Radiotherapy

Yeah it's amazing! Interacting with different kinds of people and having to hear everybody's opinions are great.

However did we manage before gransnet? You can ask anything on here and get answers, advice and support about anything at all. It's brilliant. Thanks Gransner ?

You're always welcome mrsmopp. It's really great to be part of this forum coz there are a lot of experienced members here that could give you some ideas as well as comforting messages.

So many positive and encouraging replies. Thanks to all for responding, it has really helped me.
Feeling much more positive now.
It was fear of the unknown that prompted me to start the thread. Hopefully it will help someone else in the same boat.

I can second everything annsixty says. In 2011 after surgery and chemotherapy for breast cancer I had 20 sessions of radiotherapy 'to sanitise the area'. It was quick and completely painless. Each session lasted around fifteen minutes, most of which was spent being placed in exactly the right position, with the actual radiotherapy being only a very few minutes. I was warned I would feel tired but didn't, just a little jaded by a 45 minute train and underground journey into central London, followed by a 15 minute walk five days a week. After each session I gave myself a treat - coffee or lunch, gallery, retail therapy before returning home. Every evening I used aqueous cream on the area and had no redness or burning. Since then four friends and a relative have had radiotherapy, all with no side effects. Hope all goes well for you.

Hi, I had 15 sessions of Radiotherphy for breast cancer in May 15. It really is ok and nothing to fear, totally painless and over in a few minutes.
It's tiring and you are advised to drink plenty of water but I went every day after work and was completely fine, All the best Xx

Hi guys! I hope all your treatments go well and I'm praying for everybody's fast recovery.

NannaM, I expect you are right about the combined effect of surgery, chemo, radiotherapy and Tamoxifen, but the marginal benefit of radiotherapy itself, if it is given for preventative purposes, is no more than 6%. It is for every patient to decide, based upon the information and evidence she has, to decide whether the adverse effects of the treatment are worthwhile (Lancet 2014; 383: 2127–35
Published Online
March 19, 2014 dx.doi.org/10.1016/ S0140-6736(14)60488-8)

I echo the 'don't worry' messages here. I had 6 weeks of daily radiotherapy for colon cancer two years ago. The kindness and efficiency of the staff at the Churchill in Oxford meant that I was (almost!) sorry when it was all over! The worst bits were the waiting around and travelling every day but that was all.

I had four weeks of radiotherapy. My advise would be if possible get an appointment early in the day otherwise your whole day is used up . I got a bit upset when I did not know what was happening so asked the radiotherapists to let me know when they were leaving me . You are flat out and do not see what is going on. I had felt tip markings on the affected breast and worried when I washed some off . This was silly because they just do them again. We made an effort to go and do something every day once the session was over ( and it is all very quick ) which meant we felt we had achieved something apart from the therapy even if it was just for a cup of tea somewhere. . I did get tired at the end of the 4 weeks and this lasted for a while .
I had a scare at Christmas this year after finding a lump and felt if I had to go through it all again it would not be too bad . Thankfully I did not need to do so .
Hope it all goes well.

I had chemo and radiotherapy about 20 years ago for breast cancer. I think treatment has improved since then, I was told I mustn't bathe or even wash the area to be treated (top quarter of torso) and use no creams, lotions etc on that area either, only baby powder.
As others have said the actual treatment wasn't painful, an interesting side effect was that it killed off all my armpit hair that side. Some women spend a fortune on electrolysis!
The main after effect was that it 'solidified' my shoulder joint, couldn't move my arm forward or back from the shoulder. This was a strange thing to have to explain eg in shops when I couldn't move that hand forward to take change. I started wearing a sling though the lower part of my arm worked perfectly well. I believe that this problem side effect has been dealt with now, I hope so for your sake. I finally cured it with Pilates but it took 2 classes a week for over a year, which was timeconsuming and expensive.
Anyway, all the best for your treatment, remember the specialists must think it's worth doing, I still think it was worthwhile and I'm still here

I had five weeks radiotheraphy for anal cancer. It only takes 10 minutes but I had a 30 mile journey each way. Was red and sore but it cleared up and cured the cancer however because of my old bones have a hairline fracture at the base of the spine which is put down to the radiotheraphy. I am now in acute pain.
My niece had radiotheraphy for cerviacle cancer and no ill effects apart from tiredness.

Thank you all for your very supportive comments. I had surgery earlier last month and attended my follow up expecting to be told all OK, so it was the shock of it that got to me.
I have been very interested in all your messages and I greatly appreciate you sharing your experiences. I've calmed down now and just waiting for the scan.
Get it over with!

