I am due to start radiotherapy in January but have been asked if I want to take part in a trial which looks at the effectiveness of different amounts of radiation given (and different amounts of the breast being treated). Has anyone else been offered this, and if so, how did you make your decision?
I am due to start radiotherapy in January also but I have been asked to take part in a trial that bypasses the rads all together! anyone else been offered this?
My friend seems to think its some kind of cost cutting exercise.
As to making a decision, its a bit of a curved ball, unless someone who s taken part can advise us!
Hi!
There are lots of trials with rads at the moment. One of them (which went on for a number of years) found that less radiotherapy - 3 weeks instead of 5 was just as successful. There are also trials of inserting something whilst you’re having WLE or lumpectomy surgery which releases rads on a timed basis into the breast which means you don’t need to go back for rads treatments afterwards. I think these trials are always very well thought out and I don’t think they would suggest anything because of a cost cutting exercise - they have to give very sound medical reasons for these trials, and it takes a lot to get them approved. I would ask lots of questions of your onc and find out more about them.