Family worried sick: Should my Dad have radiotherapy?

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FormerMember

30 Jun 2012

Hi out there,

My dad underwent a heart bi pass last year which he took a long time to get over & also suffered some depression , added to this it has also left him with a bit of dementia.

He was diagnosed with NSCLC abt 7 weeks ago , after a bronchoscopy & scans it is inoperable & they've said no to chemo. They want him to have 20 shots of radiotherapy over a 4 week period & he is agreeing to it. They say he has moved on from the original T3 status & it is now in the nodes? (lymph nodes i guess) , none of our family think he should go for the radio therapy.

He is only 5ft 4 but has dropped to 6 st 7lb now up to 7 stone with ensure drinks supplementing his eating. His appetite is extremely poor & i'm worried that the radiotherapy will make him worse & also the problems swallowing etc, he cannot afford to lose any more weight.

Can anyone tell me what the radiotherapy will be like? & their experiences or thoughts?

FormerMember over 12 years ago

Hi Diane

It will, I suppose, depend on your Dad's thoughts/decisions and how he is physically - It's very hard, the patient seems to know what they want.. I would want them to "GO FOR IT" but, then I'm not the patient. The radiotherapy is meant to reduce symptoms,so it seems like a no brainer - but the docs tell you that the side effects will "floor you" for a few weeks... My Mum went for it...It's the persons decision, but we encouraged Mum to go for it and left the decision up to her. Alison XX
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FormerMember over 12 years ago

Hi Diane,

I had 4 weeks of RT for prostate cancer, following 3 months of hormone therapy. You are well looked after; before every session I was asked how I was, and they didn't accept the simple answer "fine".

I had some side effects but these were quickly dealt with and CT scans carried out regularly to check everything was happening as it should. It is important that your Dad mentions if he is not feeling right because they will investigate and deal with the problems.

If they feel that your Dad is being affected adversely by the RT they will stop further treatment. As for what the RT is like, it is quite mild compared to some chemo, but you do feel tired after a while; I drove myself to treatment with no problems. The tiredness affected my ability to concentrate and my memory.

I always took my daughter with me to appointments with the oncologist, but not to my RT appointments. What I missed, my daughter remembered - a great help.

You don't say how old your Dad is, but I'm 74. xxx
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