Radiation...what to expect?

My wife has gone through a couple of lines of chemo (carboplatin/Taxol, Avastin, Tarcevea/Alimta) and after some success is experienceing progression.  The oncologist has referred her to a radiologist for radiation treatment.

 What should we expect regarding radiation treatment and sideeffects?  How effective is it?  Do you usually resume chemo afterwards?

It all depends on the purpose of the radiation, the site that is being treated, and the dose of the radiation.

 

On 6/17/2009 HopefulHusband wrote:

My wife has gone through a couple of lines of chemo (carboplatin/Taxol, Avastin, Tarcevea/Alimta) and after some success is experienceing progression.  The oncologist has referred her to a radiologist for radiation treatment.

 What should we expect regarding radiation treatment and sideeffects?  How effective is it?  Do you usually resume chemo afterwards?

Check my neurotheraphy post for more info.  Does your wife experience any pain in the bone?  It does help to shrink, prevent to spread more and relieve pain from cancer.  

Anyway, did Chemo work at all?  If it works i would b very surprised to hear that oncologist recommended to have radiation theraphy.  What area that needed - skull, spine, chest???   Radiation can cause burnt tongue / facial swolleness, loosing appetite, etc. 

Victoria

True... but not very helpful response. I divide my expectations into two categories: (1) the "acute" or short-term side effects that, while miserable, you will get over within a reasonable period of time, and (2) the permanent side effects that, while seemingly innocuous now, you need to live with for the rest of your life. I have tonsilar cancer and will start radiation in 2-3 weeks. For acute effects, I'm expecting mouth sores (mucositis), skin burns on my neck, fatigue, loss of ability to taste/smell, loss of saliva production (and a consequent need to be extra vigilant about dental care), inability to swallow, heavy mucous throughout the oral cavity and general misery. I intend to get a feeding tube installed and to use it (instead of eating by mouth) for at least the last month of treatment and the first month of recovery... maybe longer. I expect my ability to taste/smell to return slowly over a period of months and hope this will be nearly 100% restored within 6 months. I expect my saliva production to be permanently impaired. I expect partial ability to produce saliva to return slowly over a period of 2 years or more and hope that it will reach 50-60% of my pre-treatment levels. Low saliva production makes swallowing difficult and eating less pleasant while also making you more prone to dental caries. I'm hoping that my ability to swallow and eat through my mouth returns quickly (so I can eliminate the feeding tube only a month after treatment) but I've heard of some folks lose this ability for 6 months or more. My doctor tries to reassure me that I can adjust to this new reality such that its eventually nothing more than a minor annoyance. I'm not so certain and really dread the consequent effects on my quality of life (QOL). But it seems unavoidable (no matter how much I try to find an alternative) and, in the tug of war between survival and QOL, the desire for survival will win. Your mileage may vary. Rob

On 6/17/2009 HopefulHusband wrote:

My wife has gone through a couple of lines of chemo (carboplatin/Taxol, Avastin, Tarcevea/Alimta) and after some success is experienceing progression.  The oncologist has referred her to a radiologist for radiation treatment.

 What should we expect regarding radiation treatment and sideeffects?  How effective is it?  Do you usually resume chemo afterwards?

Check this out... http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/full/25/31/4863 My impression is that chemo is not a targeted therapy and is not considered a "definitive" treatment in most Head & Neck cancers. I had an "induction" phase of chemo for my tonsilar cancer, which substantially reduced the size of my lymph node tumor, but the definitive treatment will be targeted IMRT coupled with some additional chemo. Good luck.

 

On 6/18/2009 Rob_617 wrote:

 

On 6/17/2009 HopefulHusband wrote:

My wife has gone through a couple of lines of chemo (carboplatin/Taxol, Avastin, Tarcevea/Alimta) and after some success is experienceing progression.  The oncologist has referred her to a radiologist for radiation treatment.

 What should we expect regarding radiation treatment and sideeffects?  How effective is it?  Do you usually resume chemo afterwards?

I had radiation for tongue base cancer 4 years ago. High does. I am cancer free but the radiation side effects are misable. The lest year it has effected my teeth & gums very much. In a lot of pain. Everyone is different. Good luck to you & I will be praying for you.

Check this out... http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/full/25/31/4863 My impression is that chemo is not a targeted therapy and is not considered a "definitive" treatment in most Head & Neck cancers. I had an "induction" phase of chemo for my tonsilar cancer, which substantially reduced the size of my lymph node tumor, but the definitive treatment will be targeted IMRT coupled with some additional chemo. Good luck.

 

I had Chemo and Radiation concurrently 6 years ago after a "doom and gloom" prognosis 1% and did well. Skin burning, chest and back and still suffer from a form of exsema(spelling) but that is small in comparison to the benefits received. I take a daily Chemo (Iressa, 125mg) NSCLC growth inhibitor (I think similar ro Tarceva) and Cat's, MRI's, PET's show no new growth. The NSCLC had metastised to ribs and spine but I am convinced between Radiation and Chemo the cells were destroyed.

 

RB Scott

On 6/18/2009 gatorgirl wrote:

 

On 6/18/2009 Rob_617 wrote:

 

On 6/17/2009 HopefulHusband wrote:

My wife has gone through a couple of lines of chemo (carboplatin/Taxol, Avastin, Tarcevea/Alimta) and after some success is experienceing progression.  The oncologist has referred her to a radiologist for radiation treatment.

 What should we expect regarding radiation treatment and sideeffects?  How effective is it?  Do you usually resume chemo afterwards?

I had radiation for tongue base cancer 4 years ago. High does. I am cancer free but the radiation side effects are misable. The lest year it has effected my teeth & gums very much. In a lot of pain. Everyone is different. Good luck to you & I will be praying for you.

Check this out... http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/full/25/31/4863 My impression is that chemo is not a targeted therapy and is not considered a "definitive" treatment in most Head & Neck cancers. I had an "induction" phase of chemo for my tonsilar cancer, which substantially reduced the size of my lymph node tumor, but the definitive treatment will be targeted IMRT coupled with some additional chemo. Good luck.

 

 

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Hello My dad had 35 rounds of radation and 5 chemo treatments he had lung cancer during this he complined of shortness of breath they told him it was damage from the treatments. About a month after this he was in the hospital being treated for double pnemunia and 2 weeks later he passed away. The damage from the treatments caused a disease called pulmonary interstitial which wasn't letting his lungs recieve 02 levels and work the way the lungs are suppost to. My father lived no time at all so even getting the treatments wasn't a benifit to him and I hate that he had to go though 6 weeks of hell not to have lived long enough to have any days without pain and sickness to enjoy his last days.  Its a hard decision to make but it wasn't the right one for my dad. So depending or where the cancer is this is what radition done for him Good Luck