Chest infection during chemoradiation

[Kelvin4426]

Hi so my mom finished first cycle of chemoradition about 3 weeks ago but still has her daily radiation but yesterday she developed a chest infection so she was admitted to an hospital to get tested blood work ct scan etc. They say everything is good besides the chest infection in the lungs. Had anyone experienced this and will she be fine.

[Tom Galli]

Kelvin,

Have I experienced a chest infection during chemo-radiation. No. But consider that chemo-radiation was my first line treatment. I had chemo only as 4th and 5th line treatments and during both, I developed a congesting chest cold. Two points: first I was miserable and second, the condition cleared.

Chemo and to a lessor degree, radiation, tend to reduce our white blood cell counts and white cells do the heavy lifting when it comes to fighting infection. I think it is a good policy to isolate, as much as possible, while receiving chemo because the "flavor of the month" chest cold can become a very severe illness in someone with a hampered immune system.

I hope your mom recovers quickly and when she does, keep her "out of circulation" as much as possible during her treatment.

Stay the course.

Tom