my opinion...you health is first and foremost...you may be cancer free for now but radiation is designed to eradicate remaining cancer cells that may exist after chemo and surgery...my radiologyst gave me extra radiation boost at surgery line since that could be a potential remnant spot. I had radiation daily for 6 weeks with the bolus (which I was told helped the rays penetrate deeper into the tissue where the remaining cancer may reside (lymph node involvement). My skin burned and pealed, I was given a long weekend off and the last week they took the bolus off. There is cream for the burn that helped tremdously and after care products. Range of motion exercised help with tightnes. I am feeling good and skin is discolored but by only a few shades ( i have olive complection).Radiation will affect the shape and texture of expanders but living trumps vanity in my book...good luck with your decision, it is yours to make.

Your life is important and if your Oncologist wants you to do radiation I would suggest doing so. I know you've been through alot and it's hard thinking about going through another step but it could save your life. I had breast cancer 10 yrs ago and after so long I thought I was cancer free but it came back just recently and with now having a mastectomy the Oncologist said if it comes back a 3rd time it will come back elsewhere. You don't want that. I wish you well. It's a long recovery but you have come so far.

Get the radiation. You can always put the expanders back in. I don't know how the radiation will affect the tissues, but you will have better peace of mind if you do it. Isn't that more important??

I had 15 treatments and my skin had some splits in it and burned for quite a while. Stopped burning now. It's 2 months since the end of the treatments.

I did not need the chemo but I did the 25 rounds of rads. I did 13 with a bolus and 12 without. My skin was fried. Under my L arm the skin turned black, and the front edge was green. Painful and I had to keep the Aquaphor on thick. I wore a mans vneck white tshirt to keep the lotion in place and not ruin my other clothes. That worket really well. The rads did also bother my throat, the Dr gave me "Mary's Magic" to help with that. Now I am 2wks away from the last rad and I am still working on my skin.