Are These Treatment Delays Normal?

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Buster56
Buster56 Member Posts: 1
edited June 2014 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

Helping my mother age 74 who recently had a breast lumpectomy for a tumor of around 2.3 cm. Surgery was in November and delays in getting oncologist and radiation oncololgy appointments during Holidays have resulted. Oncologist now wants to do an expensive test on the specimen which supposedly will be a better predictor of recurrence? But she says no radiation or chemo until the test is done. My worry is that it is almost 8 weeks since surgery and not further treatment yet. Am I right to be concerned? We want to move forward aggressively but these delays make me nervous. Is an 8-10 week delay in starting chemo or radiation therapy, normal?

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  • idaho
    idaho Member Posts: 1,187
    edited January 2010

    I didn't do chemo.. but they made we wait 6 weeks after lumpectomy to start radiation so I could be healed well.... the cancer has probably been growing for years... it is out...  I don't think a few more weeks is going to matter.  I understand your frustration though.. here is hoping for peace and health to your mother!   Tami

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  • Jules824
    Jules824 Member Posts: 85
    edited January 2010

    Hi, Im sorry about your Mom. I will keep her in my prayers for a full recovery. I did not have chemo either, but I can give you an idea. Get ready for the long ride, Oh I am sure there are people who are going faster, but I have been going thru this since August, yes August. Had mammo, then biopsy, then MRI, then surgery (a lumpectomy) finally in October, then another mammo, then met with oncology, then met the rads doc, then rads started after Thanksgiving and I am still not finished.

    Take care,

    Jules

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  • gogo_xago
    gogo_xago Member Posts: 131
    edited January 2010

    As I know chemo usually starts 4 weeks after surgery. But is it sure that your mom will have chemo? As you said she had a lump 2.3 cm but you didn't say about lymph nodes. Had your mother positive lymph nodes?  

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  • pj12
    pj12 Member Posts: 25,402
    edited January 2010

    The slow pace would be driving me crazy.  They must be talking about an Oncotype DX test which takes 2-4 weeks to get results.  Why didn't they send it off sooner?  My surgeon said the optimum time to begin radiation, IF you did not do chemo, was 6-8 weeks.  Of course there are good reasons for delays, like when an incision has not healed.   

    I would be pushing to get something going.  Or have a beter understanding of why there is no hurry.

    pam 

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  • ruthbru
    ruthbru Member Posts: 57,235
    edited January 2010

    I'd start pushing, if for no other reason than the emotional impact of waiting around is so,so hard. Can your family doctor get things going? If the specialists aren't reponding to you, get him/her involved.

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  • KQuigley
    KQuigley Member Posts: 17
    edited January 2010

    You're still within the normal range.  There was a delay in my Oncotype DX test as well and I was assured by my radiation oncologist that while 8 weeks was the target date in which to start, a week or two past that was not going to compromise my final outcome.  By waiting, it was determined that there would be no benefit to my doing chemo and radiation treatments started a few days later.

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