Surgery time to Radiation Time

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Nancdancer
Nancdancer Member Posts: 47
edited July 2015 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

my doctor told me that I would begin having radiation a month after surgery but I did not get clear margins so will have to go in for reexcision so will I have to wait another month before I have radiation? How long did you go from surgery date to radiation date?

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  • SweetThing
    SweetThing Member Posts: 18
    edited May 2015

    Hi Nancdancer! I waited 6 weeks between surgery and radiation. They wanted the incision to heal properly. Good luck with your treatment.

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  • Meadow
    Meadow Member Posts: 2,007
    edited May 2015

    Me too Nan 6 weeks

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  • tgtg
    tgtg Member Posts: 266
    edited May 2015

    Nan--I had my lumpectomy on Jan, 7 and radiation treatment started March 18 (did planning 10 days before that)--so roughly ten weeks between surg and rads. Had a big hematoma that surgeon aspirated twice and needed mucho healing time. TG

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  • Larkspur
    Larkspur Member Posts: 88
    edited May 2015

    In my case, it was eight and a half weeks, probably for no other reason than the busy schedules of NYC medical facilities.

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  • Kicks
    Kicks Member Posts: 4,131
    edited May 2015

    It was 16 weeks between surgery (UMX) and starting rads. However, I started 12 weekly adjuvant Taxol 3 weeks after surgery. (I had done 4 DD A/C neoadjuvant and surgery was 2 weeks after last A/C.). I started 25 rads a week after last Taxol so it was 16 weeks between surgery and rads but I was in active TX.

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  • goodcanary
    goodcanary Member Posts: 9
    edited May 2015

    I consulted with two different ROs at two different hospitals. One was adamant that I must start 6 weeks after surgery, and they were really pushing me to make a decision and get going. The other said they like to start no later than 9-12 weeks after surgery; after 12 weeks they start to see diminishing effectiveness of the radiation. I started at 10 1/2 weeks after at the second place. They took longer doing the treatment planning than the other place would've, too (2 weeks vs 1 week). That second hospital also seemed busier than the first.

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  • knittingPT
    knittingPT Member Posts: 156
    edited May 2015

    I will be starting a little over 5 weeks post my lumpectomy/axillary node dissection. I head to wait until the swelling in my axilla came down a little bit and I could get my arm up into the position required for the treatment. I'm soooooo ready to get started and get done!

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  • NCDi
    NCDi Member Posts: 85
    edited June 2015

    Goodcanary: I am glad to read your post as I have been a bit concerned that 62 days after lumpectomy I still haven't started Rad, although last Tuesday I was CT scanned and marked with the big green sharpie.

    I have a late afternoon appointment tomorrow and understand that I will get the dot marks and am hoping that I also start Rad. I guess I feel as though I am being put in the back burner.

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  • Nancdancer
    Nancdancer Member Posts: 47
    edited June 2015

    wondering if any of you live in a big city? It seems that is a big reason why it is taking so long.


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  • NCDi
    NCDi Member Posts: 85
    edited June 2015

    Nancdancer, in my case no, we have access to a modern local facility but its resources are overstretched due to the volume of patients and the lack of money for equipment.

    I was supposed to start Rad today but got a call their machine (they have only one) suffered a malfunction so no one gets treatment until it is repaired - possibly Thursday.

    As to those of us needing treatment, I guess the powers (the money guys) that be just don't care.

    Oh well.

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  • JJOntario
    JJOntario Member Posts: 356
    edited June 2015

    I was even longer ...I had my surgery Dec 8 and started rads on March 30. I have existing implants and waited for what felt like forever to get a Ps opinion on to get a mx or do rads. I still think it was too long to wait...

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  • april25
    april25 Member Posts: 772
    edited June 2015

    Thanks to everyone for relating their experiences. I was just wondering about what the times usually were and found this thread! So helpful!

    I haven't got a sure start time for my 7 weeks of rads yet... but it should be next week some time, which is around a month or so after my LX... I'm glad I'm in the range there.

    I also had neoadjuvent chemo, so I wonder if that makes a difference? Anyone know?

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  • aff
    aff Member Posts: 279
    edited July 2015

    April - you have started by now but I had neoadjuvant chemo and started rads 5 weeks after surgery.

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  • april25
    april25 Member Posts: 772
    edited July 2015

    Thanks, aff!

    I would guess the timing depends more on everyone's personal schedules (doctors and rads techs, too) and how everyone is feeling (any need to take more time to heal up from various things or not). But I was just curious to know if anyone had heard anything else.

    Yes, I started already! On June 11. My surgery was May 8, just an LX, so pretty quick recovery. So a little over a month between.

    I've now had 16 of 35 txs. Pretty easy so far, but it's cumulative so we'll see how it goes!


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