Radiation Treatment

The Surgeon is a surgeon - a specialist who cuts - not a specialist in Radiation (or Chemo). It will be the Rads Dr (RO) who can give you the options - pro and con for differnt options for you (personally) as to the appropriate Rads TX (treatment) plan. You also mentioned doing Chemo - have you seen your Chemo Dr (MO) yet either? Your TX plan should be a Team effort for YOUR best outcome -- not 3 Drs who are working seperately.

Chemo is usually before Rads. - becoming more common before surgery for many for better surgery results.

You haven't filled in your Profile so no info about DX seen which does make it easier to get input from those with similar DX. Ask more questions/get more answers.

Hi Owens!

I did the five day version of radiation (Mammosite, in my case). There were no long term side effects, from my perspective. However the space where the catheter was is still visible on mammograms...it's startled a radiologist or two, until they reviewed my records and realized I had had the Mammosite radiation.

Mammosite involves a catheter that stays sticking out of your breast until the radiation is complete. At the time of surgery, a spacer catheter was placed, and I was started on a prophylactic antibiotic to avoid infection because of the skin break where the catheter emerges (which was continued until the "real" catheter was removed after the treatments were completed). During the treatment period I needed to redress the wound myself on days I didn't have a treatment or another interaction with a health care worker. For me that involved a couple of weekends. The first, after surgery and before the simulation. The second during treatment.

While described as 5-day, the entire process for me was more like almost two weeks (the "5 days" refers to actual treatment days). For me, they placed the spacer catheter during the lumpectomy procedure. I was in the hospital for a day after my lumpectomy and SNB. Then had to do imaging to make sure that the surgical cavity that the spacer was holding open wasn't too close to the skin--and that the placement would still allow me to qualify for the 5-day radiation. (I could have been disqualified at this point, and sent back for a "standard" course of radiation). The day following that, the surgeon replaced the spacer catheter with the actual Mammosite catheter. My first three days of radiation (2x a day) were on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Radiation was completed on Monday and Tuesday. The only SE I really experienced was a tape irritation of the skin, since it was being pulled and replaced so often. Eventually the treatment nurses were doing tapeless dressings with a breast binder.

Essentially uneventful, but thought you'd like to know.

HTH,

LisaAlissa

eta: My surgeon told me that she thought I might be a candidate for Mammosite radiation and had me visit the RO before surgery was scheduled, so that she would know if she needed to placed a spacer catheter during my lumpectomy. Kicks is right that it is the RO who determines what is and isn't appropriate for you for radiation treatment. So get a referral to a RO if you don't already have one.