Posted 12/5/2020 11:01 AM (GMT 0)
It depends on many factors. My wife had two different bouts of Breast cancer in the same breast. The first in 1996 and treatment included radiation to the breast. This was before IMRT so the focus wasn’t very precise. Then in 2010 a different cancer in the same breast. The surgeon was concerned about an area she couldn’t get a sufficient margin and suggested another more focused course of radiation. A very top RO did an assessment and determined it could be done. It was successfully. Among the factors were the physics and dose of the original radiation, passage of time, effects of the first radiation, area to be radiated, etc.
The conventional wisdom is that you get only one shot, but that just isn’t true. The finding of the urologist is part of the assessment, but that assessment must be done by the RO, the board certified specialist. There are different methods that might be effective like SBRT, HDR brachytherapy, etc. Only the RO can make the determination as to what is sound treatment for you. You have to find the RO who is good with the really tricky situations like this one. Since it is focal, an assessment of HIFU could also be considered.