Guest CindiB Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 We were surprised last week, when my mom's oncology radiologist informed us that instead of the normal 180 radiation per day five days per week he'd been doing 250 and her last treatment was this past Monday. He said the radiation would continue to work for a month or so after treatment ended and that our oncologist would want to do a ct scan then to check on progress. Is it normal to wait so long after radiation ends to see your oncologist?? Also we had a rough week after last treatment, lots of vomiting, had to spend half a day in the oncs office on Friday getting rehydration drips and new meds for nausea. Supposed to call him Monday for an update. I couldn't believe the radiologist changed these plans for treatment without discussion. Even flipped back through her records at the oncs office on Friday to see if I was crazy, but he had it noted she would be finished with radiation on Dec 10, so it wasn't just me. Waiting a MONTH is just horrible to see if the radiation worked!! She's having some new pain between ribs on her right (tumour) side and says she can feel something that seems to be protruding between her ribs and is sore to the touch. This does NOT sound good to me, but both the onc and the radiologist said tumour couldn't have progressed that quickly since last ct scan end of October. What do you guys think?? I am feeling a bit overwhelmed and lost here! Cindi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ry Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 Well heck Cindi I don't know what to think either. You don't have a lot of information about her diagnosis. Is she not a candidate for surgery? No chemo? I would just stress that any time you have a concern you should press for an appointment with the onc. If they have stated this thing she feels is not related to the tumor, why not take her to your family doctor? He may be able to help her with whatever she's feeling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CindiB Posted November 30, 2003 Share Posted November 30, 2003 Guess I should've given more information sorry., She is NSCLC, diagnosed mid October. Stage t3 N3 but radiologist believes there are mets that are microscopic and not showing up. Entire right lung is nothing but tumor,bronch also heavily involved. Laser surgery late Oct to open bronchial passages into lung was unsuccessful due to the size and expression of the tumour. Cancerous lymph node above right collarbone has shrunken with radiation treatments. Cancerous lymph nodes in abdomen area (3). No mets to organs, that we know of. Surgeon didn't reccomend treatment at all, but oncologist is more aggressive. Chemo has not been discussed, she is definitely non operable. She no longer has a family doctor , because after eight months of treating her for COPD without testing or xrays she was finally admitted to the hospital near death from pneumonia, at which time her cancer was finally diagnosed. We are in process of sueing for malpractice. So there's an update. Oncologist has a great reputation, not a wonderful bedside manner, but is very aggressive in treatment, difficult to get answers from. I just didn't know whether it was normal to wait a month following radiation to do another ct scan to check progress. This thing is really a monster. But we will continue to fight the dragon. God bless Cindi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 Cindi, two things on radiation: (1), Yes, it is normal to wait a month after radiation because it continues to work after treatment. (2) This only applies to the specific area treated with radiation. If your mom is hurting or has symptoms in another area, that area needs to be scanned now. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CindiB Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 Thanks Don. It's not a new area. The pain is new, but it's the same area that they were covering with radiation,which was basically from her chin to her upper abdomen. We mentioned it to both the radiologist and the oncologist, neither of whom thought it was anything to be concerned about. I have to talk to the onc tomorrow, should I push for a scan? Cindi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Wood Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 I don't really want to second guess your docs. All I can tell you is my wife's onc always does a scan if my wife has any area with severe pain. Don Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beckyg Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 It is definitely normal to wait at least a month after radiation to scan that area. Radaition continues to work for up to six months after treatment, but it does most of its work during the treatment period and the month or so afterward. They just want to wait on the scan until they think the radiation has done its best. Becky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CindiB Posted December 2, 2003 Share Posted December 2, 2003 We're going in Monday to discuss treatment options. I know that last month surgery definitely wasn't an option pre radiation doubt it is now. And at that point he said no chemo either. Just wanted to do the radiation for comfort because of the tumour in her bronchial passages, she couldn't breathe at all. I'm hoping now that he's decided she's handling this so well and has no known mets, so he will go for the chemo. I think she should have every chance. She's a real fighter. Cindi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimblanchard Posted December 5, 2003 Share Posted December 5, 2003 My radiation oncologist waited 2 months after the radiation to do a scan because she says the radiation keeps working at least that long. My problem was (is) that when they ran the scan last month there was so much radiation pneumonitis that they can't tell what the nodule looks like. Good luck and God Bless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CindiB Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 Two months! Our radiologist said one month. That's a long time. She's doing pretty well right now We saw the onc on Monday and he's decided to do a scan on December 29th. Because she's doing so well, he thinks we should proceed with chemo. That's a long way from telling us the end of October that he was afraid she wouldn't live long enough for the radiation to take affect so chemo wasn't an option. Cindi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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