Hi I had a lumpectomy for a 2cm IDC grade 3 ER positive on 1st April. I still haven’t seen the oncologist, that is happening tomorrow. They say treatment doesn’t start until 6-8 weeks after surgery but i read in the Nice guidelines it should start after 31 days. It’s making me really anxious that this will affect my outcome.
Hi Jenny69, your onco should tell you tomorrow what your treatment plan is and how long after your surgery it will start. You need to be nicely healed before they will start. Think i waited around 6-8 weeks before i started my radiotherapy.
hope appt goes well tomorrow. If you wanna chat again im here. Jan x
Hi Jenny69,
Thanks for posting. We are often asked about guidelines and when treatment for breast cancer should start and it is understandable that you are anxious about this. The 31 day target you refer to relates to the timeframe from when you met with your doctor to agree your surgery date.
As @clio18 says radiotherapy is usually given between 6-8 weeks after surgery, although this time may vary. This allows time for your wound to heal and for your treatment team to plan your radiotherapy treatment. As you are concerned about when your radiotherapy should start, we would always suggest you talk this through when you meet with your oncologist or breast care nurse tomorrow.
Talking to someone who has had a similar experience can also be helpful and our Someone Like Me service can match you with a trained volunteer who’s had a similar experience to you.
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Breast Care Nurse
Victoria
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