What are your boost sessions like?

MombieZombie

Hi, I had a rads plan that included 33 sessions, with the final five being boosts. I'm a left-side complex treatment, with my tumor being close to the chest wall and also close to the heart. To get an idea of what to expect before my boosts, I asked other women about their sessions. I was told that the doctor would come in and draw on me where my tumor was, that the machine would come over me and be much closer to my body, that there would be only one angle and that I wouldn't need to hold my breath anymore. Well, the doc didn't come draw on me, there are two angles, each from the side and the machine didn't come that close, and I still have to hold my breath. There wasn't a single detail that matched the info I collected from women in my own clinic, nor here in the threads. I have four more boosts.

I can't be the only one who is different. I will be asking my RO on Monday, but I'm curious if there are others who had experiences like mine and if they know why.

Spookiesmom

They made a lead shield for me with a slit in it. For the boosts that was aligned with the tats. It covered all areas the beam wasn't supposed to go. I don't remember if the thing rotated as usual.

MombieZombie

I got an answer from my RO today. They are using photon therapy instead of electron. This is less commonly used. My tumor bed is deeper than most and located close to my heart. The two angles help avoid the heart. The other details are related to the photon therapy. They use imaging to guide the placement each time. That's why no one drew on me beforehand. Anyone who wants more info--here are key words to use for internet search: radiotherapy photon breast boost