How do you test to see if Rads have worked?

I think it's because there is no way to know if your radiation was a success, or if you are ever all clear.  There is no test.

You should talk to your radiation oncologist.

Chris 

lemonjello - I wondered the same thing, because people would ask me if the cancer was all gone (once I finished 34 rads).  I would ramble about how you can't know if the cancer's gone, you can only know if it comes back that it's there again -

so at my first 3-month checkup last month with my breast surgeon who did the lumpectomy, I asked her, "What's a good short answer for people who ask if the cancer is all gone?"

She gave a totally unexpected answer: she gestured toward the side where I had the surgery, and said, "THAT cancer is gone.  You can say Yes!"

I wondered if I should even tell people that, apart from my husband, because I didn't know what to say if people then asked "How can she know without doing any tests?"

My guess is that it's expected that cancer cells can't survive the level of radiation they get.  So the cancer does leave the radiated area; but new cancer can develop.  Any cells that traveled out of the radiated area can lead to mets, of course.

I decided I would tell people what my doctor said, and that I'm healed of breast cancer.  I'll take every day of no cancer that I can get!

Have you finished radiation?

Hi lemonjello,

Rads are given to reduce the chance of recurrence in the breast. When youn finish rads you are followed closely with mammograms and/or breast MRI, or other breast imaging,and clinical exams. That is how your doctor will monitor you for recurrence, and it could be your rads onc, medical onc, surgical onc, or sometimes all three. I think your question is a good one for your rads onc!