Brachytherapy Radiation

EILEENOHIO,

I had the internal contura balloon brachytherapy radiation in November.  In my case, The oconotype test was low enuf, and my age (68) PET scan indicates no other signs of BC, and size small, stage 1 and the lymph nodes were clean,  the PC, BS, MO and RO all agreed that chemo is not indicated at this time,   I still have some discoloration, and hardness in the breast but it is getting better.  I have quite a bit of scaring from the two surgeries, the balloon insertion, later a drain, and bad reaction to all the tapes.    I am takiing Letrozole (generic form of Femara) and will be on that for the next 5 years they tell me.     I go back to the MO/RO in April for followup.

Good luck with what ever you decide.

Vickie

Hi Eileen,

I had a lumpectomy in August followed by brachytherapy. I am glad I did it, and would choose that again, for 2 reasons: I liked the idea of not spreading the radiation over a bunch of healthy tissues (skin, lymph nodes, possibly heart or bones), and I liked getting it all over by taking one week off work, instead of interfering with my work for seven weeks. (I'm a school teacher, and the work would not go away just because I had less time to do it.)

All my docs (bc surgeon, rad onc, med onc) said the data so far looks like it's equally effective for patients like me. I read the bc.org report of the research Bevin referred to. My impression from it is that what's hurting the effectiveness rates of brachytherapy is that it's been used for women whose situation does not call for it (lobal tumors, multiple sites, etc). However, definitely you should read everything breastcancer.org has on it, to help you make up your mind.

As far as the brachtherapy experience, here's my take on it. Having an experienced surgeon who does those catheters frequently is essential. They're sticking a kind of hollow rubber arrow deep into your body, from under the arm up into the cavity in your breast. It's like a foot long and a half inch thick. It stays there 5 days. I felt invaded. However, the RO's nurse and I were scrupulous about care for the open wound, and I had no infection or problem there whatsoever. (Scrupulous care = the nurse cleans and rebandaged it twice a day and I did not mess with it at all, or attempt to shower / bathe around it. Washed my  face, hands, and other pits, and saved myself an infection.) Also took 2 weeks of antibiotics.

It's a miraculous business and my experience was positive, though Day 1 felt about a month long. I wouldn't do it with an inexperienced surgeon or RO, though. 

 Oh, after-effects: The original surgery incision was of course right over the irradiated cavity, and I and my doctors observed that it healed more slowly because of the radiation. All the skin right over the spot peeled off, though without any painful sunburn feeling. There was a big pocket of fluid in the empty cavity that remained for a long time afterwards. As of my 3-month appointments, it was breaking up and I told my MO it felt like I had marbles in my  breast. He said, "Feels more like Legos to me." :-)  At the 3-month follow up appointment with the radiologist who discovered the tumor, she showed me how to massage it properly, and the lumpiness is subsiding fast.

Good luck with your decision and all of your treatment!

Ellen