Has Anyone Experienced Accelerated Partial Breast Irradiation?

I did 5 days, every other day. No side effects just an area that looked like a sun burn by the last treatment but it was completely tolerable. It’s easy, I was happy to qualify for it.

Thank you 🩷

I had five consecutive days with no bad side effects other than some fleeting nerve pain. I’m also very grateful I qualified for this treatment.

I had APBI which was fine once a week where I received 5 treatments for 5 weeks. That amounted to a total of 25 treatments. Actually felt it was pretty easy and had no side effects until the last treatment where they gave a bolis I believe it was called. After that the area felt like a bad sun burn and I experienced some exhaustion for a couple weeks. I was using Aloe Vera Gell to the area which was very cooling and worked pretty well.

I asked my doctor about that as I saw it was an option for me, but it has a less favorable cosmetic outcome, so I wondered why. She said basically it is accelerated therefore you don't have to go for so long, but the radiation dose is increased so you may end up with leathery feeling breasts. I am opting for the full breast radiation instead as it may have a better longterm outcome. Hope this is helpful. Rose

I may have that in a trial before the lumpectomy. I want to know too

I had this treatment for five consecutive days January 20-24 and had no side effects other than some nerve pain off and on. I also felt a little tired a few weeks after for a few weeks but that has gotten better. I was very pleased with this treatment and outcome. Good luck to you.

I only did five days also two years ago. Just had some red tender skin for awhile. I’m on Anastrozole and been feeling good.

Great

I am just finishing my 5 days ((30 gy total vs 42 total for 20 day protocol). I qualified by age (77), small tumor (5mm) and no aggressive markers. Tumor was on left chest wall so I have to do heart sparing breathing any time the beam is on. It’s tedious; surprisingly challenging to do correctly. So far no adverse effects. Good luck with your treatment!

3 treatments so far..2 to go

I did the same. Was an easy process and no real side effects. Wishing you an easy time.

This is a great question that many patients have when facing APBI treatment. Sharing experiences about different radiation approaches can be really valuable for understanding what to expect. Hopefully some community members who have been through APBI will share their experiences with side effects and recovery to help you feel more prepared for your upcoming treatment.