Radiation at 85

keywestfan · April 2019

A few seconds ago keywestfan wrote:

Well, surprise of surprises. After my re-excision, with negative margins, my MO, who had been opposed to radiation in women over 70, stated that because the newly excised tissue contained 3mm of invasive ductal carcinoma and there was a tiny foci of LVI close to a clean margin, that I would be safer with radiation after all, though I am 85. He thought that was a safer option than waiting and having another lumpectomy and then radiation in case of local recurrence. I meet the RO on Thursday. I've lurked on the Radiation forum but I still do nknow what questions I should ask. I do not know whether I am stage 1 still because of those 3mm and MO says he doesn't know whether it was part of the 1.9 IDC or a new foci. Do not know if hypofractioned rads would be available. I'm just sort of terrified venting here.

Dx 2/14/2019, IDC, Right, 1cm, Stage IA, Grade 2, ER+/PR+, HER2- (IHC)Hormonal TherapySurgery

AliceBastable · April 2019

My mother was 85 when she had a lumpectomy and a full course (33 sessions) of radiation in 2005. She even had to drive to a neighboring town every day for the treatments. Except for getting a bit tanned and tired toward the end of it all, she did fine. The only significant aftereffect was losing a lot of mobility in her shoulder from the positioning.

CindyNY · April 2019

keywestfan - you can ask the RO anything you want. I'd ask what is the expected outcome; have they had other patients with similar dx; if you qualify for the shorter but stronger dose Hypofractionated Irridation - no harm asking, worse they'll say is no.

My RO and her nurse explained everything and more on what to expect. They went over my CT scan & tattoo markers; skin treatments - lotions to use, deodorant; weekly x-rays while on the table for rads; and weekly meeting w RO.

Please don't be terrified, rads are doable. A pain in the posterior but doable. It took me longer to get undressed & redressed, than the actual rads being given. I wish you the best!

keywestfan · April 2019

Alice and CindyNY and Hiking Lad- Thank you so much for your information and help, I have no real idea why radiation terrifies me so, except that, this sounds totally silly,I’m healthy but for the ca, and all those gray rads will be harmful- though they also offer reassurance against recurrence. You can see

keywestfan · April 2019

oops, sent by mistake. You can see how confused I am.. Also, watching on Youtube, the accelerator looks scary, like science fiction. Will just have to grow up and do it, panic or not. Will ask about hypofractionated rads

AliceBastable · April 2019

I had the 33 full course of rads like my Mom did - but I was 68 when I did it last year. It was, at the very worst, annoying - and that was from having to do it every day. I'm more scared of cancer (and with good reason; I've had three different ones) than of radiation. And any danger, if I understand it correctly, is from lifetime accumulation, not short-term.

jessie123 · April 2019

Keywestfan --- I think your doctor told you that women 70 and older don't need rads after lumpectomy because that is the new standard for early stage cancer in the 70 and over group. However, there are some factors that warrant the rad's --- one being close margins. One of my margins was 1mm -- my RO said that although I am 70 and I have a "good" cancer the margin issue requires radiation. Bad luck. I started this week and the radiation is very easy -- I just hate going every day for 3 weeks. There are no giant machines that confine you and it's not loud.

keywestfan · April 2019

Jessie123, thank you for taking my fear factor down. I hope I can do this in three weeks also. I see the RO for the first time tomorrow and will see if i meet the criteria. I think you are right about the close margin. I had a re-excision to widen the clear margins., but still one was <1mn away from a tiny foci of LVI. Still scared of the rads.. .

Radiation at 85

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