Hello all
Saw my oncologist recently and he mentioned how some RT effects can emerge 5 to 10 years down the line. I was aghast! He did say that 10 years is rare. I did my usual and said “I’ll have to read up on that” but haven’t really found anything.
Anyone know what sort of late effects could emerge 5 years away and how the effects might manifest themselves? I suppose heart problems may be a case in point.
Thanks
D
When my onc signed me up for a hefty course of rads I was advised that there would be short-term issues - like skin damage and possible hicky cough due to the rads hitting the top of my lung… but also that there could be long term issues like ostoporosis(sp??) in my collar bone cos I was getting rads in that area too.
I’m having my final rads session tomorrow and have to see the BCN afterwards so I will ask what long term issues there might be… just so that I have something else to worry about!
Actually, I would try not to investigate too much as there used to be a lot of problems post radiotherapy but now as they use smaller and more targeted rads it is not such a problem now. If you google you will find articles but you need to look at the dates when rads took place. It used to be a problem as often the fields would overlap so getting a double dose in one place.
That isn’t to say rads are risk free. I developed skin mets 8 weeks after my mastectomy so ended up with lots of booster rads to get rid of them. This has caused my left lung to fibrose - harden and it can cause problems where the ribs join the sternum. I also lost the use of my thumb, index finger and middle finger in aug 07 - nearly 2 years after rads when I trapped a nerve in rads scarred tissue when i was asleep on a beach!!!
Most of my use iof my hand is back now but not all the feeling but i would rather have these problems than a local recurrence.
Definately ask but don’t be surprised if you don’t get many answers. Actually, Amoena Autumn or winter edition did an article in their magazine about ‘when rads bite back’ so could be worth going on their website and ask for that edition of their magazine.
Sorry - post chemo woolly brain hence the waffle
Kate
Thank you both - be interested to hear what your BCN says lilacblushes (couldn’t you have had a shorter username???)
Dippykate - still on the old chemo then, how is it going? I’ve long been reading your posts and you seem to be on chemo indefinitely, must feel like it anyway. Has the latest lot arrested the tumour growth? Sorry if you have posted elsewhere with updates on your condition but I notice you don’t post too often (quality not quantity!) so thought I’d take the opportunity to see how things are going and wish you well of course, I think of you often as you have had such a hard time, both you are JaneRA, and of course others - yes, I have a degree in staing the bleedin’ obvious… Don’t feel obligated to reply.
With very best wishes
D
Dahlia - it’s kind of you to ask how I am . I mainly post on the Gobby Gang Thread what is happening to me as I think I would frighten too many people with the speed of my cancer spread and poor prognosis if I mention how I am everytime I post or answer a question. I tend to lurk on the secondary and younger women’s forum mainly and peruse my way through the others hence my reply here!!
I’ve now put everything that has happened to me on the ‘profiles as written by us’ as I started to post here and it went on forever!!!
You’re right in that I am usually on chemo as my cancer is so aggressive and just returns within 6 - 8 weeks of finishing one course of chemo so needing more. Now sadly running out of options but have persuaded my onc to give me a further 3 gem/carbos plus more rads and then weekly taxol and then may see yet again about tykerb or phase 1 trials.
I’m hopeful that one day they will be able to treat cancer like a chronic disease as mine is so stable on chemo and then becomes so aggressive once off it and can see that once I’ve had my final chemo my life will end very quickly so that’s why i fight so hard for more treatment for me so that I will be here longer for my family.
Hope you all get answers about the rads situation and that none of you have the same problem I had with my hand 2 years later. It was a very sad day when I realised I would never knit again which considering all the other things I and my family will be missing out on is a very odd thing to concentrate on but I suppose that is how I survive emotionally.
All the best
Kate
Dear Kate
I sympathise with the knitting thing - I was once very keen, still am only I lack the time and the required ability to sit still for more than 5 minutes!!! My Mum-in-law knits huge amounts because she has osteoporosis including a broken hip that cannot be “mended” so she’s had chronic pain for 16 years so often sits up at night in an armchair with sparks flying off the needles.
Good luck with the gem/carbos and all the other horrors you are absorbing. I think of you often because I lost my Mum to BC when 8 but no one explained to us what was happening so one day she just didn’t come back, no Mummy Diary or any memories. I think you are wonderful for undertaking that for your children and they’ll have that from you forever. It is sad that they will possibly (there’s always hope) have it young, too young, but you have the foresight and courage to do it, good on you.
Sorry, this is getting clumsy, hope I haven’t offended.
I will keep tuned on your progress on the other thread.
Very best wishes
x
Dear Dahlia, you have my love and admiration. Louise