Left & high lump rads: heart / lung issues?

allicat1214

My lump was high on my left breast, just about at 12:00 position above the nipple. I asked the BS in one of early my visits about radiation impacting my heart since it was on the left side and he said they direct the beam so it doesn't affect the heart.

However, since I'm preparing to meet with the RO on Thursday, I'm gathering info and making my list of questions for him.

Any lefty ladies out there? What did your ROs and/or the radiation tech team do to ensure that your heart wasn't irradiated?

Just looked at an anatomy picture and realized the lung is up high too. Wouldn't radiation negatively impact the lung as well?

It seems every treatment for cancer can cause major problems in other areas. Sigh. I have so much to learn.

Thanks in advance.

Annette47

Mine was high and around 1:00 on my left. I did my rads in the prone position, which according to my RO avoids heart exposure (and minimizes lung) for the majority of women. In some women though, the heart "falls forward" into the chest when they lay prone (mind didn't) in which case they would do something else. The technology these days (as opposed to 20 years ago) is good enough they can usually direct the beams in such a way that it doesn't really hit much other than the breast. He also said that it is almost impossible to avoid some amount of lung damage, but he said in the vast majority of women, it is not something they would ever notice - just might show up as an artifact on a chest x-ray in the future. For me, I (for unrelated reasons) had a full cardiac workup about 18 months after finishing rads, which revealed no problems of any kind. I am a runner, although not a fast one and I have never noticed any breathing issues.

shelleym1

I will be following this post since I am starting radiation on the left side this month. My cancer was more on the side, lower down. I am terrified of lung and heart damage too. The cancer institute I go to uses a breath holding technique and has the patient lay on their stomach. I meet with the Radiation oncologist tomorrow so I'm pretty nervous about this whole process.

Hopeful82014

This is of concern to me, too, as my tumor's around the 3 o'clock position on the very outer edge of the breast. I started a thread that the OP may want to look at - look for DIBH under radiation therapy.

I am getting the impression that DIBH is the treatment of choice for left-sided cancers but not all facilities have the necessary equipment. (This is presenting a major issue for me.)

The prone position works and achieves the same effect for many women but isn't suitable for all; breast size enters into it (bigger is better) and I'm not sure if they can treat all of the fields in the prone position.

Many of the books and other materials are older so I don't know how current any of this is but yes, I've read that rt for breast cancer can cause later fibrosis of the lung, cardiac issues and esophageal issues (depending on area treated), among others.

I'm compiling a LONG list of questions to which I want solid answers from my RO - not just vague generalities. I really think we ALL need to put ROs on notice that they can't just fob us off with non-answers anymore. Maybe if we push back on some of the issues they'll develop an interest in preventing more of the short and long-term damage.

Good luck to each of you!

ruthbru

The radiation is very targeted now days (as opposed to when they first started). After an in depth talk with my radiation oncologist, I felt totally comfortable with the safety of the procedure and I didn't have any problems from radiation at the time, and none have shown up since then either (plus I am alive with no recurrence 8 years later, so that is a pretty good deal!).

Joyus

allicat1214

I'm a lefty whose tumor was at2:00.I met with the RO yesterday and asked how my heart and lungs would be protected. He said on my first visit, they would do a CT scan of the area and feed the info into the computer 5 or 6 times before they mapped out the area to be targeted. Hope this helps! JOYUS

Joyus

allicat1214

I'm a lefty whose tumor was at2:00.I met with the RO yesterday and asked how my heart and lungs would be protected. He said on my first visit, they would do a CT scan of the area and feed the info into the computer 5 or 6 times before they mapped out the area to be targeted. Hope this helps! JOYUS

SweetHope

I'm still in Chemo and just had a second Echocardiogram yesterday. The technician worked directly on top of my lumpectomy scar (located at top of nipple going 4" horizontally toward the sternum) to image my heart while I was lying on my left side. When lying on my back, these old boobs fall into my armpits and there is maybe a half inch...mostly muscle wall...before you strike ribs. How can a Radiologist avoid my heart if not done in a prone position?

msphil

hello ladies, as said everyone is different, i had left side mast, and rads to left side,i,m a 21 yr Survivor this yrPraise GOD) and some things were different, i had no breathing problems soon after but eventually i did, my lump was high up like 1:00, i developed asthma, and heart muscle problems i didnt have till rad treatment. But things are so much updated then it was then. msphil(idc,stage 2, o/3 nodes, L mast with reconstructtion, but body rejected implant it was removed, use prothesis and doing very well.) also chemo and rads and 5yrs on tamoxifen

Beachbum1023

I have a large round patch of red rash on the back shoulder area. My RO said that the beam exits there, or it could be from the plates as they rotate or possibly scatter. WTH? I'm pretty sure I have a lung in the way. And if it exits there, it goes though as well. Big sigh 5 more, 5 more, 5 more.........

Evilmidget

I had a mastectomy on 1/21/15, with no reconstruction and since the pathology showed extensive DCIS I started radiology on 2/23/15, so I'm almost 2 weeks into it. Before starting radiation I had a CT scan and several measurements were taken to make sure my heart would be out of the "beam". I was told in advance that the radiation would cause scarring on my lung but that it shouldn't cause any breathing problems, but if I ever have a chest x-ray in the future it would show up as a shadow. To keep my lung and heart out of the range, I have to do a breath-holding technique during the treatment. It's not difficult and now that I know how many "clicks" to listen for during the treatment, I know how much longer I'll be holding my breath. So far, all I can see from the treatment is a slight "tan" on that side. From what I've been told, the first two weeks are kind of the "honeymoon" stage, but after that I could experience fatigue and towards the end, more of a sunburn effect.

Good luck with your RO therapy. My technicians are great people and since I have 36 sessions, I'll get to know them pretty well I imagine.