Hello Carol

I'm sorry to hear that you're currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer but it's great to know that following your recent tests, no evidence of disease could be found. 

It's understandable that you may be feeling a bit anxious about the surgery and radiotherapy but hopefully, the results from the surgery will bring you more reassurance. 

We have many members who have been through radiotherapy for breast cancer and I hope some of them will post to share their experiences with you soon. 

In the meantime, we have some information on our website about radiotherapy for breast cancer which you may find helpful. Side effects from this treatment tend to be cumulative meaning that they will increase as you get further into your treatment regime and can in some cases continue for a few weeks after treatment stops. If you feel well enough to drive yourself to your treatment sessions every day really will depend on a number of things. Some people find that they are well enough to do this and others need support from family, friends, or hospital transport. Discuss your concerns with the radiotherapy team when you go for your planning appointment and I'm sure they will be able to offer some advice and support. If you do need to ask family or friends to help with transport, maybe there are a couple of people that you could ask to help so that they can split the trips between them. 

If you'd like to talk things through with one of our nurses you're welcome to call them on 0808 800 4040, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. 

I hope that the rest of your treatment goes smoothly. Keep in touch and let us know how you get on. 

Best wishes, 
Jenn
Cancer Chat moderator 

Hi Carol just read your post ,and wanted to reply even if it's a bit late. I have had 15 rounds of Radiotherapy  a few years back now on my right breast, after having lumpectomy and all my lymphnodes.wereremovrd from under my armpit. Because cancer had spread to myl ymphnodes, i had 8 rounds  of chemotherapy .

The Radiotherapy was ok,I opted out of having the small tattoo dots  they give you  to make it easier for them to line you up into position for the Radiotherapy.  I only agreed to one small dot tattoo  which is under my right arm and I can hardly see it. They used sticky tape and marked dots on that  ,and put these on me to line me up. 

The Radiotherapy wasn't as bad as I thought it would be,the first five didn't hurt at all. By the 6th one ,I was feeling more tiredness, I used the E45 cream on my skin on my breast  as was advised, and it did help. But I dud get a but sore and red as the Radiotherapy commenced  but nothing terrible  just felt like mils sunburnt skin. 

I only got two tines out of the 15 Radiotherapy sessions, where I had a sharp piercing pain in my nipple, but it wasn't anything I couldnt handle. 

I do hope your Radiotherapy treatments go well I'm sure you will find as I did the actual thought of it is far worse than the reality of it. Good luck, would love to know how your doing. X

Hi Jassoscared

Thank you so much for replying.  This has helped a lot.  I have also had 8 rounds of chemotherapy for breast cancer on my left side.  I will be having 2 lymph nodes removed for biopsy when I have my lumpectomy later this month, but I'm hoping if there had been anything there, the chemo would have zapped it already.  I too am having 15 rounds of radiotherapy, so it sounds like our treatment will be very similar.  I'll speak to the hospital about using E45, that sounds like a good idea. 

Because it's such an intense treatment, I can't really ask anyone to take me every day, so I'm not looking forward to the drive to the hospital every day (it's only 30 mins, but you have to get there an hour before your appointment to allow for car park queues!).  It makes for a long day.  I think the treatment only takes place Monday-Friday so hopefully I'll get the weekends to recover. 

Treatment won't start until about 3-4 weeks after surgery, so it will probably be towards the end of May before I get started.

How did you find the lymph node removal?  Have you had any issues with fluid drainage since they've been removed? 

Carol x

Hi again Carol  glad it helped. Yes our treatments are simular, except I had my surgery first chemotherapy started after  not before my surgery like yours.

As for having my lymthnodes removed,I did have a few problems with fluids building up, it waa so bad that I couldn't put my arm straight down by my side as you normaly do,as the fluid build up was huge. I had to have a needle put in and have it drained. Within two weeks it started to fill up again,nit as bad ,but still needed draining again. Also I went on to have mild swelling of my right arm,wrist. I has to go to my hospital breast clinic,who took measurements of my left and then right arm and as the right arm measurements were around an inch bigger along the whole right arm ,they told me I had devolved lymphedema in my right arm. 

I was measured up and was given a sleeve to wear ,but I trued to persevere with it but it just felt to tight,and vety uncomfortable.  So I stopped wearing it. I has to go to lymphedema clinic at hospital every so often to get measured  to keep ut in check.  This went on for some time I was told nit to lift anything heavy ir do too much and do the excersises ,which I did,and keep my arm slightly raised on cushions when sitting down.  I also googled how to help lymphedema, and saw a few videos on how to brush yoir arm and move the fluids  which helped a great deal.

My arms a lot better now its not swollen ,looks normal,I don't lift anything heavy ,or do anythjng strenuous with my right arm as don't want it swelling up.  But to be honest it's not a problems  wouldnt even know I have lymphedema looking at ne.

I've not been abroad scince having my cancer / lymphedema, and was told if I ever fly on a plane,I would need to wear a lymphedema sleeve.  But as I'm.nit really having any problems  if I ever do go abroad again and fly on a plane,I'd ask my gp for advice. 

I do hope all goes well for you and you don't experience the problems I had with all my lymph nodes being removed , I has csncer spread to 3,but surgeon took all mine away  incase any cancer cells were hiding,as apparently they can hide  be undetected at times. 

Do let me know how things go,not everyone goes on to get lymphedema  hopefuly you wont.,but mines not causing me any problems now,as I am carefull of not over doing anything  now.