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Any suggestions please, to deal with radiotherapy?
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mikel View Drop Down
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    Posted: Aug 04 2011 at 2:32am
Hello,

my wife is going to start radiotherapy next week, after chemo (finished august 2010), mastectomy (november of 2010), and a second surgery (july of 2011) because of a local recurrence (all of it in a year and a half).
Could you give us any suggestion?

She has not high levels of white blood, and I am very worried about it...

Thanks a lot and keep on fighting.

Best regards,

Mikel
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clwille708 View Drop Down
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Points: 35 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote clwille708 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 04 2011 at 7:31am
Hi Mike:  I finished my sessions of radiation in April.  I found it completely exhausting.  My best advice is to generously use the cream that is suggested to minimize skin irritation and burns.  That can take a few weeks to start.  It was the every day, every day part that wore me out. We had an hour drive to get to the cancer centre.    The good news is that radiation therapy has recently been proven to be even more effective than thought at killer these sucker cells.

Good Luck to you and your wife.

Linda from Wasaga Beach
Dx Aug/10,age 62, Lump & SNB Sept/10,1.7 cm, grade 3, Triple Neg, Nodes clear. Annual screening due to family history of Ovarian C. BRCA - Chemo DD AC -->Taxol 21 Rads done. Hugs -Linda
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123Donna View Drop Down
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Points: 13510 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 123Donna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 04 2011 at 7:49am
Mikel,

Have you had a chance to look at this article Mainy posted?  I wasn't sure what type of local recurrence your wife had, but some new studies suggest adding RNI to radiotherapy.  I recently had this type of therapy.

http://chicago2011.asco.org/ASCODailyNews/triplenegative.aspx

http://forum.tnbcfoundation.org/radiation-rni_topic8602.html?KW=RNI

They should monitor her wbc during treatment.  Mine dropped a little bit, but wasn't a problem with continuing treatment.  I agree with using the creams and lotions from the beginning.  You won't notice much change the first few weeks.  It's towards the end that the burns get worse.  I found Aquaphor to help the most.  I also used pure aloe gel.  When the burns were the worst, a friend gave me her aloe plant and the actual leaves provided the most relief from the pain.  The worst part of radiation is the monotony of going every day. 

Keep us posted on how she does.

Donna
DX IDC TNBC 6/09 age 49, Stage 1,Grade 3, 1.5cm,0/5Nodes,KI-67 48%,BRCA-,6/09bi-mx, recon, T/C X4(9/09)
11/10 Recur IM node, Gem,Carb,Iniparib 12/10,MRI NED 2/11,IMRT Radsx40,CT NED11/13,MRI NED3/15
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Points: 113 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Momof2NJ Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 05 2011 at 11:35am
Dear Mikel,
 
I finished 38 radiation treatments last month.  I highly recommend a cream called Miaderm...it helped with significant burning I had.  I believe if I had started using it earlier, I would have been spared the discomfort. You can purchase it online and some hospital pharmacies carry it.   Radiation made me tired but it is way more endurable than chemo.  I believe radiation saved me as I just got the all clear from my post treatment ct scan.  Sending prayers and hugs to your wife.
 
peace,
mary ellen
2008 BRCA 1+ dx stg 1,gr 3 IDC triple neg. BM w/ recon. CT x 4. Prophy TAH 2007. Recurrence 9/13/10. 10/5/10 tumor excised. ACx4, Taxol x3, abraxane x 9. 38 rads. 7/11 NED!!!
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mikel View Drop Down
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Points: 29 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mikel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 05 2011 at 2:07pm
Thanks very much. I donīt understand what RNI means, but I will mention it to the doctor.
What it is pretty clear is that we will have to look for the proper cream for her. Every one of you have used a different one...
Today we have bought a Aloe Vera plant... How do we have to 'use it' to reduce the burns?

Best regards,

Mikel
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123Donna View Drop Down
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Points: 13510 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 123Donna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 05 2011 at 4:01pm
Mikel,

RNI means Regional Node Irradiation.  Depending on each diagnosis, this may or not be an option.  It's just a good subject to discuss with the rad onc to see if there would be any benefit versus the risk and side effects.

The above link from ASCO:  Breast Cancer: RNI Prolongs Disease-free Survival for Women with One to Three Involved Nodes   The therapeutic benefits of adding regional node irradiation (RNI) to breast-conserving surgery plus whole breast irradiation (WBI) and chemotherapy outweigh the additional toxicities for women with early breast cancer (Abstract LBA1003). Timothy Whelan, BM, BCh, MSc, of the Juravinski Cancer Centre at Hamilton Health Sciences, Canada, presented data from the National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group protocol MA.20 on behalf of his colleagues during the Breast Cancer — Triplenegative/Cytotoxics/Local Therapy Oral Abstract Session yesterday.

Here's a link to a diagram of the breast lymph nodes:
http://www.breastcancer.org/pictures/breast_anatomy/axillary_lymph_nodes.jsp

A friend of ours gave us one of their aloe vera plants.  Now this wasn't a baby plant, but a rather large plant they had for many years.  The leaves were about 1 - 2 inches wide.  I'd cut a large leaf off, wash the outside to remove any dust and then take a knive and slice down the edge (filet) and open the leaf flat.  I'd then "milk" the gooey aloe stuff onto my hand and rub it on my skin.  The unused parts of the leaf I'd put in a tupperware container and store it in the refrigerator to use later.  Actually the refrigerated leaves felt better on the burnt skin.

Best to you.

Donna
DX IDC TNBC 6/09 age 49, Stage 1,Grade 3, 1.5cm,0/5Nodes,KI-67 48%,BRCA-,6/09bi-mx, recon, T/C X4(9/09)
11/10 Recur IM node, Gem,Carb,Iniparib 12/10,MRI NED 2/11,IMRT Radsx40,CT NED11/13,MRI NED3/15
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mikel View Drop Down
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Points: 29 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mikel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 10 2011 at 5:52pm
Hello,

we have already been with the radio-oncologist; next week my wife is going to start the radio treatment: 25 sessions, whole breast.
The doctor was too optimistic, from my point of view. She said that radiotherapy is not so toxic: no secondary effects related to white blood, no fatigue, a little probability of pneumonitis (in 4 days with corticoides, everything ok...) and of course, burns in the skin.

We know that reality is much darker than the 'pink story' that she told us but... anyway, it is something that we have to pass so, as Bob Marley's song says, '...don't give up the fight...'.

Best regards,

Mikel
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