Chest wall cancer; Radiotherapy conundrum

Hi Bold1 and a very warm welcome to the online community which I hope you'll find is both an informative and supportive place to be.

Hi Bold1 and a warm welcome from me. I too have co morbidities which limit my treatment options, because of heart issues, ACHD, aortic enlargement and a few other heart problems, all but very minor surgery would probably kill me, and chemotherapy would cause too many toxins in my blood for my heart to cope with so that would probably kill me as well. I was diagnosed June 2022 with advanced prostate cancer and was ok with hormone therapy as well as External Beam Radiotherapy having 70 gy over 20 days with no knock on heart problems which was done April 2023. The radiotherapy worked well, the angle of the beam was widened to cover the pelvic region. My radiotherapy RT was not done with any hope of cure, but it did what they hoped it would do, I know my RT was targeted about 12 inches from my heart but todays RT machines are incredibly accurate and can be programmed to switch on or off to avoid vulnerable areas. take care.

Eddie

Thanks Eddy; that gives me confidence re possible  Radiotherapy heart problem . two final questions .....1, How bad was "wave pain" associated with radiotherapy? and 2.Are the skin problems manageable ?  Thanks again , and best wishes for your future.

Latchbrook; thanks for your response; in answer to your questions I can pass on what has happened and how I am where I am;

In 2014 Had bowel cancer and had a stoma fitted.

In 2019 Had lower lobe wedge 

In 2021 Had right middle lobe removed

In 2022 Had excision of pleural based metastasis lesion

In August 2023 had a CT scan and a new heterogenous lesion measuring 2.1 cm x 1,0cm  attached to rib 7 with some fracture.

In Oct 2023 had a PETscan showing the lesion on rib 7 with

SUV OF MAX 16; plus mediastinal multi high grade nodules; 

The Heart and lung hospital referred me to Clatterbridge oncology  as i have multifocal disease ,

The first lump has grown from 2.1 cm to 5cm and a second lump from the operation port site also shows.

I refused chemo ; and I am being offered Radiotherapy; but I need to talk to people who have had similar radiology ; as my disease is left side of rib cage and I am worried about heart problems after radiology. Thank you . Hope this answers your questions,

Hi Bold1 

So I think from what you've written, you have bowel cancer which has spread to your bones. Is that right?

Hi Bold1, the radiotherapy was painless. no depression or instability either and only a small area of dry skin which was easily treated with E45.take care. 

Eddie

No' The cancer was primarily in bowel but surgery removed the bowel and I have a stoma;

the current cancer is in my 7th Rib and two lumps are present one is 6cm the other 5cm.

I refused chemo and have been offered Radiotherapy; what I would like to know is does the "pain wave" of Radiotherapy hit everyone or is different for a lot of people; and how bad is that pain.

I am also trying to find out what % percentage of such tumours are successful in as much as hey shrink or stop growing ;  best wishes,

Cheers Eddiel; that gives me great hope.  Thanks

Sorry Bold1 but I'm not a medic, just a fellow cancer patient, and I was trying to work out from your list of treatment what type of cancer you're being treated for to give you a link to the relevant group.

So, as you've said you have two lumps on your ribs I'm presuming that it's bone cancer that you're being treated for. If that's right then this is the link to the bone cancer forum where you can ask others how they've got on with radiotherapy.

I apologise if I've got it wrong again and, if I have, please let me know the type of cancer you have so I can link you to the right forum.

Wishing you all the best with your treatment

Thanks eddiel ; re assuring . cheers.  Bold1