What test is done to see if Rads are necessary?

lemonjello, I'm sorry you are not getting answers to your questions.  I know it must be frustrating for you.

The problem is that your questions are not "simple", and they do not have easy answers.  For instance, the answer to the question you've asked in this thread is, you ask your surgeon or the radiation oncologist.

There is no single test that will tell us whether we need radiation.  Generally, women who have invasive tumors and choose breast-conserving treatment (lumpectomy) will need radiation if they want the same outcome as women who have a mastectomy.

Even with a mastectomy, radiation might be necessary if the tumor was large or if it had spread to the lymph nodes under the arm.

Your surgeon should be telling you these things, if you are the one who has been diagnosed with BC.

otter 

Your rad onc is the one who is the best to tell you if radiation is necessary.  It is their expertise.  We run into problems when we start listening to surgeons, med onc, etc, who have only passing knowledge of radiation. 

I agree with otter and swalters, generally, you get radiation if your tumor was large at time of discovery. or you are a higher stage.  The radiation targets renegade cells that are not caugth by surgery or chemo.  If there was lymph node involvement, you will know this at time of surgery if they do a sentinel node biopsy, it is alos indicated.  There are other reasons, but the best bet is to make an  appointment with a rad onc, let them look over your records and hear them out.

Hope this helps, JUDY

I was on the borderline for rads as for as tumor size BUT all 4 of my lymph nodes were positive for cancer, plus I had extranodal extension, so rads was a definite recommendation for me.  My rad onc. said that chemo is only systemic and that mastectomy compromises the blood supply where the breasts used to be so the chemo is not reaching that area AFTER the mast. So hence the radiation to kill what could be left behind, not just in the breast/chest area but in the lymph node area as well.