Is Rads for DCIS Different from Rads for Invasive Disease?

kec1972
kec1972 Member Posts: 269
edited February 2019 in Radiation Therapy - Before, During, and After

I ask because I have 2 friends who had DCIS say their 6 weeks of radiation treatment was a "breeze", they had zero fatigue, and kept up the whole time with their regular exercise routines. Whereas I know that for those of us receiving rads for invasive disease, there is usually a lot of fatigue that goes along with it. I just started today, plan on keeping the lotion flowing to hopefully protect my skin, Just wondering if anyone knew the answer to this? Thanks all!

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  • sbelizabeth
    sbelizabeth Member Posts: 2,889
    edited February 2019

    My friends with DCIS described their radiation treatments as taking longer to undress than the treatment itself. The treatments for my Stage III IBC took about 25 minutes.

    I'm not a rad onc, but it makes sense that a tiny, node-negative lesion would require less radiation, with fewer unpleasant side effects, than more extensive disease.

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  • AliceBastable
    AliceBastable Member Posts: 3,461
    edited February 2019

    I think there might be a difference in how many angles are used. I had rads from four different directions for the whole-breast regimen - which included the axilla because of a micromet in the sentinal node. But the radiologist explained that a lot of the difference in treatment routines has to do with tissue density and location of where the tumor was.

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  • Ingerp
    Ingerp Member Posts: 2,624
    edited February 2019

    The only difference in mine was that I had 20 sessions (the "Canadian Protocol") for DCIS and had to do the breath hold thing because it was on my left side, and had 33 sessions for IDC (right side). My understanding is same total amount of radiation. I asked why I couldn't do the fewer, more intense sessions and was told my skin wouldn't hold up as well after chemo. I didn't have much fatigue either time. I believe that unless you have lymph node involvement, whole-breast is whole-breast.

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  • Salamandra
    Salamandra Member Posts: 1,444
    edited February 2019

    I had two angles for my stage 1 IDC and still felt completely knocked back by fatigue.

    But there are something who sail through, even with IDC. Maybe it's coincidence that they were both DCIS.

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  • kec1972
    kec1972 Member Posts: 269
    edited February 2019

    Thanks Ladies. I guess I wasnt sure if radiation for DCIS is just targeted to the tumor bed, or if it is also whole breast like that for invasive disease.

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  • tlfrank
    tlfrank Member Posts: 199
    edited February 2019

    I had DCIS and was treated from two different angles - I did have 21 treatments at a higher dose (Canadian Method I think). I was exhausted and my skin was burned fairly badly. I'm one year out and my skin is still darker where I was treated.

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  • kec1972
    kec1972 Member Posts: 269
    edited February 2019

    tlfrank, I am also doing the Canadian hypofractionated schedule...16 whole breast followed by 5 boosts...I had my 5th session today and so far I can't see or feel any difference. Been lotioning twice per day

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