Radiation: Seven Weeks or One?
When I was diagnosed with DCIS in 2003 I was treated quite typically with surgery and radiation. To be specific, seven weeks of radiation therapy, seven long weeks (technically just shy of seven).
Each weekday I headed up to the clinic at Yale and laid on the table for a five minute (or so) blast to my chest. By the end, I felt like I’d really been through something huge — and that was reassuring to some degree. It would take something huge (like a long period of time) to tackle something huge (like cancer). Since I skirted by without chemotherapy (which would really have me feeling I’d earned my survivor status), at least I had those seven weeks of treatment to make me feel I was really fighting.
Hard to imagine how I would have felt if it were only one week. However, electronic brachytherapy for the treatment of early stage breast cancer — using a small electronic, low-energy X-ray source that delivers controlled radiation treatment directly to the targeted area — I’m not too sure how I would have felt about that. Would one week have been enough time to allow me to feel I fought a good fight in my battle with breast cancer?
There are a few system for this type of radiation. One implants a small, balloon-like device, at the targeted area then twice a day for five days, the balloon is expanded and a miniature X-ray tube is inserted. Another uses several catheters (like 10-20). Here, read more about the technologies here or keep reading to get to the question I want to pose to you today.
Accelerated partial breast irradiation. What do you think? Worth limiting the duration of your treatment if you’re diagnosed at an early stage? Or, limiting the way you perceive your role in the fight?
breast cancer, cancer, DCIS, radiation, brachytherapy, health, wellness, health and wellness, survivor
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