DONT WORRY! It's really not that scary and there is no pain involved - I had 15 sessions daily for breast cancer and worked at the same time-I just planned my treatment to take place in my lunch hour. I got a little sore towards the end but cream helped that and although I was a little more tired than usual, I was still able to hold down a full time job.
Here's hoping you'll sail thro it easily

Hi mrsmopp - I'm down to my last 6 radiotherapy treatments for Invasive Ductal Carcinoma. I go daily Monday to Friday - the travelling time is what cuts into the day for me. Travelling to and from the centre can be a bummer, so try to arrange rides. I have been using aloe gel on my skin, and apart from a slight burning on the nipple, so far so good. Unlike NemosMum, I was given to understand that a combination of surgery, radiation and 5 years of Tamoxifen increases the chance of post cancer survival by 25%. I'll take those odds! I have a precious 6 year old granddaughter to live for!

Mrsmopp you will be fine .Its the unknown ,the staff will be so supportive.Please try not to worry .I had it after breast cancer.

I had radiotherapy for breast cancer. It is painless procedure although some people do suffer skin burns, I did not. Also some people struggle with fatigue, again this did not affect me, although everyone is different. The only downside I experienced was sometimes having to wait 2 or more hours before being seen!

mrsmopp, good luck with your treatment,I am positive other readers have reassured you.

You have asked for honesty. I have had 'the works', as my surgeon put it, for inflammatory breast cancer diagnosed last August. First 6 rounds of chemo, then mastectomy and partial clearance of axillary lymph nodes, then radiotherapy. Now I'm having Herceptin every 3 weeks until October. Chemo was predictably YUK, but it was very effective, as when I had the surgery, the tissues removed showed no live cancer cells. The mastectomy was done as day surgery and was straightforward. I had nothing but paracetamol, so I am not a wimp! The radiotherapy was just a preventative measure. I have not had such a positive experience as others on this thread. I asked the clinical oncologist what the marginal benefit of it was. He said he couldn't be sure, as too few women like me had gone through chemo and had a 'complete resolution', but on balance, he advised me to have it (the same is true of surgery, incidentally, in future, chemo might be all that is needed). I went ahead with radiotherapy scheduled for 15 sessions over 3 weeks, but stopped after session 10 because of a very painful swelling in the armpit the size of a golfball. I had read clinical literature available (having been a clinician myself) and the best available evidence for breast cancer was that radiotherapy only confers a 4 - 6 percent survival advantage over 20 years. The swelling in my armpit turned out to be inflamed tissue surrounding a haematoma left over from the surgery. Radiotherapy inflames all the tissues, and indeed, the whole of the irradiated area, which is a large area of my chest is still sore and hard 3 months after stopping. Fibrosis is a common long-term risk of RT. There are other long term risks. Given that the radiotherapy was never meant to be curative, but only preventative, I rather wish I had had the courage to say that I wouldn't bother, knowing that even without the clever chemo regimes there are today, there is only a small likelihood of it preventing recurrence. If the radiotherapy was curative, I would not hesitate, but if it is preventive, I would think carefully before agreeing. However, that was MY cancer, and MY choice. Everybody's cancer is different, and their attitude to risk is different. Good luck with your treatment, whatever you decide.

Mrs Mopp. I don't know much about radiotherapy because I had chemotherapy. However, when you are feeling up to it, ask about the nearest venue where the Look Good Feel Better workshops take place. I am the Regional Co-ordinator for the Portsmouth area, but we have workshops in 104 different venues throughout the UK.- Maggie's Centres, MacMillan Centres, Cancer Care Centres etc. We help ladies, teenagers, and now the men, deal with the visible side effects of cancer treatment. Anyone undergoing any form of cancer treatment is welcome to attend. Every attendee is given a wonderful goody bag from the Beauty Industry and we have a wonderful time at the workshops going through skincare, makeup and showing how to put eyebrows in the right place and give the illusion of eyelashes etc. Our workshops get very noisy with lots of laughter and chat and smiling faces at the end of the workshops. If anyone knows someone going through cancer treatment, please help us to raise awareness so that everyone can have the opportunity to attend a workshop. Our website is:

www.lgfb.co.uk

Hope all is well.

I also had 20 days of Radiotherapy following Breast Cancer 3 yrs ago. It was very easy, as others have said you just lie still in the position you are put in for approx. 10-15 minutes. There was a slide show on the ceiling which helped pass the time. Other than slight tiredness I had no other problems whatsoever. However 3yrs on I do still get the odd twinge in that particular area but generally no problem. Good luck and hang in there, I’m sure you’ll be fine.

I’ve no experience myself but my husband had many weeks of it for prostrate cancer and had no problems

My DH had 37 consecutive days of radiotherapy for prostate cancer in 2015. He was told it could leave him a bit sore and was told to buy E45 cream. He had no side effects whatsover, no soreness and no other problems. I'm sure you will be fine.

It can depend on where you are having the radiotherapy. Lots of men have it for protate cancer, which involves enemas (self applied) before every radiotherapy session.
My friend had it for anal cancer nd was left very sore.
I personally had it for breast cancer daily for 3 weeks, and it was very simple and painless. Travelling every day can be tiring.
All the best.

I didn't have it myself but from what others have told me fatigue is one of the main problems regarding skin problems the staff will advise on what to use or you could go on McMillan site best wishes ??