how soon can radiation start after lumpectomy, and how long can you wait with out missing the window

how soon can radiation start after lumpectomy, and how long can you wait with out missing the window

It depends on your situation, my radiologist says within a couple of weeks usually you can start. But if you have chemo they usually do it first I think. I had a different kind of radiation called mammosite, it happens before chemo and within a couple weeks of surgery for the lumpectomy. It lasted 5 days only. Then I started chemo. Talk with your doctor don't let too much time go by before you do, it can make things harder for you.

My radiology oncologost told me the window is four months and that it was up to me when to start, wouldn't affect the outcome as long as I started within 4 months of surgery. I had a hysterectomy two weeks after my lumpectomy- I waited a little longer to start radiation than I otherwise would, started almost 6 weeks after the hysterectomy, almost two months after the lumpectomy and am glad I did it that way. I was quite tired by the end of the 33 radiation treatents and would have been more tired had I started right after the hysterectomy. I was able to work straight through treatment although I did reduce my hours the last couple of weeks.

I wonder about that 4 months window for radiation? I had two lumpectomies (they had to go back in 2 weeks after the first) The second lumpectomy was on 2/18/08. I have to have 8 chemotherapies, the first one was on 3/17/08. And I was told after I'm done with the chemo I have to have radiation treatments. That should be around August/September, that would be about a 5 to 6 month window?
Laura

I wonder about that 4 months window for radiation? I had two lumpectomies (they had to go back in 2 weeks after the first) The second lumpectomy was on 2/18/08. I have to have 8 chemotherapies, the first one was on 3/17/08. And I was told after I'm done with the chemo I have to have radiation treatments. That should be around August/September, that would be about a 5 to 6 month window?
Laura

i had my surgery in May 2002. started chemo at the end of july. 8 treatments. i started radiation in feb (so if i remember it was just a couple months after chemo). i had to wait a bit for my chemo, because i had failed sentinal node, so they took out 14 nodes and i was left with a pretty big scar there, and two big scars from my lumpectomy and biopy. maybe you could ask why you have to wait so long.

Msdebagain,
It seems we have almost the same kind of treatment. I also will have 8 chemo treatments, each 3 weeks apart, therefore I guess I'm done around August/September with chemo and that is when they start the radiation. I see your radiation treatment also was not within the 4 months frame mentioned above.
Laura

I'm the one who mentioned the 4 month window a few posts back. However, I did not have chemo first- I declined it because the potential added benefit was very low in my case. I opted for hormone therapy following radiation. When my radiologist was discussing the 4 month window with me it was in the context of no chemo first. I don't know what he would have said if I were having chemo first-that might change it.