Hi everyone, I just found out I am starting my rads (25 to chest all, axilla and collar bone) 7 and 1/2 weeks after the surgery. This is not due to any complication with the surgery, I’ve had none. I am worried that it’s a long time and that the cancer will have chance to become active again in the meantime. What is the normal time you’ve waited in between the end of the previous treatment and rads ?
Hi Barb
I think 7 weeks; you should be fine but do check with your BCN. My rads took place a few months after my surgery. If you want to read my sorry saga read on or if you have something better to do don’t worry.
I had a long drawn out saga between my surgery & rads; long story short:
2nd WLE : 16/11/10 good clear margins/no invasive all DCIS; fantastic.
Ref.to Oncology (Dec 10 or so I thought) for poss rads due to age/size of DCIS etc. No appointment sent in 6 weeks; chased up via BCN my papers had been put on wrong pile. had Onc appointment arranged within 2 days (Mid Jan).
Rads recommended as reduces recurrance risk by over 50%. I went with it. Nothing heard for a 3 weeks (I was told would be 2) to advise planning. Again got onto BCN: she couldn’t find anything out; I formerly complained ended up speaking to Consultant Oncologist very sorry but simulator being replaced (I was told being serviced) & unable to schedule any planning for 4 weeks min.
Then out of the blue they “found” capacity on CT scanner planning & treatment sorted. My main concern like yours was will delay reduce the effectiveness of the rads.
Oncologist told me this doesn’t occur until 6 months & I had my treatment at 4 months. Having said that I couldn’t confirm that with any research I did on the net but as mine was non-invasive probably not so much of a risk anyway still scarey tho’.
Now relieved out the other end as rads completed with little side effects in March. I have some nerve pain & and take painkillers for it. Now waiting for appt of first annual mammo (must make sure they give 1 to me) Registrar did the referral last Friday at clinic appt.
Take care
Lynne
I had a long wait between surgery and rads because I could not move (and hold) my arm up in order to position my body in the optimum position to receive rads. Don’t worry, seven and a half weeks is well within the time.
AlexG
Hi Barb
I was initially given a 12 week wait between surgery and rads, seemingly because of a backlog because of the bad weather and Xmas. In between I found that NICE guidelines are something like 4 weeks and Scottish (where I am) is about 6 weeks, so wrote to oncologist and it was brought forward to 10 and a half. This was after a 3 month delay between my diagnosis and surgery because of issues relating to my case. All this politics talk about quick access for treatment only covers the first treatment, nothing about waiting times between subsequent treatments. And guidelines are only that. I found out that its ‘targets’ that drive waiting times much more than guidelines.
There is little research with anything to say on whether delay can have any detrimental effect. I’d suggest if you’re concerned write a strongly worded letter to oncologist quoting NICE guidelines.
Good luck
S
Hi Barb,
I had a delay of around 9 weeks due to my paperwork being left on a desk somewhere between two hospitals. I had to chase them, like you I started to get freaked out about the delay and what it was doing to my body, I had a holiday booked and that led to a further delay. After a meeting regarding radiotherapy planning I was told that I would just make it within the timelines, therefore could go on holiday (booked months before), so spent holiday worrying practically non-stop. I had already started taking tamoxifen so that did give me a little hope. All I know is that in my case at 9 weeks they considered that time scale as borderline, hopefully this reassures you x
Hi Barbwill
NICE guidelines say max 31 days between surgery and rads, if the wound is OK. Perhaps point out to the hospital that you know what timescales they are supposed to work to, it might make them speed things up. I had 6 weeks before rads but that was because I had a mammoplasty type op and that takes longer to heal.
Edited to add a link to the relevant NICE guideline - it’s at the top of page 10 nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/12132/43312/43312.pdf
my cancer was invasive stage three with no nodal involvement, and my rads did not start for 8 weeks, i asked it to be delayed because I had some important gigs and i did not want to risk being tired for them. No one on the oncology team batted an eyelid about the delay. As it turns out i have not been tired but i was not to know that
I had an eight week delay,partly because of catch-up for spring bank holidays and partly because my team like to wait six weeks post surgery to allow for healing. I’m at a leading hospital and they were unworried about time delays - would have put it back further until after my holidays if it had been needed. Try not to worry too much (and I know, that’s easier said than done!)
Hi. My rads doctor told me that a 12 week gap is ok, I think it’s more to do with targets that mean they have a shorter gap:-)
Kerry