xrays and the dire consequences of future SE's that could result instead.  They have been doing this for a very long time and are the experts.  Talk with you treatment team.  I did and although I did not exactly like what I heard, I did then accept my treatment.  Take care.   

Jaimieh

thanks TB90 . The RO said occasionally and his techs are the one telling me twice a week. I trust the RO but his team has left me ?'ing everything.  The NP had the wrong breast being radiated. . So I ask a ton of questions. 

BrooksideVT

My first week, they x-rayed me the first three days in a row and I absolutely freaked out.  I was terrified of radiation anyway, and adding unexpected radiation was not at all to my liking.  I had a long sitdown with the head tech (that's who deals with the really whiney ones) and understood that in the beginning, before you, er, "relax" into the position, your body is tense and your landmarks might or might not be exactly where they ought, tatoos or no tatoos. It soon settled down to weekly.  I'm sure twice/week assures more precision, but maybe your RO or your head tech can explain why the double duty, and whether this might be optional.

Imheretoo

Wrong breast?!?!    Thank goodness it's a procedure done while we're fully conscious and protesting!!

TB90

Just to put things in perspective so that women do not worry needlessly about chest xrays (there is already enough to worry about), the amount of radiation during a typical chest xray is similar to what we receive naturally from our environment in 10 days.  If you live in New Mexico or Colorado, you receive double that amount.  Where you live will have a far greater impact on you during your lifetime than receiving chest xrays.  How many of us calculate the amount of radiation we receive based upon our location in the world?  Not many.  We have much greater things to worry about. Chest xrays receive very little radiation compared to other xrays ( with the exception of dental and bone density xrays).  Again, being even a tiny bit out of alignment during your radiation treatment will have far greater consequences.  Hope that helps to ease fears about chest xrays during treatment. 

SelenaWolf

TB90 ... I have read a number of articles attesting to that...  that we absorb more naturally-occurring radiation from our environment than we ever will from medical procedures.

http://hps.org/documents/environmental_radiation_fact_sheet.pdf

http://hps.org/documents/Medical_Exposures_Fact_Sheet.pdf

http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/safety/?pg=sfty_xray

 

Jaimieh

great information from everyone. I asked today and the head tech explained it to me that it is for alignment. I am fine as long as everyone is on the same page and it is explained. . 

Today was much smoother. Thank god.