Five months from chemo to RT. Too long?

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sillamint50
sillamint50 Member Posts: 2
edited June 2014 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

I want to wait five months from end of chemo to start of radiation. What do you think? I had a mastectomy and am currently cancer-free -- according to tests, that is. My tumor disappeared after chemo and surgery pathology report was clean.  For a variety of reasons, RT kept getting pushed back. Now it's three months since chemo ended and I still haven't started RT. Here's the issue: in one week my RO is swapping their old machines for new ones, which will take up to two months, and means I will have to drive to a different facility 50 miles away for daily treatments. I'd like to wait until I can start my treatment locally with the new machine. My question is: will a delay of five months -- from chemo to the start of radiation -- diminish the overall effectiveness of radiation? RO says it will, but that's what I would expect him to say!  All opinions will help. Thank you! 

Sillamint 

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  • inks
    inks Member Posts: 746
    edited May 2014

    I consulted with two ROs and both said that it would be best to start rads 4-8 weeks after chemo. And I believe they usually try to start the rads 4-8 weeks after surgery for those who did neoadjuvant chemo also. How long has it been since your surgery? Most people do not need radiation after mastectomy, so your doctor must have some really good reasons to be recommending radiation even when your pathology report is "clean". The purpose of radiation is to kill any stray cancer cells around the mastectomy area and thus reduce the chance of local recurrence. I have a long drive to rads as well so I totally understand you wanting to postpone and do them close by. I was really grumpy when I started but time has gone by so quickly and I can't believe I am almost done.

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  • muska
    muska Member Posts: 1,195
    edited May 2014

    I talked to more than one specialists about the "gap" between end of chemo and start of radiation. The consensus was that radiation's benefits start to decline if you wait more than 8 weeks and after 12 weeks are questionable at best.

    That being said it is not clear from your post why you need radiation in the first place. If surgery pathology report was clean..

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  • jbdayton
    jbdayton Member Posts: 700
    edited May 2014

    I did rads 6 weeks following my bi-lateral mastectomy.  My MO said 6 weeks after surgery is all she likes to push it.  

    My mastectomy was 2 months after last chemo.  So total time from last chemo to first rad was 15 weeks.  

    One reason for rads following neo-adjuvant chemo is tumor close to chest wall.  Another is DCIS was found and chemo doesn't kill pre-cancer. 

    I drove 48 miles one way for each of my rad treatments.  It is tiring but it can be done.  My mileage for medical last year was over 6200 miles (mileage log for income taxes).

    Luckily my husband went with me for each treatment.

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited May 2014

    There is no one 'right' TX plan for all.  Different types of BC (DCIS/IDC/LCIS/ILC/IBC) are different and the protocohols for TX are different.   I must say that while I'm certainly not a medical specialist, nor is anyone else here, that I've never heard of waiting 5 mmyths after chemo and surgery to start rads.  I know I didn't.- surgery 2 weeks after neoadjuvant chemo, adjuvant chemo 3 weeks after surgery and rads 1 week after last chemo.  

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  • sillamint50
    sillamint50 Member Posts: 2
    edited May 2014

    Wow!  You guys are great. I was vague about my background cuz I just wanted to focus on the time lapse question, but I should have known that you all would be caring and compassionate, and would want to know more. I'm on my second go-round with bc in four years. Had mastectomies in '09 and '10. No chemo or RT. Then found a lump above the implant one year ago, had TCH chemo, then surgery ... although tumor was gone. 

    My timing tonight is wild cuz I just had a call from the rad tech at my RO's office. Weird cuz it's nearly 7pm here on a Friday night. We discussed my concerns again and I asked him to be as honest as possible. He said waiting another two months was TOO long and would be almost worthless. He also agreed what everyone says, that having come this far (treatments, hair loss, etc.) it would be silly to stop now, esp. since I'm heading down the home stretch. I guess, like you all know, I'm tired of being tired and wanted a way out of more treatment. I'm also HER2 pos and will have Herceptin through July. 

    Thank you a million times over for your quick responses. I feel part of this community now. I made an appt. and radiation starts Tuesday. I've already done the simulation and tattoos, so I'll enter the "radio blaster" Tuesday at noon. I'll move to the other facility  the first week of June. And I won't worry about the driving distance either! 

    Thank you!

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  • inks
    inks Member Posts: 746
    edited May 2014

    Smart decision sillamint50! And I hope you could see from the fact that they hunted you down on a Friday evening how serious the matter is. Good luck blasting those last cancer cells for good this time on Tuesday! 

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  • jenjenl
    jenjenl Member Posts: 948
    edited May 2014

    very smart decision.

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