Herceptin, Radiation Oncologist # 3

First dose of Herceptin (sans other chemo drugs) after surgery. Took just under two hours.

I asked chemo doc if it’s okay to delay radiation until I find a radiation team I’m comfortable with and she said no prob. Said no worry about cancer growing during delay because PET-CT scans before and after surgery showed no cancer. But I pointed out to her that tissue removed during surgery still had cancer in it, despite the pre-surgery scan showing negative. She said scans don’t pick up microscopic disease, but no need to worry because cancer can’t grow that fast. Hmmm... I recall that my cancer was the most aggressive grade of tumor and it DID spread to the skin and neck during the two weeks we were away at Christmas time. Worried. Showed chemo doc my radiation markings and she agreed they didn’t look great.

Went to a new radiation oncologist (# 3). Seemed nice enough. Took down my history, looked at my records. Said he would give me slighter higher dose of radiation than the first two radiation docs I’ve been to -- 5040 Gray in 28 sessions as opposed to 5000 Gray in 25 sessions. He’ll talk to my surgeon about radiating axilla near the neck lump. Will consider using 3D conformal radiation to ensure getting internal mammary chain without harming the heart. Will get a bit of the lung and liver, but liver is not a worry because liver cells regenerate themselves. Lung is unavoidable but will minimize risk. Said no worry about waiting until May 25 for radiation to start (he’s booked until then) because I’m on Herceptin so risk of cancer coming back is not a worry.