Forum Discussion

sw2012's avatar
sw2012
Member
9 years ago

Radium, cording,

huge thanks to everyone for your comments on my last post about feeling down about my cording and upcoming chemo. Feeling bit better now - always remind myself how lucky i am, what I'm going thru isn't so bad- just have to watch the news to feel better. cording still there but saw physio last night and she's intensifying treatment with laser and massage. 

Have question for anyone - I saw a radium oncologist before I saw my chemo onco who recommended 25 sessions of radium after my chemo (we didn't even know what chemo was being done - don't get me started!). Surgeon and gp (who's had bc) don't really think it's necessary, I'm going to ask my other onco next visit. I'm having doubts about it and would like to see what others have done. I've had bilateral mastectomy, 6 lymph nodes takes out, 2 affected. Chest wall clear. 4 tumors removed, biggest one 28mm which was grade 2. Onco said I'm low risk and talked about the damage radium could do to my lungs. 

My chemo starts on Monday, 4 X ac then 12 X paclitaxol (spelling?). Is anyone similar and what did you do? 

Thanks in advance for replying. Hope everyone is having a great day. ????

cording
  • Scanxious's avatar
    Scanxious
    Member
    9 years ago

    Hi , I had 28 rad sessions end of 2015, , I participated in a trial my clinic are running call DIBH ( deep inhalation breath hold ) I had to take a big breath and hold for 20 seconds ( sometimes longer) and then they would zap me ..... They are trying to see if by doing this ( when you inhale quite deep you pull your heart and lungs back and they can hopefully just hit the targeted area only ) the effect on future heart and lung damage may lessen , too early to tell if it's a success yet as still on trial ....... You have to do what you have to do to give yourself the absolute best chance , I didn't get much time to consider or research the effects radiation may have on my body further down the track , in hindsight as my tumours where high grade but small with no node involvement , I think I may have made a different decision ..., but that's just me ...... Take all the advice you are given by your Onc team and weigh up all the pro's and cons , educate yourself in regards to radiation and make your decision from there..... That's the best any of us can do hon. ??????

  • airlie's avatar
    airlie
    Member
    9 years ago

    Hi there.

    I have stage 3 grade 3 HER2 positive bc.

    Double mastectomy and 2 nodes with cancer.

    Chemo is 4  fortnightly EC and 12 weekly paclitaxel which I am have way through.

    My onco said last visit I wont be required to have radiation even though I have a high stage of bc.

    It is because I had a double  mastectomy only 2 node involvement and tumour was just under 5cm. Mine was 4.5. Nodes involvement has to be over 4 or 5 cant remember. 

    Anyway that is what I was told by my professor.

    Hope that helps in some way.

    Good luck. X

  • Anonymous's avatar
    Anonymous
    9 years ago

    Hello, I had a right mastectomy and auxiliary clearance for a grade 3 lobular cancer with a nipple involved ( different type of tumour) and had 5 lymph nodes involved. They followed up the mastectomy with 6 rounds of  chemo (3 of FEC and 3 of docetaxel) My surgeon advised that the radiation gets anything that the chemo does not get. I had 25 rads, and they checked my lungs weekly, and they check my lungs at every follow up check up. My lungs are good, so I've had a good outcome. Hope that this helps, Trace ????????