Hi everyone,
Today I went to have the planning for radiotherapy which will start on 18th January
Ten sessions , five of which will be booster sessions , has any body else had the booster sessions done and if so did it affect the look of your breast? I had a lumpectomy and was told radiotherapy can change the appearance and texture of the skin
Best wishes x
Hey there, I had boosters done. 15 full Breast tissue and 5 boosters at the end. Its an almost impossible question to answer really Sparkle, from my perspective, trying to ‘remove’ any specific localised side effects from the boosters, from the whole breast rt effects. My boosters were done directly to the tumour bed and not the whole breast.
By the time I got to the boosters I already had skin effects (red, hot etc), stabby pains (nerves being annoyed by the rt ;), breast size increase from lymph and swelling and assorted niggles like tissue problems on nipple area. My answer therefore is that in my case yes there were changes in the breast shape (I was 2 cup sizes larger that side for some time after) BUT it was temporary.
As time went on, and it was some considerable time, the skin wentfrom red to dark brown, the hottness stopped, there were loads of freckly things, the lymph started draining and then two years later it was back to normal. Though - you lose any hair permanently where rt is done. SOme people find things settle much quicker, thats an individual difference thing probably based on skin type or genetics or something (I’m non medical LOL).
What particular changes are worrying you ?
Hi Sparkle 66,
I’m due to start Radiotherapy this month also. I should get a call next week to discuss my schedule but I have been told three week to the entire breast and one booster week so I am curious to know what affect it could have on the appearance also. I had a lumpectomy also and my surgeon put a flap in so advised me to take the longer option for treatment so as to minimise the damage to the flap and give the skin a break between sessions. I hope you’re treatment goes well and you don’t get too tired with it.
Hi,
I am having radiotherapy at the moment. I have had seven of fifteen sessions and have had no problems so far. On Friday the radiographer commented on how good my skin was, it doesn’t look or feel any different, hoping it stays that way over the remaining eight sessions.
I am having a simultaneous integrated boost to the tumour bed so don’t have to have the extra five sessions. I think the integrated boost is only available on certain special types of radiotherapy machine, they did tell me what it was called but can’t remember now. Anyway this means I am having a slightly higher dose of radiotherapy to one part of my breast each session as well as the standard dose to the whole breast. I feared this might make any side effects worse but so far I have been ok 
.