Hi all,
I am seeking advice from those who have been there!
Yesterday I learned that I need follow up RT having had 2 therapeutic mamoplasties in Jan and March to remove intermediate DCIS. This was really disappointing as all the way through my surgeon had given the message that I would probably avoid RT (although I was very worried about that preferring the belt and the braces option).
The challenge is that my husband has 3 months paid sabbatical to take. Having been postponed from Covid times I have planned unpaid leave and we are due to spend this summer travelling in our VW Campervan. My question is when is it realistic to plan to go. My RT consultation is 22nd May and have been told about 3 weeks to begin RT. Worst case scenario would be 4 weeks (3 plus boost) but could be just the 1 week. How long would you wait for side effects to ease before going travelling based on your experiences? Thank you
I would say give it 2 or 3 weeks after you finish to recover as tiredness can build up after you have your last session . I got a skin infection as my skin broke down too which needed anti-biotic cream . Everyone is different and you may feel fine immediately but if you allow that timescale you should be fine to enjoy your holiday . Are you travelling in the UK ?
Hi Sassygee
Sorry to hear you need to have RT. It’s totally doable and will give you added peace of mind longer term.
As you may recall (from April starters posts), I also had a TM (for node negative IDC/DCIS). I had a discussion with my oncologist about the merits of partial vs whole breast irradiation (WBI), as I was in theory eligible for the former according to NICE guidelines (which are not always 100% comprehensive/up to date - there’s always a bit of a lag time as new regimes/pathways develop). He was open to discussing this with the MDT but it would have required more careful RT planning and we therefore opted for 5 fraction WBI (belt & braces), with no boost. This was mainly due to breast tissue repositioning during TM (and no guarantee the titanium markers left in place won’t have moved), which I believe isn’t usually the case with a more straightforward lumpectomy.
With intermediate DCIS (and presumably clear margins second time around), you should be eligible for 5 fraction RT. I asked my oncologist to have this instead of 15 fractions. Depending on the hospital that could be Mon-Fri or over the weekend with or without a break. I had mine from Wed-Sun. As mentioned before, you’re unlikely to get a severe reaction with this regime.
I was one of the early DCIS clinical trial co-ordinators way back when the NHS screening programme was established, looking at the impact of RT on DCIS outcome. While the risk of local recurrence with DCIS as you know is very low, adjuvant RT reduces this even further by around half over 10 years.
Personally, I would give it c.4 weeks post RT completion. Hopefully you’ll get away with the mildest side effects. Good prep really helps (moisturisation, hydration, exercise). Fatigue usually hits sooner and skin side effects typically peak at 10-14 days post RT, with skin recovery well underway a couple of weeks later. I had another surge in energy levels at 6 weeks post (not quite fully back to ‘normal’, still need to pace myself but that’s probably also down to anastrazole and the mental effort of processing everything…).
All being well I guess that would take you to early/mid July. You can ask your radiographer for advice any time and they will assess your progress throughout treatment.
It’s great you have a holiday planned and something fun to look forward to that will help you recuperate.
All the very best with your RT and speedy recovery.
JS64