Hi, I had my first dose of radiotherapy today and was told that, for the first 12 (out of 30) doses, I would have a wax sheet over my breast - from what I understand, this is to help bring the radiation to the surface of the breast. I had an LD reconstruction with implant and total axillary clearance in Jan 2008 and had a WLE in August this year when I had a recurrence. I’m expecting to have 5 booster doses at the end of the treatment to the particular area at which I had a recurrence.
Has anyone else had a wax sheet over the breast while they were having radiotherapy and, if so, what is your understanding as to why you needed it? I’m feeling a bit baffled!
Yes Naz. Its called a bolus and it is supposed to mimic the skin so the radiation will be brought to the surface. Once they do the radiation without the bolus it will be concentrated on deeper tissue. All very clever stuff but nothing unusual or anything to worry about.
Debs
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I am coming to the end of my 15 rads sessions and had the bolus for the first 8 sessions. Nothing to add to what Debs had said, really. At my appointment with the dr today he was saying that you are slightly more likely to get sore skin with the bolus than without (because, as Debs says, the aim is to bring the radiation to the very surface).