radiation questions

[Guest macjanice]

Hi everyone, I haven't been on in a while. My husband has finished his chem treatment and is going to the radiation onc today. His last chest x-ray shows spread to the mediastum(sp). Can anyone tell me what to expect with radiation treatment? Chemo was not to bad except for the fatigue. If the pain was under control I think that he would be up and around better. Will radiation help pain? Thanks for your help and especially thanks for being here.

macjanice Husband diagnosised stage III adenocarcinoma Aug 2003

surgical resection right upper lobe

3 cistplatin\taxotere treatments

[Don Wood]

The main side effect with radiation is fatigue. It can also cause burns in some areas. Yes, it can relieve pain and is often used to do so. Don

[john]

You might want to ask about Ethyol (amifostine) it is supposed to help protect against the bad effects of radiation. In another study it reduced the number of patients who got fibrosis from radiation

Effect of amifostine on toxicities associated with radiochemotherapy in patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Antonadou D, Throuvalas N, Petridis A, Bolanos N, Sagriotis A, Synodinou M.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Metaxa Cancer Hospital, Piraeus, Greece. d_antona@hol.gr

PURPOSE: Radiochemotherapy (RCT) is an effective treatment for locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but can be limited by acute and late toxicities (esophagitis, pneumonitis, and myelosuppression). This trial investigated whether pretreatment with amifostine, a radioprotector, could reduce the incidence of radiochemotherapy-induced acute and late toxicities. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between October 1997 and August 1999, 73 patients with previously untreated Stage IIIa-IIIb NSCLC were randomized to treatment with RCT alone (n = 36) or RCT plus amifostine (300 mg/m(2) daily i.v. infusion, n = 37). RCT consisted of either paclitaxel (60 mg/m(2)) or carboplatin (AUC 2) once weekly during a 5- to 6-week course of conventional radiotherapy given as 2 Gy/5 days/week to a total dose of 55 to 60 Gy. Blood cell counts were measured weekly; esophagitis and acute lung toxicity were evaluated during the treatment course. Treatment efficacy was assessed following World Health Organization criteria for response. Late lung toxicity was assessed at 3 and 6 months after RCT and was graded from 0 to 4 according to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer criteria. RESULTS: A total of 68 patients were evaluable for toxicity analysis (RCT group, n = 32; RCT + amifostine, n = 36). There was no significant difference between treatment arms in patient baseline characteristics. The incidence of Grade >or=3 esophagitis during RCT was significantly lower for patients receiving amifostine than for patients receiving RCT alone (38.9% vs. 84.4%%, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the incidence of Grade >or=3 acute pulmonary toxicity was significantly reduced in patients treated with RCT plus amifostine compared to patients who received RCT alone (19.4% vs. 56.3%, p = 0.002). At 3 months after RCT, patients treated with amifostine had a significantly lower incidence of pneumonitis than patients who received RCT alone (p = 0.009). Combined response rates (complete plus partial responses) were 82.2% in the RCT group and 88.8% in the RCT plus amifostine group (p = 0.498).Amifostine is effective in reducing the incidence of both acute and late toxicities associated with RCT in patients with locally advanced NSCLC without compromising antitumor efficacy.

[Guest macjanice]

Thanks for the information. Ed refused the radiation treatment because of the fatigue. The pain and the pain medication is making him sick at his stomach. He has refused pain medication for the last 24 hours. I do not know what to do now. I am worried that he has given up on himself. He refuses every suggestion that I make. What can I do?

[ginnyde]

Macjanice,

1. My husband had the radiation, 33 treatments. He took Carafat at the hospital before and after each treatment and at home on the weekends.

Other than fatigue he had no side effects, no burning etc.

2. Sit down and talk to your husband about how important he is to you and how important it is to fight. He may not be cured but he may be able to live for many years with a fine quality of life.

This is a tough, tough time for both of you emotionally. Keep encouraging him.

Ginny

[Connie B]

Dear Macjanice,

I'm sorry to hear your husband is turning a deaf ear to his treatments.

Sometimes sharing with a cancer patient what OTHER cancer patients have gone through is good medicine.

I am a Stage IIIA-B Adenocarcinoma lung cancer survivor of 8+ years now. I had my left lung removed along with two cancerous lymph nodes and I underwent chemo and radiation treatments all at the same time. I FLEW through my treatments and I know I was very very lucky to have been able to do that. BUT, I also know NO PAIN, NO GAIN!!! I have a very good friend how ALSO is a stage IIIA lung cancer survivor and he went through HELL with his chemo, he said he wanted to die, and that there were times he thought he was dying from his chemo treatments. His radiation treatments weren't as bad he said, but the good news about all this is, 10 years later he's still here and doing very well. I might add he also had his RIGHT lung removed before his treatments.

Please share some of the stories on this board with your husband and please share with him that many of us know the hell he is feeling. I hope he will consider to continue with his treatments. Also, they have a LOT of different med's out there that might not make him as sick as the ones he is on now. He needs to tell his doc's so they can give him what could work for him.

GOD BLESS and stay with us on this wonderful board.

It's not an easy road at times, but it is doable and this crap can be beat!!

[Guest macjanice]

Thanks again for the support. I am printing out these replies to share with Ed. I am so thankful for this forum. I feel so alone most of the time. While I am thankful that he is asleep and resting, I sure miss him. This disease takes and takes aand takes. Maybe these stories will help him realize that we can make this journey. God bless all of you!!