Radiation recovery time before hysterectomy

Kstinekd

Hello All. I just finished chemo last week and am scheduled to start radiation in mid-May. I am scheduled for a hysterectomy and oopherectomy on June 18, immediately after I complete radiation. Has anyone had or is planning on having this surgery after radiation, and if so, what was the lag time between the last radiation treatment and the surgery? The docs seem wishy-washy on timing and are saying it's probably good to wait two weeks between them, although there's no clinical proof that I need two weeks. I'm anxious and don't mind doing it back-to-back but maybe it's a bad idea. Thanks!

daniellebreastcancer

Hi I just joined this forum and I had a similar question to yours. It doesn't look like anyone responded. So it looks like in your case you waited about 5 weeks between finishing chemo and starting radiation, then waited 2 weeks after radiation finished to have your hysterectomy? Did that all work out ok for you? My oncologist is super wishy washy too. He said I could maybe have my hysterectomy before I have radiation, but he doesn't seem to know the wait times necessary between any of the treatments. Thanks and I hope you're doing well.

MinusTwo

Danielle - It doesn't look like Kstin has posted in a year so I assume she's gone on with the treatment she described. Sorry I don't have an answer, but my BS and RO both thought several months - BC only.

kathabus

Hi--I didn't do chemo....but I had 3 weeks in between finishing radiation and the hysterectomy. It worked out great for me. I was happy to move on to that quickly and to be done. I think everyone feels differently....some might need a break. The nice thing about doing the hysterectomy right after radiation (if you're premenopausal) is that you don't have to mess around with Zoladex shots or Tamoxifen. You get the surgery and get right on to your aromatase inhibitor. I wouldn't do it the week after, but 2-3 weeks should be fine. I thought 3 weeks was perfect.

I have a friend that went through breast cancer, and she had her hysterectomy in between chemo and radiation just because they had an opening, and that route worked great for her. So I think either way can work depending on personal preference!

2019whatayear

A smaller surgery than a hysterectomy but I had a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy 10 days after finishing radiation. No probs and as kathabus said above benefit was I went straight to AIs. At first, I wanted to wait a couple of months after radiation but my MO was like, nah don't wait. (because I am BRCA2). Turned out I'm super glad I listened to her as I had the BSO in late Feb and w/in a few weeks of that my hospital was shut down for 'elective' surgeries until June.

AliceBastable

I had to have a different abdominal surgery between my lumpectomy and radiation, and I kind of wish I'd done radiation first because the positioning for rads really stretches you out and it's pretty uncomfortable if you've had a recent surgery. The first few weeks of radiation were a real endurance test, even though the sessions are short.