Should I undergo radiation therapy after my mastectomy?

Hi, Terri, glad that you're recovering well! Do you know if they sent it for recurrence risk testing (Oncotype/Mammaprint)? If it was me, I think I would do the radiation, because it would give me peace of mind knowing that I did everything I could, but I know there are side effects, so it's a hard choice to make. Maybe your oncologist can give you better insight next month to help you make your decision.

Yes my Oncotype was a 19. So low, but not super low. At this point I feel like I will probably do the radiation but it really is so hard to decide.

I had hypofractionated radiation. Higher dose/half of the time. There are qualified studies out there that says it’s equal. Less time /less cost. Other than fatigue that didn’t hit until week 3 I had zero side affects. I had a total of 16 radiations. Good luck!

Oh thank you. I will ask about that. And so glad you didn’t have the side effects.

Hey there! I did radiation along with chemo and surgery following my TNBC diagnosis. The radiation was to take care of any microscopic disease that could have been present. I had no problem believing that I should do it. Mainly, I was more comfortable with it because I worked in radiation oncology for many years as a therapist, cancer center administrator, and oncology vendor. I understood that it only took a single microscopic cancer cell to wreak havoc in the future. At the end of the day, you should be guided by what you feel most comfortable doing. Ask questions and keep asking until you understand. The side effects are manageable for most women. I found that information allowed me to conquer my fears. That holds true for both the fear of doing or not doing a particular treatment.

Michelle, thank you so much for your thoughts! I have decided to do the radiation and I start on the 21st for 6 weeks. I am really glad I decided to do it for the exact reasons you mentioned. And you are right , I really just needed lots of information to make the choice and I feel like taking every chance to get rid of microscopic cells makes it worth it. If you have any advice for going through the process, I would love to hear it. Hope you are doing well!

I’m glad you moved forward and feeling good about your decision. The only advice I have is to make sure you get plenty of rest and take care of your body. The fatigue can creep up quickly. Try to make all your scheduled appts and if you know in advance of any scheduling issues, be sure to discuss and clear them with your doc. Always share any concerns or questions with your team. They are there to be of service.

Thank you so much!! Everyone at the radiation center was lovely when I went to have my pre-radiation set up appointment. It seems that only very caring people go into this field.

This is such a challenging decision, and it sounds like you're doing everything right by gathering multiple expert opinions before moving forward. The fact that your case falls in that gray area where different specialists might reasonably recommend different approaches shows how complex these treatment decisions can be. Getting that third perspective from your oncologist will give you valuable additional insight to help weigh all the factors specific to your situation. Many others in this community have faced similar crossroads with radiation decisions - hopefully some will share their experiences and the questions they found helpful to ask their medical teams.