Hi,
Is there anyone else in the same boat? I don’t know if this wait is normal or not. I have had chemo to shrink my lump, then a wide local excision in August and have been told I will have to wait until mid November to start radiotherapy. I live in Reading so I don’t know if the situation is the same around the rest of the country. I can’t help getting more and more uptight as I keep thinking this delay is going to harm me. I just want this all to be over. Anyone else experiencing the same problem?
I waited 12 weeks for Rads to start after having WLE & SNB (didn’t need chemo though). I did wonder if the wait would affect my prognosis but my Onc wasn’t concerned about the delay. In some respects I was glad of the wait as it gave my armpit wound time to heal properly before starting the treatment (you need to be able to raise your arm above your head for planning/treatment).
Thanks Claire,
I needed to hear that I’m not the only one. Just feel very alone at the moment so its so good to hear that you’ve been told the delay isn’t harmful.
I only had to wait 5 weeks from surgery to rads and was told 5/6 weeks was the optimum waiting time. I think it all depends on where you live, I am in Kent and Maidstone Hospital is a cancer centre of excellence. But 3 years ago my sister-in-law waited 13 weeks at the same hospital for rads for BC. I think the PCT decided to buy another 2 radiotherapy machines in order to cut down the waiting times, and there are now 6 treatment rooms in full operation. (My sister-in-law is fine 3 years on and doesn’t seem to have any ill effects from the long wait.)
14 weeks does seem a long time to wait especially when you are anxious. I had a wide excision 3 weeks ago and went for radiotherapy planning today. As a few people say I am guessing it is goes on where you live. I have treatment in London so it is all very quick. I would chase it though as it does seem a long time.