Radiation Tests Needed???

[Under Forty Pam]

I am taking Radiation treatments (33) for DCIS, no chemo was needed.  



1.  Should the doctor be doing any blood work or testing for anything along the way or are there no tests needed for radiation.



2.  Is it common for the nipple to begin to flatten during radiation?  Will it come back to normal or will it stay?  What causes that?  Or was it really caused by the surgery and due to the inflamation it is just now showing?  My surgery was done by the nipple, lumpectomy in the upper outer quadrant.

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear underfortypam:  As long as everything is progressing as expected, there are usually no blood tests needed during radiation to the breast.  The nipple "flattening" you describe could be from surgery, radiation or from a combination of the two.  You should discuss with the radiation oncologist and your surgeon as they will be better able to tell you what they believe is causing this and what you can expect.

[boninclyde]

Hello Pam. Maybe once the tissue fills in from the lumpectomy it will stand back up. Like they said talk to Dr. How are your treatments going?

[Under Forty Pam]

Treatments are going fine, had #10 today so far no pink but they say it will probably start next week.  Haven't ask the doc yet on my question but when I see him next week for pink skin, or I am assuming pink skin, at least I will ask.  I saw the medical oncologist today and not to my surprise he wrote an RX for Tamoxifen.  He also said I might consider a gene test since I got breast cancer at a young age.  So now I have to schedule yet another location and appt and find it, about a 90 min drive I think and more time off work.  Just once this summer I'd like to take a vacation day and NOT TAKE OFF MY SHIRT for a strange guy in a white lab coat.  I swear if someone at my work gets out of their car this fall in a white jacket I will take off my shirt like a trained dog.



How are you doing, I've been reading your posts on the other sites and it seems like you've gotten over the worst of it now and are moving around.  Are you starting to feel better and back to work too.

[ziggy123]

I read on an earlier post, your calcification was just slightly bigger than mine-3mm. I know that you had a lumpectomy and are receiving radiation. I wanted to ask you, why you did not opt for the shorter 5 day treatment. Also, if you spot was so tiny, why did your surgeon/doctor feel radiation was necessary and medication as a further follow-up? I am sorry if I am asking too personal questions. My surgery is tomorrow and I am already anticipating what other choices I might have to make.

[Montana girl 06]

I sure do appreciate your sense of humor about the white lab coat. Thank you for giving me a laugh today. Sorry about everything you're going through.

[ziggy123]

Well I am home and feel okay. The worst part of the day was waiting..in hospital at 8:30 and wait until 10:30m for the needle localization. The wheeled me through the outpatient surgery center to go to the breast center-I did not like that-I felt no privacy. the needle localization was not too bad. They numbed me up pretty good. Then I went back to outpatient (again through the family waiting room!) and waited another hour and a half for surgery at 1:30. Woke up with horrible headache which was probably from caffine withdrawl-I am a big coffee drinker! Now I just wait for the report. Again with the waiting!!!!I had some of the nurses in a tizzy because my heartrate was erratic-I had to assure them that it is always irregular and given my anxiety level this past month-it was especially crazy!

To all of my friends on this site, I cannot tell you all how much I apprecaite your prayers and kind thoughts. It means a great deal.

I also need to say a word about how wonderful my five children have been. They took shifts today, coming from work, college, school, etc. My two that are at the same college came home last night and surprised me!  My daughter made me mac and cheese for dinner-my favorite comfort food. I am truly blessed with them.

[Montana girl 06]

It's great to hear how wonderful your children have been. Glad your surgery went well today. I'll be looking for a post of the results later. Will keep you in my prayers.

[Under Forty Pam]

Ask away my life is an open book if it helps someone else.  I wanted the shorter 5 day mammosite radiation but nobody would due it for me due to my age.  They all pretty much agree it was too experimental and not much real data on people pre-menopause.  My first sugeon was real keen on it but I changed surgeons and he plus 2 onocologist agreed they wouldn't do it on me.  My margins were clear but one margin was only clear by 2mm plus I have other calcium specs throughout my breast so they felt it was best to do radiation.  They also thought the full radiation was best due to my other specs.  I am a regular dalmation but with white spots I guess.  Make a couple appts with oncologists, I felt it was useful to see what approach each would take.  I also wanted to meet the docs and see the facility since I would be spending a TON OF TIME there.  It isn't that bad but it is a pain to go everyday.  Good luck with your surgery.

[Under Forty Pam]

You have two choices the way I see it laugh or cry and I spent my one day crying about this and then I moved on.  I still get angry but if I joke about some of the things I am going thru it is easier and other people feel better asking about me too.  If people ask and they always getting a crying person they will stop asking.  So laugh and just make it another life experience.  I got a blood test yesterday which left a big bruise within seconds (never happened like that before to me), I just told the person thanks for the pretty colors and left.  Sometimes the funny looks are worth the remarks.

[Under Forty Pam]

Glad everything went well, yes the wheeling you around and the wait time is a lot.  And it is funny they ask is your heart rate always high, well daaaa... no, I am scared to death of the surgery as if they'd never seen that before.  You'll be feeling a lot better 48 hrs after surgery.  Hang in there and keep ice handy for a couple days.  



I finished treatment #12 of 33 today, just started getting a hair pink last night and my nipple is suddenly getting very sensitive to the touch.  They gave me biafin today to help it out this weekend.