Boost after mastectomy?

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fd1
fd1 Member Posts: 239
edited June 2014 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

I am undergoing 25 radiation treatments for Stage IIB breast cancer.  I had a mastectomy and was in the gray zone for radiation.  After my RO brought up two 20-year studies that show a survival benefit, especially in the long term, for women with similar diagnoses and considering my young age (32), I decided to go ahead with the treatments.  My margins were negative and my tumor was relatively small (2.1 cm).  However, I have just learned that I will be receiving 4 boosts after the 25 treatments.  Is this normal?  Everything that I've read online about post-mastectomy radiation seems to indicate that a boost to the scar would only be considered if the margins were positive.  To be honest though, I have yet to find a clear reference online for standard radiation as there are for chemotherapy.  My treatment centre is supposed to be one of the best in Canada for radiation so I do have some faith in what they are doing but don't want to expose myself to unnecessary treatment. 

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  • addisonse
    addisonse Member Posts: 14
    edited February 2013

    I'm very similar to you, I'm 25. Had clear.margins but I'm having boosts too.

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  • windchimes58
    windchimes58 Member Posts: 14
    edited March 2013

    I also had 5 boosts after 29 rad TX--it was explained by the RO this way: the boosts are centered on the mastectomy scar tissue because its possible that the chemo could not effectively reach this tissue, due to lack of vascularation in this area (scar tissue interrupts blood flow).

    Hope this helps and good luck! 

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