radiotherapy

i had a mastectomy in october 2010 and now have to have radiotherapy does this have to begin within a certain period or can it wait until I come back from holiday late April

[GeezLouize75]

Seems by this article, that it would not be a good idea to put it off.....

Radiotherapy (radiation treatment) uses high-energy x-rays to kill tumors.  Since radiotherapy affects the areas radiated, it can be effective as a management intervention -- when there is a need to shrink a problem lymph node, for example. Radiotherapy is sometimes combined or sequenced with chemotherapy.

"The goal of treatment may be curative or palliative [management]. If radiotherapy is potentially curative, the length of treatment is often longer and usually consists of smaller daily doses over a longer period of time. This approach minimizes late side effects. If treatment is intended to be strictly palliative, shorter treatment schedules consisting of larger daily treatment doses over a shorter time period are used. In such cases, late side effects are not likely to occur within the patient's lifetime. Furthermore, a shorter treatment program will negatively affect less of the patient's remaining life."   aafp.org

Importantly, radiotherapy can be curative [1] when the patient's lymphoma is diagnosed early in it's clinical course (stage I and II) and the disease is still localized.  

Radiation therapy for follicular Lymphoma:

... "should be used in patients with stage I disease, although this represents a minority of cases of follicular lymphoma.

Radiation therapy also can be used to treat localized or bulky lymphadenopathy that is causing obstruction or when a more urgent response is desired to relieve obstruction.

Radiation therapy usually is tolerated well and, in many instances, can spare the patient the need for additional chemotherapy. The radiation oncologist is also involved in the care of patients receiving radioimmunotherapy."  Source: emedicine.medscape.com

Hope this helps.